What Causes PMS Symptoms?

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:

• PMS Symptoms and Signs
• PMDD Symptoms and Signs

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

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