Pre Menstrual Tension

By Jenelle Cleary

You feel like you've put on an extra 10 kilos overnight, your skin is a mess and you broke down in tears because you burnt the toast.

Before you think you are going completely mad, you could just be displaying the symptoms of PMT (Pre-Menstrual Tension).

As many as 8 out of 10 women have the physical and emotional symptoms of PMT. The remedies (and those that claim to be remedies) that suppress the symptoms of all these crazy hormones creating havoc throughout your body are many and varied.

We've decided to give you a bit of a rundown on some methods that can help calm you down and live somewhat normally no matter what time of the month it is.

Changing your diet by cutting down on sugars and salt can help, especially with fluid retention. Even though you may be craving a bucket of chips, try increasing your water intake. 

It may seem strange to drink fluid to get rid of fluid but you will notice the effect.

Caffeine has also been shown to aggravate any symptoms, so go easy on that, too.

Going for a walk and a warm (not hot) bath can help calm you down. If you do suffer from any symptoms and you are a smoker you may just be making things worse. Cut down on your smoking or even better - quit!

You can also skip that martini - alcohol also exacerbates the symptoms.

The important thing to remember is that everybody's symptoms are different, so a visit to your GP is also ideal, especially if your symptoms are so bad they are affecting your personal and professional life.

The supplement Evening Primrose Oil is said to be the most recommended form of dealing with PMT naturally. British studies have shown Evening Primrose Oil can help a large percentage of women's pre-menstrual tension.

More importantly, if you look after your general well-being, any problems you may experience with PMT should disappear at the onset of menstruation.

Ahhh, the joys of being a woman!