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About 3 to 8% of women of reproductive age have the most severe form of PMS. However, between 13 and 18% of women suffer from significant clinical symptoms in the pre-menstrual cycle and 75 to 80% have some premenstrual symptoms.
At the time of PMS, women report lower physical and mental performance, increase of days with reduced productivity, increased work days lost due to health problems and increase the number of visits to the doctor.
The main symptoms of PMS are the psychological changes, weight gain, breast tenderness, swelling of hands and feet, headaches, poor concentration, sleep disturbances and changes in appetite. These symptoms must occur within 7 days prior to menstruation.
In the premenstrual period is a worsening or exacerbation of other symptoms. This premenstrual exacerbation can be seen in medical illnesses such as asthma, arthritis, chronic fatigue, diabetes, hypothyroidism, lupus, headaches, multiple sclerosis and seizures; in neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety, bipolar, depression, dysthymia, panic, personality disorders, schizophrenia, drug abuse and suicide, and gynecological diseases such as chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, endometriosis, headache and menstrual symptoms in peri-menopause.
Even with the large number of women suffering with PMS, the problem is often overlooked and little worked in doctors' offices. Women are on average visit almost 4 doctors and take more than 5 years on average to have PMS diagnosed. Eighty-five percent report having used more than one treatment for PMS and 45% say they need more aid. Of those who have severe symptoms, less than 50% seek medical treatment and 50% believe that no treatment resolves.
There is a delay in the diagnosis of premenstrual symptoms and, on average, a woman goes through 3.8 physicians and takes 5.3 years to be diagnosed with PMS. In one study, 85% of participants reported that they tried one or more treatments for PMS / PMS, and 45% wanted more help than they received. Women with severe symptoms and premenstrual syndrome, fewer than half had sought medical help, half said that no treatment has helped and 89% of women with PMS were undiagnosed. These findings might suggest difficulties in communication between women and gynaecologists, or that they can not adequately express their symptoms or why the doctors do not have clarity about the daily manifestations of this clinical entity.
For all these reasons it makes clear the need for women to identify their symptoms as related or not PMS and discuss them with they doctor so they can achieve together relief for the symptoms, whether by improving quality of life, exercise, food or even the use of medications, if necessary.
Using acupuncture to treat premenstrual syndrome...
Last updated: 09/02/2012
