PMS (premenstrual tension) indicates that menstruation is coming. Symptoms - from physiological to emotional - can last up to 15 days. to better understand PMS and how to live with it more harmoniously.
Menstrual fatigue: what it is and how to relieve symptoms
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Every month, women have to deal with the influx of female hormones. This is enough for many women to suffer from fatigue and other changes in the body. However, there is a period when this 'fight' with one's own body increases: menstruation. Sometimes, at that moment, the tiredness is so great that the woman does not have the energy for work or for everyday activities. But did you know that this feeling is called menstrual fatigue?
Mood swings, bloating and headaches are some of the symptoms that accompany menstruation. Gynecologist Patrick Bellelis, associate of the endometriosis department at the Hospital das ClÃnicas of the University of São Paulo, explains that excessive tiredness is common and occurs for several reasons related to the body.
Some causes of menstrual fatigue cannot be controlled, but others can be avoided or alleviated. “Our body tends to respond to how we treat it. If we don't give him the vitamins he needs and we don't give him adequate rest, he will complain. A nutrient-rich diet is recommended for anyone throughout the month, but it is even more important for women, especially during menstruation,” says the doctor. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of medical follow-up.
How to relieve menstrual symptoms
For many women, menstruation is accompanied by discomfort such as cramps and headaches.
Every month, women may experience discomfort during the premenstrual period (known as PMS - premenstrual tension) or in the period of menstruation, such as indisposition, headaches and swelling of some parts of the body. Are there ways to alleviate these inconveniences? See below what happens in the woman's body before and during menstruation.
what is menstruation
Each month, when fertilization does not occur, the walls of the uterus, which make up the endometrium, are shed, leading to the flow of blood known as menstruation. However, for many women, this period can be accompanied by some discomfort. In fact, these discomforts appear even days before this bleeding.
Premenstrual period and menstruation
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), also known as premenstrual tension or PMS, is represented by a set of physical, emotional and behavioral symptoms that begin in the week before menstruation. The most common symptoms of this period are enlargement and sensitivity of the breasts, pain and swelling in the legs, weight gain, headaches, increased abdominal volume, acne, anxiety, irritability, depression and change in appetite.
During menstruation, the symptoms remain very similar to those of PMS. A woman's skin can also go through some changes and show increased acne and oiliness, hormones can cause swelling in the body due to fluid retention, in addition to indigestion and unwanted colic and migraines.
Menstrual cramps
Menstrual colic begins with menstrual cycles in which prostaglandin is released, a substance that promotes contraction of the uterus and can cause discomfort in the pelvic area or lower abdomen. There are two types of colic: the primary, which exists since the menarche (name of the first menstruation) along with the beginning of the ovulatory cycles; and secondary, which occurs after a period without pain and may be related to some disease, such as pelvic inflammatory disease or fibroids. Colic may be accompanied by nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, fatigue and fainting.
Stay tuned
Not all colic is just menstrual discomfort. When the pain is severe, it could be a warning sign of endometriosis, an inflammatory disease that occurs when the tissue that lines the uterus (endometrium) implants outside of it and reaches areas where it should not grow - such as the ovaries, intestines and bladder. . Endometriosis has been diagnosed for a long time precisely because its first symptoms are confused with something natural for women, menstrual cramps.
Menstrual migraine
Headaches and migraines do not occur exclusively during menstruation, they can also appear a few days before or after the end of the cycle. The hormonal changes that occur during this period are responsible for stress, anxiety, pain and discomfort every month. These situations often serve as a trigger, increasing the symptoms of PMS and migraine.
symptom relief
To alleviate the symptoms of both PMS and the menstrual period, the practice of physical exercises, changes in diet, such as fiber-rich diet, lymphatic drainage and hot water bag application can be good allies. In some cases, these lifestyle changes alone won't be enough to end the discomfort. For this, it is necessary to seek a gynecologist so that the specialist establishes the correct diagnosis and thus initiates the best treatment for each type of patient.
