In Western society, two points on the continuum of the female hormonal cycle are somewhat politicized and quite medical-ized. PMS and menopause have also come to be regarded as diseases. We speak of them in terms of symptoms and have an armory of drugs and therapies to treat them. Virtually all women experience some changes right before and during the first day of menstrual bleeding.
Typical changes are mood swings, bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, and cramping.
It is not caused by any underlying physical or mental illness. More than 150 symptoms have been linked to PMS, a syndrome first recognized in the United States in the 1980s. Symptoms can be defined as physical and psychological. Leading theories include an imbalance in progesterone and estrogen, fluctuations in blood sugar levels, and vitamin or mineral deficiencies. PMS is most common in women in their mid-30s.