Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a disorder that affects many women during the one to two weeks before menstruation begins. PMS is also called PMT or premenstrual tension. It can be defined as collection of physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms related to a woman's menstrual cycle before it begins. While most women of child-bearing age (up to 85%) report having experienced physical symptoms related to normal ovulatory function, such as bloating or breast tenderness. This is a physically based problem, although it is still far from clear what causes all the symptoms. It is possible, of course that there is more than one cause of PMS may be hormonal imbalance-excessive levels of estrogen and inadequate levels of progesterone-as well as sensitivity to fluctuating hormones. Diet may be an important contributing factor for some women.

Unstable blood sugar levels are an important factor as well. PMS has also been linked to food allergies, changes in carbohydrates metabolism, hypoglycemia, and malabsorption. Other suspected causes of PMS symptoms include erratic levels of beta-endorphin (a narcotic-like substance produced by the body), vitamin and/or mineral deficiencies (especially calcium deficiency), and an inability to metabolize fatty acids. All of these may play a part in PMS.

Only a small percentage of women (2 to 5%) have significant premenstrual symptoms that are separate from the normal discomfort associated with menstruation in healthy women.   Most issues teens confront when they start menstruating are completely normal. In fact, many girls and women have had to deal with one or more of them at one time or another. Most women have at least some symptoms of PMS, and the symptoms go away after their periods start. For some women, the symptoms are severe enough to interfere with their lives. They have a type of PMS called premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD. Approximately 5 percent of women have symptoms so severe as to be incapacitating, and 30 to 40 percent report symptoms severe enough to interfere with their day-to-day lives.

Although the exact cause of PMS is unknown, it seems to occur because of changing hormone levels, and their effect on chemicals in the brain. During the second half of the menstrual cycle, the amount of progesterone in the body increases. Then, about 7 days before the period starts, levels of both progesterone and estrogen drop.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) Symptoms
The symptoms are so numerous and various that diagnosing and treating this condition is often difficult. PMS includes both physical and emotional symptoms that many females get right before their periods. The three most prominent symptoms are irritability, tension, and dysphoria (unhappiness). Common symptoms include stress, anxiety, crying, and difficulty in falling asleep (insomnia), headache, backaches, fatigue, mood swings, increased emotional sensitivity, and changes in libido, bloating, abdominal cramps, feeling gaseous constipation, swelling or tenderness in the breasts, cyclic acne, and joint or muscle pain.
 
The other symptoms include:

• Anxiety or panic
• Confusion  and Forgetfulness
• Poor judgment
• chronic fatigue
• Irritability, hostility, or aggressive behavior
• Slow, sluggish, lethargic movement
• Decreased self-image
• Sex drive changes, loss of sex drive
• Paranoia or increased fears
• water retention hypothyroidism, and outburst of anger, violence
• Less tolerance for noises and lights
• Low self-esteem
• Swelling of ankles, feet, and hands

Different girls may have some or all of these symptoms in varying combinations. PMS is usually at its worst during the 7 days before the period starts and disappears soon after it begins. But girls usually don't develop symptoms associated with PMS until several years after menstruation starts — if ever.

HERBS
Angelica root, cramp bark, kava kava, and red raspberry have antispasmodic properties and may alleviate cramps.
Black cohosh, blessed thistle, dong quai, false unicorn root, fennel seed, sarsaparilla root, and squawvine are hormone-balancing herbs effective in the treatment of PMS.
Black haw and rosemary are good for cramps and help to calm the nervous system.
Corn silk or an herbal combination such as SP-6 corn silk blend from Solaray aids in releasing excess water from the tissues and relieves many premenstrual symptoms. Dandelion and hawthorn also act as natural diuretics.
Feverfew is good for migraines.
Milk thistle cleanses the liver and helps in improve liver function, thus enhancing the liver’s ability to metabolize estrogen.
Pau d’arco tea is good for protecting against candidiasis (yeast infection).
Peppermint, strawberry leaf, and valerian root help to stabilize mood swings and tone the nervous system.
Wild yam extract contains natural progesterone and has proved effective in alleviating many symptoms of PMS, including cramps, headache, mood swings, depression, irritability, and insomnia.

RECOMMENDATION

• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain cereals and breads, beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds, and broiled chicken, turkey, and fish. Have high-protein snacks between meals.
• Include in your diet foods that are high in complex carbohydrates and rich in fiber. These can help the body to get rid of excess estrogen if high estrogen levels are your problem.
• Drink 1 quart of distilled water daily, starting a week before the menstrual period and ending one week after.
• Do not consume salt, red meats, processed foods, or junk or fast foods. T the very least, omit these foods from the diet for atleast one week before the expected onset of symptoms. Eliminating sodium is especially important for preventing bloating and water retention
• Eat fewer dairy products. Dairy products block the absorption of magnesium and increase its urinary excretion. Refined sugars also increase magnesium excretion.
• Avoid caffeine. Caffeine is linked to breast tenderness and is a central nervous system stimulant that can deplete many important nutrients.
• Eat foods that are high in phytoestrogens such as soy products, flaxseeds, nuts, whole grains, apples, fennel, celery, parsley, and alfalfa.
  Do not consume alcohol or sugar in any form, especially during the week before symptoms are expected. These foods cause valuable electrolytes, particularly magnesium, to be lost through the urine.
• Fast on fresh juices and spirulina for several days before the anticipated onset of menstruation to help minimize symptoms.
• Get regular exercise. Walking, even if only one-half to one mile per day, can be very helpful. Exercise increases the oxygen level in the blood, which helps in nutrients absorption and efficient elimination of toxins from the body. It also helps to keep hormone levels more stable.
• Do not smoke.
• Nutritional supplements may be recommended. Vitamin B6, calcium, and magnesium are commonly used.
• Bromocriptine, danazol, and tamoxifen are drugs that are occasionally used for relieving breast pain.
• Birth control pills may decrease or increase PMS symptoms.
• The body may have different sleep requirements at different times during a woman's menstrual cycle, so it is important to get adequate rest.
• Aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be prescribed if you have significant pain, including headache, backache, menstrual cramping, and breast tenderness.
• See a physician to rule out an underlying medical condition that may be causing symptoms, such as abnormal thyroid function, endometriosis, or a genuine psychological problem such as clinical depression.