PMS-a hormonal typhoon

PMS-a hormonal typhoon

For many a woman going through their cycles, the time leading on to the actual period often turns out to be pretty challenging. Pre Menstrual syndrome or Pre Menstrual Stress commonly referred to as PMS is a reality to almost 80% of women who are pre-menopausal. Butt of jokes, a topic of ridicule to many, PMS is a stark finger in the eye that is brushed under a carpet of brusqueness like so many things that are sexual and held taboo.

While a woman’s menses are the subject of many a taboo, menstruation is actually and foremost a sign of reproductive health for women.  A regular cycle is indeed a sign that her reproductive system is functioning properly, creating new eggs in the proper periodicity and flushing out the old one too make way for the new one as is the order of life. It is only a quaint temple in Assam, the Kamakshya temple shrouded in the mysticism of mother worship and tantra that celebrates the Goddess’ cycle through the festival of Ambubachi. It is only a temple that worships the Goddess not in the form of an idol but in the form of her Yoni or Vagina that can truly appreciate and revere this most important aspect of a woman.

Let us understand the changes that happen during this time to better understand what a woman goes through. To facilitate the fertilization process and then the gestation of the zygote formed as a result of the fertilization the uterine walls thickens. The unfertilized egg long with part of this wall which is not required is shed as menses through the vagina along with blood and mucus. It is during this time that the Pituitary gland secretes a hormone called the Follicular Stimulating Hormone (FSH) to the uterus, leading to the formation of follicles which bear within them a probable mature egg. As the follicle start maturing, there is a spike in the level of the hormone estrogen. This among other things causes the uterine walls to re-thicken in preparation of possible fertilization. In response to the rising estrogen level the pituitary gland next releases the Luteinizing Hormone (LH), which leads to the mature egg(ova) being released from the ovary and traveling down to the uterus in wait for a sperm for possible fertilization. The follicle on the other hand post release of the ova converts into the corpus luteum releasing more estrogen and also the hormone progesterone. If there is successful fertilization the corpus luteum will be maintained, else it will start shrinking leading to lower progesterone and estrogen levels. It is this that trigger menstruation. 

If our body is used to a certain level of blood sugar and it drops due to some reason we feel unwell, as is the case when high BP suddenly plummets to a low level. Similarly, when the hormone levels of the body plummet there is an obvious adverse effect. This is the case for hormones like insulin or glucagon whose imbalance leads to carbohydrate metabolism and hence blood sugar. This is also true for progesterone and estrogen. In fact, the common symptoms of PMS like headache, mood changes, or depression are primarily associated with progesterone drop. The estrogen drop, on the other hand, is often associated with a propensity f Urinary Tract Infections, hot flashes, fatigue. Drop in both hormones contribute to mood swings, breast tenderness, and mood swings. 

Now imagine a woman who is anyway perturbed by the onset of the period, when she will have to endure some amount of abdominal cramps, bleeding and such, will have to take extra care of her hygiene, and in today’s world her appearances. Now on top o that her body is afflicted by a downward spire of her hormones which are leading to all those other issues. No wonder women have mood swings even if the hormones were themselves not creating some.

A healthy diet, low on salt, good exercise, good sleep, and a decrease in stress are supposed to be alleviators of the symptoms.  Of this, I would like to focus on the last one. Stress in today’s world is a killer and compounds other factors like blood sugar and hypertension to create a further cocktail. If unchecked this can easily mutate into a Molotov Cocktail that will burn us fast and hard. So it is stress that we need to address most efficiently for not just alleviating PMS but also for holistic improvement. In this support from our near and dear ones is very crucial. A partner supportive of the woman during this time of the month goes a long way in terms of releasing stress. Acceptance rather than brusque denial is more effective in dealing with this. Empathy and sympathy from near and dear ones are critical in dealing with this. While most men can never gauge the spectrum of distress that woman go through during this time, the quantum of distress that women suffer also varies from individual to individual. Men are therefore grossly unqualified to handle this due to ignorance. Women on the other hand in their routine of acceptance often fail to sex with others who have a higher degree of distress. A change in this is probably what is most needed. After all our lives are incomplete without our women whether that be a mother, a sister a daughter or a lover, all f them go through this distress, all of them need this form us. So the next time we hear  a PMS joke, step back, appreciate the typhoon of hormones brewing inside then women and respond “PMS jokes are not funny…..PERIOD”.