Damsels in DiSTRESS

Huyen TranApril 2011

Emotions &PM

S

Women

What is PMS?

● Affects 75% of women● Emotional & physical symptoms occur up

to 2 weeks before period

Premenstrual Syndrome

Emotional symptoms include:Anxiety

Depression

Irritability

Mood Swings

Hormones

Low levels of progesterone affects GABA amino acid which regulates anxiety

Progesterone levels also affect dopamine, which is related to motivation

Higher estrogen levels can affect serotonin, which regulates mood

Lower estrogen levels affect acetylecholine, which is needed for focus, attention and memory

What’s a girl to do?

write in a diary or journal

Avoid caffeine alcohol

do yoga

sleep

track your cyclebreathing exercises

WARN those around you

Minimize STRESS

Vitamin D

aromatherapy

massage therapy

birth control

antidepressants

hormonal creams

EXERCISE!Take IRON

supplements

Calcium

salt sugar intake

LifestyleDay to day living habits like sleep, exercise &

nutrition impact PMS•Tons of suggestions available on the internet, books•More information can help search for appropriate remedies

Lifestyle makeovers are HARD-need a program to help a woman identify her individual problems and gradually take steps toward changing her habits-info alone does not invite action

MedicationSense of inevitability regarding PMS encourages using meds like pain relief, antidepressants, birth control

The TRUTH“The real fact is that suffering related to menstrual cycles is unnecessary– and not caused by bad luck but by bad habits, environmental toxins, and stress.”

--Mark Hyman, M.D.

Meds can make the pain go away & help regulate hormones…… but they don’t address underlying health habits

Awareness

…keep a diary to understand your emotions

…track your cycle so you know when to expect

Reduce the stress of the unknown…

Tech Solution: Period Tracking Mobile Apps

The Bad:● Requires a smartphone● Requires entering input● Stores info but doesn’t

concretely help change behavior

The Good:● Convenient ,

accessible● Analyzes your

personal data

Awareness a good thing?

● A recent study:

The pain was greater if it will happen again: The effect of anticipated continuation on retrospective discomfort

● Information and awareness are good but must be wary of information overload

● Knowledge is good, but still missing the path to actions & results

There are a number of things women can do to deal with the emotional symptoms of PMS…

…but what is lacking is HOW can we get them to actually

change their behavior to turn around bad health habits in

order to enjoy these solutions?

…and can we do it with calming technology?

Resources

1. http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/premenstrual-syndrome/overview.html

2. http://www.periodpain.com.au/moodchanges

3. http://www.womenshealthchannel.com/pms/causes.shtml

4. http://drhyman.com/how-to-eliminate-pms-in-5-simple-steps-2238/

5. http://www.livestrong.com/article/144694-remedies-for-controlling-emotions-during-pms/#ixzz1K9FcPOqI

6. [anticipation study] http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/xge/140/1/63/

7. Check out these Tweeters on Twitter @myevery28days & @re_Cycling_SMCR