In this podcast we welcome Major Mouvement and Sabrina from Princesse Périnée, to talk about premenstrual symptoms, better known as PMS, and the taboos that reside around them.
What is PMS?
PMS encompasses all disorders around the phase just before periods (2 to 7 days), whether physical or psychological.
Why is PMS taboo?
The origins of PMS pain are not well understood. It's even considered a myth by health professionals. There's the pain taboo, where women are used to being in pain and consider it normal, and the mental health taboo. These taboos are all the more present in our society, where the workload or, more generally, the mental load that women undergo, for example at work, does not allow them to take into account their cycles and all the physical and emotional fluctuations that ensue. In the workplace, for example, taking women's cycles into account would improve their productivity. Sabrina even tells us that, beyond PMS, we need to deconstruct human productivity in the workplace.
Why is PMS scary?
PMS is, for many, associated with psychology. Indeed, there's a whole psychological aspect, with symptoms linked to emotions, mood swings, sometimes even profound sadness and so on. The most severe psychological disorders are referred to as premenstrual dysphoric disorder. It is estimated that between 3% and 8% of women of childbearing age are affected by this disorder. The most common symptoms of this disorder are depressed mood, anxiety and greater emotional instability than in classic PMS.
The causes of PMS in general, and of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in particular, are poorly understood, but some healthcare professionals s agree that the causes are hormonal, since it always happens at the same time of the cycle.
Who suffers from PMS?
All women can suffer from PMS, with more or less severe forms. Hormonal fluctuations in the second half of the cycle are thought to be responsible for PMS. Estrogen secretion decreases at this time, while progesterone secretion increases, eventually falling s'there is no pregnancy.
Sabrina explains that today, women are still not listened to enough. It's not normal to feel pain during or before periods . Pain, or even an emotional upheaval, should not affect our daily lives. It's just not normal.
How to identify PMS?
Physical symptoms include fatigue, hyperactivity, pain (e.g. tender, swollen breasts), swelling in the lower abdomen and acne. Psychological problems include irritability, low libido and mood swings. 75% of menstruating women experience mild PMS as their periods approaches, and 20-30% of women experience intense PMS that interferes with their daily activities. Sometimes, the bad reputation of PMS and menstruation in general contributes to the underestimation of real pain and discomfort. PMS is not necessarily constant, and can be due to emotional overload.
To find out more about PMS: What is PMS?
Our other podcasts with Major Mouvement : Endometriosis with Major Mouvement
To gain peace of mind and avoid any type of unforeseen event during the premenstrual phase, we invite you to take a look at our collection of menstrual panties, to be ready for when the periods arrive!