What is PMS ?

Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS is a combination of distressing physical, emotional, and behavioral changes during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycles. More than 1 woman out of 3 suffers from PMS. PMS could be a debilitating discomfort in some cases, and typically invloves physical symptoms like bloating, headaches, breast tenderness as well as emotional and behavioral changes including fatigue, nervous tension, anxiety, irritability, mood swing, and depression.

There are several types of premenstrual symptoms, each with specific underlying cause. Therefore, there is no single treatment that will correct all types of the symptoms. Nervous tension, mood swing, irritability, anxiety, and insomnia are caused by estrogen stress. Estrogen stress occurs due to the estrogen's stimulation of monomanine oxidase 2 (MAO-2) activity depleting brain dopamine, a neurotransmitter that relaxes nerves, and also by estrogen's inhibition of MAO-1 activity causing excitatory neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and epinephrine. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors such as Saint John's Wort could help alleviate such symptom.

Progesterone insufficiency is caused by elevated estrogen level, and can lead to inhibition of MAO-2 activity and stimulation of MAO-1 activity, contributing to the depression of the central nervous system (CNS). Depletion of dopamine may cause physical and psychological stresses. Relative abundance of estrogen over progesterone may cause conversion of tryptophan to serotonin, which reduces dopamine and acetylcholine, causing disturbances in memory and movement. Excessive estrogen in the presence of hypoglycemia may cause craving for sweets and food, heart pounding, headache, fatigue, fainting, or dizziness, in which case, eating small meals regularly is recommended. Excessive esterogen may also lead to weight gain, swelling of body extremities, breast tenderness, and abdominal bloating. In some rare occasions, lowered estrogen in comparison to progesterone level may lead to depression, confusion, forgetfulness, and crying. Cramps during menstruation may indicate estrogen insufficiency/progesterone excess, sympathetic nervous system stress, or prostaglandin imbalance. PMS is a highly complex phenomena, and not yet fully understood. Healthy diet, nutritional supplements, exercise, and stress management are the commonly recommended self-help therapeutic options. Phytoestrogenic sources such as dong quai or black cohosh have been recommended for genrations after generations for PMS /relief.

What is Menopause ?

Menopause can simply be defined as the time when menstrual periods completely cease. For most of women, it happens when they reach mid-forties to late fifties. Menopause would naturally occur in about 25% of women by the age of 47, in about 50% by the age of 50, in about 75% by the age of 58. Menopause can be induced artificially by the removing or distroying ovaries at any age. Natural menopause is a gradual process occurring incrementally over a period of time of decrease in the production of progesterone and estrogen, the hormones necessary for signallying the body to prepare for pregnancy. With aging, women's bodies cease to produce these hormones that induce ovulation, release of eggs from the ovaries.

Menopause is a transitional period in women's life, and affects individual women differently. Cease of menstruation is abrupt in some women, while in other cases, mentrual activities taper off over a period of time, which may extend up to 3 years. The age and symptoms of menopause has a strong genetic correlation, and vary among individuals. As a rule of thumb, those who starts menstruation early are more likely to experience menopause earlier.

The major symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, cold flashes, vaginal dryness, changes in mood, and lack of sex drive. Hot flashes are caused by rapid decrease in estrogen level, and an increase of blood flow to chest, back, neck, and face, while vaginal dryness is caused by the thinning of the vaginal wall. Mood change and emotional disturbances may also accompany. About 75% of women undergoing menopause will have hot flashes. Taking black cohosh and dong quai regularly could reduce the incidence and severity of menopause-related hot flashes and other syndromes. It is also recommended for hot flashes to wear loose clothing in layers to facilitate taking off clothes, and to avoid stress as well as hot drinks and spicy foods, which all contribute to the onset of hot flahses. Hormonal therapies (hormone replacement therapy) is used for menopause syndrome, but there is a caution: it raises the likelihood of developing breast and ovarian cancers significantly.