ALL ABOUT PREMENSTRUAL DYSPHORIC DISORDER OR PMDD

Do you feel cramps that are so intense you are almost left crippled by pain?

Are you spending your night tossing and turning, waiting for the dawn to finally arrive?

Do you feel especially irritable before your periods and are having trouble concentrating on things you do?

These symptoms are linked with PMDD, and you might be suffering from it. Read on to find out what PMDD disorder is.

WHAT IS PREMENSTRUAL DYSPHORIC DISORDER

PMDD meaning Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder is a health condition similar to PMS or Premenstrual Syndrome, but its symptoms are more serious. 

All of us have, at some point in our lives, experienced things like sensitive breasts, mood swings, and cramps during or before our periods. These are nothing but symptoms of PMS. 

However, if these symptoms become so severe that they begin to affect your quality of life, your work and family life, relationships, hobbies, etc., then these are not PMS but symptoms of PMDD. Life for women experiencing PMDD is really tough, indeed. 

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SYMPTOMS OF PMDD

PMDD or Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder has symptoms that show up a week before you start your periods and last till a few days later. Some of the symptoms you might experience are:

• Terrible mood swings
• Feeling tired
• Changes in your appetite
• Problems in sleeping
• Intense cramps and feeling bloated
• Depression or a feeling of utter hopelessness
• Feeling anxious or easily irritable
• Trouble concentrating on tasks
• Sensitive breasts
• Hot flashes or feeling warm all over your body and sweating
• Muscle and joint pain 
• Headaches, etc.

You might be diagnosed with PMDD if:

• Your symptoms start a week before periods and go away a few days later.
• You at least have 5-6 symptoms that are given above. 
• All the other possibilities like anxiety, depression, endometriosis, menopause, etc., that show similar symptoms have already been ruled out by your doctor. 

CAUSES OF PMDD

More than 5% of women who are in their reproductive years are having a tough time because of PMDD.   

Experts have not yet found an exact reason that causes you to experience Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder symptoms. Some believe that it happens because of hormonal changes in your body during your periods. 

A few researches have shown a link between Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and depression and anxiety. 

Some studies claim that low levels of serotonin in the brain and PMDD are interrelated. Serotonin is the chemical in your brain that helps regulate sleep, mood, pain, and concentration; also things that a person with anxiety or depression struggles with and hence the correlation between the two.  

Hormonal changes in your body could lead to a drop in serotonin levels causing you to experience PMDD symptoms. 

THINGS THAT HELP

Taking a few over-the-counter medications can help with breast soreness, headaches, and cramps.

You should talk to your doctor about taking supplements to help relieve some of the other symptoms of PMDD. Maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise can help greatly. Try doing yoga and meditation to relax your mind and body. 

Talking to a therapist might also be of use in discussing ways to deal with the psychological issues of coping with such a serious and mentally draining health condition as PMDD. 

Keep in mind that if your symptoms don’t get better once your period starts or if they are present all the time regardless of your menstrual cycle, they might not be symptoms of PMDD at all. This is why it is important that once you realise something is not right, you visit a doctor immediately.