The symptoms can be extremely distressing and usually include irritability, anxiety or depression, diminished self-esteem, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems, appetite changes, low energy, bloating, headache and breast swelling and tenderness. Within the medical community, PMS is loosely defined as requiring that at least one psychological and one physical symptom be present monthly during the premenstrual period. Although the symptoms vary greatly from person to person, research suggests that as many as seventy-five percent of menstruating women have some premenstrual syndrome symptoms. Of these, most have psychological symptoms including hypersensitivity to events that are not so upsetting at other times, episodes of crying during the premenstrual week, irritability, tension, and moodiness. Appetite changes are also very common and approximately seventy-five percent of women report sweet or salty cravings.
Some women experience hot flushes, palpitations, dizziness, and gastrointestinal upset.
Many treatments have been tried for alleviating the symptoms of PMS but no treatment has been found that is consistently effective. Antidepressants and mood stabilizers are generally reserved for the most severe cases in women who have resisted other treatments. Reducing caffeine consumption in the week before your period can assuage breast symptoms, such as swelling and tenderness. Many women also find that irritability and headaches decrease when they cut their caffeine intake. Excess salt intake may worsen water retention symptoms including bloating and swelling of hands and feet.