Ailments and Situations - Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS - Causes - Type A

 

Causes:

Type A (Anxiety)

This subtype occurring in more than 80% of women has been found to be the most common. Symptoms worsen in the days prior to the onset of menses and are relieved only with its onset. The most likely cause for these symptoms is the imbalance between the body's estrogen and progesterone levels. An excess of estrogen tends to result in anxiety-like symptoms and too much progesterone tends to result in depressive symptoms.

The balance of these hormones depends on two factors:

1. How efficiently the hormone is produced by the ovaries and
2. How efficiently the hormone is broken down by the liver

 
Any problems in these two areas will cause an hormonal imbalance. For example, too much fat or alcohol in the diet can overwork the liver and decrease its capacity to remove the hormones. A vitamin B deficiency (caused by either poor nutrition or emotional stress) also affects liver function. Without proper liver function it is near impossible to have equal levels of hormones circulating in our bodies. Other researchers have linked the anxiety symptoms to a lack of serotonin and the amino acid that is needed to manufacture serotonin (i.e.: tryptophan). One would expect to see sleep disorders and irritability along with anxiety in those with a serotonin deficiency as the root cause of their PMS symptoms.

 

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