PMDD: The Invisible Saboteur of Women

There are many issues about women that go under the radar--some to the detriment of the women that suffer. One such affliction is a thing called premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD. It's like PMS on steroids. It is not a good thing, and can be very disruptive to ones life if not managed properly. Only an OB/GYN would understand how to treat this. The women I worry about most are the ones without health insurance, because PMDD can cause a severe handicap in ones' life. Life can turn into hell if not properly managed, and yet for many years, information on PMDD was been limited, and practically non-existent. Thankfully, the Internet provides a great medium to communicate with many

Here is an excerpt from an article I found by doctor Mary M. Gallenberg, M.D. from the Mayo Clinic:

 Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe, sometimes disabling form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Although regular PMS and PMDD both have physical and emotional symptoms, PMDD causes extreme mood shifts that can disrupt your work and damage your relationships. About 30 percent of menstruating women have PMS. Up to 8 percent of women with PMS have symptoms that meet the diagnostic criteria for PMDD.

In both PMDD and PMS, symptoms occur in the last week of the menstrual cycle and usually improve within a few days after menstruation begins. Both PMDD and PMS may also cause bloating, breast tenderness, fatigue, and changes in sleep and eating habits. In PMDD, however, the following emotional and behavioral symptoms stand out:

• Anxiety
• Feelings of being "keyed up" or "on edge"
• Persistent irritability
• Marked anger

The cause of PMDD isn't clear. Underlying depression and anxiety are common in both PMS and PMDD, so it's possible that the normal physical changes that trigger a menstrual period somehow exacerbate mood disorders.

Read full article here.

It's time to spread awareness, so that information flows to the women that need it the most--sooner rather than later.