The medical profession is split over this. One view is that it is Nature's way of saying that the female is too thin to have children. Another opinion is that prolonged cessation of the period will lead to infertility. A lot of uncertainty surrounding PMT over the last 30 years stems from an inability to define the condition accurately. Unlike most other medical conditions, the diagnosis is based in the cyclical nature of the symptoms rather than on the actual symptoms themselves.
Some women suffer only one but the norm is half a dozen.
Other symptoms include oily skin, acne, clumsiness and feelings of violence or, in severe cases, even suicide. Of concern to female athletes is that asthma can be aggravated premenstrually. About half of women of child-bearing age experience at least some premenstrual symptoms. The other half may feel that their symptoms warrant treatment. Greek and Japanese women have a lower frequency of symptoms, and it is thought that this is due to dietary differences.