Premenstrual Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms and Their Meanings
Rebecca Johnson
February 2024
Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, is a term associated with the symptoms a woman experiences in the days leading up to her period. Usually, these symptoms arise about a week before menstruation begins. Common symptoms are breast tenderness, abdominal cramps, mood swings, food cravings, and irritability.[3] We are going to take a closer look at the biological bases of these symptoms, and why they affect us the way that they do!
Tender Breasts
The reason our breasts get sore before our periods is because Estrogen, a primary female sex hormone, enlarges the breast ducts. A simultaneous decrease in and the decrease of Progesterone, a steroid hormone, that causes swelling of the milk glands. This is because Estrogen increases during this time of the menstrual cycle. The usual role of Estrogen in breast ducts is to it stimulate milk production and expand the ducts into the mammary glands.[4] The growth is the result of Estrogen binding to the receptor Era at the start of puberty. But it’s important to monitor the symptoms you are having because some may be connected to more serious issues and may cause problems later in life.[1]
Abdominal Cramps
Abdominal cramps are caused by the contraction of the uterine lining of the uterine lining and may become thinner and thicker throughout your menstrual cycle. Regulated by prostaglandins, the muscles contract causing inflammation and pain. This hormone plays a part in primary dysmenorrhea, which is one type of period pain. In this case, excess prostaglandin release causes tightening and subsequent relaxation of uterine muscle, causing the sensation known as cramps. Causes are endometriosis and uterine fibroids, but normally, period cramps get better as you get older. To relieve the pain, you can try exercising, using a heating pad, or taking a hot pack.[5]
Mood Swings
Due to the fluctuation of estrogen and progesterone levels, you may feel more negative emotions before and during menstruation. Estrogen is connected to the hormone serotonin, which regulates happiness. However these two hormones aren’t always linear, and variations in them can cause mood changes. In fact, a study by Soyda Akyol E et al. showed that women who had PMS experienced more depression and nervousness.[2]
Food Cravings
Before or during your period, fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone cause certain food cravings. Usually, you tend to crave carbohydrates and sugary foods during this time, especially starchy foods. This is to make up for the low serotonin levels produced in your body during pre-menstruation and menstruation. It will balance out your mood and provide the stability that is normally serotonin’s job. Also, this is the period where your body is best at metabolizing carbohydrates, so if there is any right time to consume it, it’s during your period! You become more sensitive to insulin, so the carbohydrates will be easier to convert to energy while the body has low insulin.[6]
References
[1] Arendt, L. M., & Kuperwasser, C. (2015). Form and Function: how Estrogen and Progesterone Regulate the Mammary Epithelial Hierarchy. Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia, 20(1-2), 9–25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10911-015-9337-0
[2] Genomind. (2023, May 4). How Hormones Affect Mood for Women – Genomind. Genomind.com. https://genomind.com/patients/how-hormones-affect-mood-for
women/#:~:text=While%20we%20know%20that%20estrogen
[3] Mayo Clinic. (2022, February 25). Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) – symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/premenstrual-syndrome/symptoms causes/syc-20376780
[4] Normal Breast Development and Changes. (n.d.). Www.hopkinsmedicine.org. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/normal-breast-development and-changes#:~:text=The%20hormone%20estrogen%20is%20produced
[5] Period Pain. (2019). Medlineplus.gov; National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/periodpain.html
[6] “There’s a Best Time in Your Cycle to Eat Carbs (and This Is It).” Eve Wellness, 22 June 2020, evewellness.com/blogs/news/there-s-a-best-time-in-your-cycle-to-eat-carbs-and-this-is-it. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.
