10 Health care tips for women suffering with PMS

Tip 1 - Stay active

Personally, the most affective tip I have come across is to keep the body fit through light work out sessions regularly. The recommended exercises are swimming, yoga and aerobics; the type of activities that gets your heart pumping. This helps with the emotional stress such as sadness and anxiety that are common symptoms of PMS. At least try and engage in at least 30 minutes of physical movement in your day to day life; could be something as simple as jogging or even brisk walking. Staying fit will improve your overall health and help maintain your weight which also acts as a major trigger for several PMS symptoms.

Tip 2 - Maintain a healthy diet

Another one of a super important tip is to maintain your diet. This not only helps with PMS but also aids in regulating your menstrual cycle and makes sure your bodily functions are healthy. Modifying your diet to include more fruits, vegetables and whole grains can cause a significant difference in your PMS symptoms. Foods that are packed with proteins and vitamins can improve your energy levels and support the mood-enhancing emotions. Also make sure to cut down on processed food, artificial sweeteners, salt and fat. If you experience bloating on a regular basis, try spacing out your meals and eat smaller, more frequently to reduce the feeling of fullness.

Tip 3 - Try therapy

With therapy becoming increasingly common now, there are a lot methods such as cognitive therapy that help with negative thoughts and can alter the way a woman feels about and during her PMS symptoms. A lot of women who have taken up therapy for this purpose find that such therapeutic sessions can make the PMS period considerably more bearable. For maximum results find a therapist that uses effective methods and combines them with healthy lifestyle changes to tackle your PMS issues. If you’re not comfortable with therapy or you don’t have enough time to take it up, it always helps sharing your concerns and feelings with a loved one, perhaps another woman who might even be able to share some personal tips that might come in handy. Also remember there are always online discussion groups that might be of help. So try and check them out!

Tip 4 - Limit caffeine and alcohol intake

Both alcohol and caffeine are known to enhance your PMS symptoms. Research found that alcohol could lead to 45%-79% (heavy drinkers) increase in the risk of PMS. Consider reducing alcohol intake as well as caffeine from your diet; this includes strong coffees, tea, cocoa etc. A lot of women complain regarding increased cravings for caffeine and alcohol during the PMS period. This is pretty common and if you need help cutting these down, feel free to consult your dietician or a doctor.

Tip 5 - Stop smoking

According to several researches conducted, smoking worsens premenstrual symptoms. Middle aged smoking women (27-44) are much likelier to develop PMS symptoms, especially the hormone related ones such as back pains, bloats, acne and breast changes. A reputed professor of University of Massachusetts of Amherst said “Our findings lend further support to the idea that smoking increases the risk of moderate to severe PMS, and provides another reason for women, especially adolescents and young women, not to smoke”. The results of their research concluded that current smokers were 2 times as likely as non-smokers when it comes to reporting severe PMS symptoms.

Tip 6 - Try essential oils

Essential oils are great when its comes to that time of the month. We’ve all been through a plethora of irritating side effects of our period. Relaxing scents tend to have a great impact on your mood and can influence a bunch of positive feelings keeping you calm and energized. Below mentioned are few of the scents that are known to have a help relieve PMS symptoms:

There are a lot of other essential oils out there and each work differently from person to person.

Tip 7 - Supplements

If you are not someone with a regular healthy diet or find it hard in maintaining one; you can get your vitamins and other nutrients through supplements. Few of the supplements that help with reducing PMS symptoms are:

Tip 8 - Meditation

Meditation can help a ton with your mind and keep you relaxed. It’s known for reducing stress, anxiety and depression. It not only helps with your emotional well-being but regular meditation can have a large impact on your physical health as well. It’s a quick fix for a lot of your health problems.

Tips to start meditation:

Tip 9 - Sleep

Disturbed sleep schedules and lack of sleep can majorly contribute to low moods and fatigue leading to increased sensitivity to pain. A few important tips to keep in mind are:

Tip 10 - Acupuncture

The method of acupuncture aims to promote your body’s self-healing process by increasing blood flow in the body through the process of inserting needles in certain parts of the body. It works by increasing circulation and elevating endorphins which can help reduce pain as well as enhance moods. Most women start noticing the relief about a day after the acupuncture session. It’s a low risk option that have proven to work with PMS symptoms for a quite a few people. However the studies conducted on this is limited.

According to the WHO (World Health Organization), acupuncture is known to act as a temporary treatment for several conditions.