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Premenstrual symptoms: another look.
1Department of Parent and Child Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle.
Public Health Reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974)
|July 1, 1987
Summary
Most women do not experience increased premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms before their period. Symptom severity often peaks during menstruation, challenging common beliefs about PMS.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Women's Health
- Symptomology Research
Background:
- Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is commonly believed to affect most women with increased symptoms before menstruation.
- Over 200 symptoms are associated with PMS, leading to varied patient experiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the actual cyclic variations in the prevalence and severity of commonly cited perimenstrual symptoms.
- To identify distinct symptom severity patterns throughout the menstrual cycle.
Main Methods:
- A community-based, multiethnic sample of 345 women participated.
- Participants recorded daily symptom severity for 90 days using a scale from 'not present' to 'extreme'.
- A novel method was employed to identify symptom severity patterns across the menstrual cycle.
Main Results:
- The maximum total reported symptom score occurred during menses, not in the premenses.
- Less than 15 percent of women reported moderate to extreme symptom severity during menses.
- Six distinct symptom severity patterns were identified; only 13% showed increased severity premenses, and 13% showed decreased severity premenses.
Conclusions:
- The common belief that most women experience increased PMS symptoms premenses is not supported by this study's findings.
- Symptom patterns vary significantly, with a substantial portion of women not exhibiting the typical premenstrual increase.
- This research highlights the need for individualized assessment of perimenstrual symptoms.