PMS and PMDD: What's the Difference?
PMS and PMDD: What's the Difference?
The hormonal ride we take monthly sends many of us into an emotional tailspin, clinging to a box of chocolate as if it were a life raft.
Did you know that about 75 percent of all women have PMS symptoms? We have to joke about it or we'll go crazy. Somehow between the physical symptoms and the emotional roller coaster, we all figure out a way to deal.
Well, most of us do. Unfortunately, two to 10 percent of women suffer from PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). This is like PMS, but multiplied by 3 million (I don't really have any data to back up that number, but you know what I mean). The symptoms are much worse and more severe than your run of the mill PMS, and they can prevent you from leaving your bed for days out of the month.
Want to know what the symptoms of PMDD are? Then read more
- Sadness and crying
- Feeling nervous, anxious, angry, out of control, and/or irritable
- Strong cravings for certain foods
- Problems paying attention and concentrating
- Physical problems such as breast tenderness, headaches, bloating, joint or muscle pain and swelling
- Fatigue or trouble sleeping
PMDD symptoms not only affect your ability to work and function, but they can also affect your relationships. PMDD may just be the reason you want to break up with your boyfriend every month.
Fit's Tips: If you experience these symptoms 10-14 before you get your period, and they improve once your period comes, you may actually have PMDD, and not just basic PMS. Talk to your gyno about it, to see how they can help relieve your symptoms.
