The term premenstrual syndrome (PMS) lumps together a vast collection of symptoms, physical and mental - a mixed bag of individual responses - to a natural event: the menstrual cycle. These symptoms are experienced by some women from two to 14 days before the start of menstruation.

This problem is very common as up to one-third of women have some of the symptoms, but in five per cent of them, the problem is severe or incapacitating.

PMS IS NOT PLEASANT

Although 200 PMS symptoms are listed, the most common are bloating/water retention and weight gain, breast tenderness and lumpiness, headaches, cramps, fatigue, irritability, mood swings, anxiety and craving for sweet or salty food.

In women with severe PMS, irritability and mood swings can become outbursts of anger and rage. Existing conditions, such as depression, asthma, allergies, and epilepsy and mental illness can also become worse at that time. Period pain itself is not included as a symptom of PMS.

CAUSES OF PMS

Many factors influence the delicate female hormonal balance and contribute to PMS. poor nutrition and unhealthy lifestyle, stress, pollution and negative attitudes towards menstruation all play a part.

Many complementary-medicine doctors believe that a hormonal imbalance called estrogen dominance is a major factor causing not only PMS, but also a long list of common female disorders, like uterine fibroids, breast lumps, endometriosis and menopausal symptoms.

ESTROGEN DOMINANCE

In addition to the estrogen produced by a woman's body, she is constantly exposed to estrogens from the environment. In the past, the other estrogens were mainly phytoestrogens, compounds in plants that have mild estrogen-like effects. They are healthy estrogens. Women who live in parts of the world where they customarily eat these plants have little hormonal problems and pass through the menopause with hardly any symptoms whatsoever.

However, in modern times there are very potent chemicals called xenoestrogens that we are exposed to on a daily basis. They are in the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and in the personal-care products we put on our skin and hair. These are chemicals that act like estrogen and are extremely potent, even in very tiny amounts. These substances contribute greatly to estrogen dominance.

PROGESTERONE TO THE RESCUE

The other major female hormone is progesterone which acts to balance the actions of estrogen. Normally, in the latter half of each menstrual cycle, there are hundreds of times more progesterone than there is estrogen in a woman's blood. But if progesterone is low or missing, the woman will have mostly estrogen in her system and this is described as estrogen-dominant.

Women with PMS are low in progesterone. Their ovaries should be making progesterone and they are not. These women are estrogen-dominant. Cortisol, the stress hormone, makes estrogen dominance even worse, as does tobacco, excess caffeine and deficiencies in several vitamins and minerals.

DEALING WITH PMS

Deal with the cause: correct estrogen dominance:

Have a balanced diet high in fresh vegetables and fruit. High-quality soy products and green tea help in hormone balancing and should be key components of your daily diet.

Avoid foods and drinks that contain hormones: commercial meats, dairy and poultry, household chemicals and personal-care items with xenoestrogens. Detoxify your body to remove offending chemicals already polluting your system. Infrared saunas, colon cleansing and detoxifying herbs are very useful.

Natural Progesterone Cream: This is a cream containing the exact substance that is deficient in your body, and is not a chemical imitation. The popularly prescribed drugs are progestins (a chemical imitation of progesterone). They are not the same as the bio-identical progesterone in this cream, and do not give the same results. The quality, the dosage and the timing of application of the cream are important for success of the treatment. Natural Progesterone Cream though available in health-food stores, is best used under the direction of an experienced health-care provider.

Stress management: This is critical as poor stress management will result in high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which worsens estrogen dominance. Stress commonly disturbs thyroid function and this should be looked out for. Exercise, especially yoga, adequate rest, relaxation techniques, massage, reflexology, reiki, emotional-release therapy, body talk and hypnosis are all useful tools.

Supplements: The Chinese herb Tang Kuei helps in a variety of hormone-related female disorders, like PMS. Vitamins C and E, the minerals, calcium and magnesium, the omega 3 fatty acids, B vitamins, chamomile and St John's Wort are all useful in PMS.

Identify and avoid triggers: Activities or habits that trigger your symptoms are called PMS triggers. Examples include cigarette smoking, coffee, overwork, sugar, salty foods and some drugs. Keeping a diary of your symptoms can help in identifying these triggers.

You may email Dr Vendryes at vendryes@mac.com, or listen to An Ounce of Prevention on POWER 106FM on Fridays at 8:00 p.m., or attend his upcoming wellness seminars. Call 927-8871 for details.