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What Causes PMS Symptoms?

From Tracee Cornforth, for About.com

Updated: July 24, 2008

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

Question: What Causes PMS Symptoms?
Answer: While the causes of PMS symptoms remain uncertain, the medical community believes that the hormonal changes that occur throughout the menstrual cycle are the most likely cause of PMS, as well as the severe form called premenstrual dysphoric disorder or PMDD.

Why some women are more susceptible to physical and/or emotional PMS symptoms, which occur during the luteal phase of the monthly menstrual cycle, remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that medical researchers do not believe that stress or emotional symptoms cause PMS. On the other hand, researchers do believe that having PMS can make stress and emotional symptoms, as well as the symptoms of several other conditions, worse than usual.

See:

Source:
Premenstrual Syndrome; WomensHealth.gov; http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/pms.htm; accessed 07/23/08.

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