Over 90% of women suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS). One or two weeks before their period, they start experiencing various symptoms. For some women, these symptoms are merely noticeable and easy to put up with. For others, they become so intense and disturbing that they end up interfering with their routine.
The main cause of these symptoms are the fluctuations in hormone levels. However, other factors, like yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis can aggravate them as well. Many women have found that after treating these conditions, their PMS symptoms diminished in intensity and duration.
The symptoms are quite numerous and varied. They include but are not limited to:
- Tender, swollen breasts
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Bloating and gassy feeling
- Cramps in the lower abdominal area
- Headache
- Backaches
- Decreased tolerance to light and noise
- Irritability and mood changes
- Fatigue
- Changes in appetite and cravings
- Disturbed sleep
- Poor concentration
- Tension, anxiety, depression
- Decreased sex drive
It is easy to see how these symptoms could affect a woman’s quality of life, so it is important to be able to alleviate them. Although medicines can help, most have side effects. Therefore, taking them for one or two weeks every month could be dangerous. A much better idea is to relieve PMS symptoms through natural ways. Here is a list of safe and easy remedies you can try at home.
Safe and Easy Natural Home Remedies for PMS Symptoms
1. Eat and Drink Light and Healthily
Some foods cause bloating and stomach cramps and are difficult to digest, making PMS symptoms even more difficult to put up with. At least during the sensitive period, it helps to stay away from refined sugar, flour, and processed foods, and get an adequate intake of quality proteins and fats.
Dairy is to be avoided, except for probiotic-rich yogurts, and so are alcohol and caffeine. It is better to have several small meals throughout the day than to take in high quantities of food once or twice a day. It is important to have at least two or three hours between dinner and bedtime, to allow the body to process food and enjoy a restful sleep.
Foods should be mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably from verified sources, free of pesticides GMOs, and additives. The focus should be on those rich in fiber, calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin D, Omega 3, and probiotics.
2. Hydrate and Limit Bad Habits
Proper hydration is important at all times, not just in the premenstrual period. Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. If you don’t like plain water, turn it into tea or flavor it with fresh fruit slices. Do your best to avoid soda, sweet drinks, caffeine, and alcohol.
Smoking is not a good idea either. According to a recent study, it considerably increases the risk of premenstrual disorders, including PMS. As you try to improve your lifestyle, make sure to rest and get enough sleep, as sleep deprivation brings about and worsens symptoms common to PMS, like mood changes and irritability.
3. Exercise and Relieve Stress
Scientists have found that physical exercise can help relieve most PMS physical and psychological symptoms. The types of physical exercises proven the most effective so far are aerobics and swimming.
Stress relieve techniques such as yoga, massage, and meditation will work miracles. Besides relaxing your body and relieving PMS symptoms, a warm bath before bedtime, with bomb baths will help you feel and sleep better.
4. Supplements
Research has shown that supplementation with the vitamins and minerals below can reduce or eliminate PMS symptoms:
- Calcium and vitamin D – A 2019 systematic review of 28 clinical trials found that supplementation with calcium and vitamin D is an inexpensive way to eliminate or reduce PMS symptoms.
- Magnesium – PMS is associated with magnesium deficiency. Moreover, magnesium was found to relieve stress and subjective anxiety, so supplementation with it could help alleviate some PMS symptoms.
- Probiotics – Among the numerous health benefits of probiotics, some, like improving digestion, relieving bloating and gas, alleviating anxiety and depression, and improving vaginal health could be valuable when it comes to mitigating PMS symptoms.
5. Essential Oils and Herbs
Nature has amazing healing powers, including when it comes to PMS symptoms. Essential oils work miracles in terms of relaxation, inflammation, stress, and pain relief. They also have valuable antimicrobial properties. Some varieties you want to look into are lavender, frankincense, rose, and oregano oils.
There are also numerous other natural remedies you can try to help relieve PMS symptoms and improve overall well-being throughout this period:
- Chasteberry balances hormones and helps improve the functioning of the pituitary gland.
- Wild yams are a natural alternative to estrogen therapy and can help balance hormones.
- Cramp bark is quite effective at relieving PMS and menstrual cramps.
- Dandelion root is often recommended for its detoxification and diuretic properties.
- Soy, kudzu root, and red clover isoflavones improve the activity of specific enzymes and promote estrogen detoxification.
- Flax seeds are rich in lignans and can help balance hormone levels and mitigate the negative implications of estrogen excess.
- Chinese herbs have a very good reputation for relieving PMS symptoms as well. The ones most commonly used in tea and supplement blends include Chinese peony root, Bai-Zhu atractylodes root, bupleurum root, ginger rhizome, Poria sclerotium, licorice root, and mint.
Final Advice on Relieving PMS Symptoms Naturally
The above ways to relieve PMS symptoms naturally may seem numerous and difficult to try at the same time. Also, some of them may provide fewer or lower benefits than others. Do not worry and do not rush things! Take your time trying them and focus on discovering which ones provide the best results in your case.
With time, you will develop your own routine and adopt new and healthy habits that will ease your way through the premenstrual period and secure your well-being. As you don’t hesitate to share your experience in a comment below – perhaps others can learn from it as well!