Better before menstruation. Symptoms and signs of menstruation in women

All women know what PMS is. Most suffer not only from menstruation itself, but from the symptoms of menstruation that precede it. The reasons lie in hormonal changes before this process. Organs cease to function correctly and harmoniously, and the functioning of the nervous system is also disrupted. As a result, depression, headaches and irritability cannot be avoided. You should understand what physiological processes affect this, then it will be easier to cope with the symptoms.

General concept of PMS

During menstruation, the amount of sex hormones changes(estrogen and progesterone) produced by the ovaries. This disrupts the general hormonal balance.

Before menstruation, the luteal phase begins. The body prepares for it in advance. Hormones change the condition of the genital organ and mammary glands, and the brain and central nervous system also react to these processes.

As a result, many women experience peculiar symptoms on the eve of their period. For some people, PMS begins a few days before their period, for others - a week before. The severity of such disorders always differs, and during menstruation they disappear completely. These symptoms are combined into general concept premenstrual syndrome. In women with gynecological diseases, PMS is more pronounced.

Hard work, poor nutrition, exposure to harmful substances, conflicts at home and at work, lack of sleep - all this also increases the unpleasant condition on the eve of menstruation.

Signs of the syndrome and its forms

For each individual girl, the signs of the onset of menstruation manifest themselves differently. The nature of these manifestations depends on lifestyle, health, heredity and age.

Here are the typical symptoms before menstruation:

There are light and heavy forms. In the first case, there are about three symptoms that quickly disappear. In the second case, almost all the unpleasant symptoms appear, which are not easy for the woman to cope with; she has to take hormonal medications.

Depending on what signs a woman has more, The following forms of approaching menstrual syndrome are distinguished:

Causes of symptoms

Mostly the complexity of symptoms is influenced by the nervous system and hormonal levels. Not least important is the psychological mood. Symptoms of PMS in women who lead an active lifestyle and do favorite things do not manifest themselves in an acute form.

There are several explanations why unpleasant symptoms appear before menstruation:

• Availability excess weight. The amount of estrogen decreases at the beginning of the second phase of the cycle. The body, by accumulating a layer of fat, compensates for the lack of estrogen. There is also a lack of glucose in the blood, because of this the woman constantly feels hungry. Many people eat away their troubles and worries with high-calorie foods.
• Changeable mood. Lack of dopamine, endorphin and serotine leads to irritability and aggressive behavior.
• Nausea and vomiting. The approach of menstruation causes an increase in the size of the uterus, it begins to put pressure on the nerve endings, which causes vomiting. This condition may also be caused by taking hormones and contraception.
• Mild pain in the lower abdomen is considered normal, provided there are no cycle failures or pathologies. If the pain is very severe and painkillers do not help, you must make an appointment with a doctor and get examined.
• A temperature of 37−37.5°C is considered normal. Higher thermometer readings indicate inflammation in the ovaries or uterus.
• The cause of a rash or acne is a disruption of the endocrine system, intestinal disease or a failure in metabolic processes.
• Swelling. Hormonal imbalance leads to the fact that water-salt metabolism slows down and fluid is retained in the tissues.
• Breast enlargement occurs due to an increase in the amount of progesterone.

Every woman and girl is familiar with the concept of the menstrual cycle. Lack of menstruation occurs only in cases of serious diseases of the reproductive and endocrine systems and usually leads to infertility.

Despite the fact that this period is often accompanied by discomfort, it is an indicator of hormonal balance in the female body.

Periods and menstrual cycle

Menstruation or menstruation is the period of shedding of the inner lining of the uterus during a failed pregnancy. Particles of mucous membrane are released along with blood.

How long does menstrual bleeding last? Its duration varies from 3 to 7 days. With diseases of the woman’s genital area, this period is lengthened or shortened, and the nature of the discharge also changes.

The interval between the first days of two consecutive menstruation is called the menstrual cycle. It is divided into three phases:

1. Menstrual or follicular. This is the time of menstruation and maturation of the follicle with the egg in the ovary.
2. Ovulatory. This phase begins with the release of the female reproductive cell from the follicle.
3. Luteal. It is also called the corpus luteum phase.

During the luteal phase, a woman may experience a variety of sensations, often unpleasant. Doctors usually consider them as symptoms before menstruation.

Signs of the onset of menstruation

The first signs of menstruation and the time of their appearance are a very individual indicator. They are extremely varied and can occur in any combination. But what they have in common is their presence in almost every woman. It’s rare that anyone can boast that they don’t experience discomfort before menstruation.

The most common and unpleasant symptoms of menstruation are:

• irritability;
• tearfulness and mood swings;
• pain in the lower back or lower abdomen;
• engorgement of the mammary glands;
• chest pain;
• swelling of the legs, face;
• drowsiness.

The complex of sensations before menstruation is called premenstrual syndrome, or PMS.

Premenstrual syndrome

PMS is generally considered to be a deviation from the normal course of the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. And common complaints before menstruation are nothing more than a disruption of the functioning of most organs and systems. PMS can last from 2 days to two weeks, that is, it begins immediately after ovulation.

According to numerous clinical data, 90–95% of women are susceptible to PMS.

But some doctors dispute the high numbers. Signs of menstruation are very varied and nonspecific, and often any complaints in the luteal phase are attributed to PMS.

In gynecology, the term “premenstrual syndrome” has been known since the beginning of the 20th century and refers to the most pronounced manifestations before menstruation, which disappear as soon as menstruation begins.

The severity of PMS is greater in women who suffer from gynecological and general diseases, as well as those whose occupation is associated with occupational hazards. Constant stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, conflicts in the family and at work aggravate the manifestations of PMS.

Causes of premenstrual syndrome

Causes unpleasant symptoms before menstruation are varied. There are many theories of their origin, but none of them has been fully confirmed.

The most substantiated versions of the development of PMS are:

1. Hormonal disorders. It is believed that with excess production of estrogens to the detriment of gestagens, the likelihood of severe premenstrual syndrome is higher. But some studies do not show significant disturbances in hormone production during the luteal phase.


2. Water intoxication. According to this theory, before menstruation, the production of antidiuretic hormone increases, which entails water and electrolyte disturbances. During the luteal phase, water retention occurs in the body and the functioning of many organs is disrupted.
3. Central causes of PMS. Many gynecologists associate changes in a woman’s psychological state with fluctuations in melanostimulating hormone, and edema syndrome and pain in the mammary glands with excess prolactin. Impaired production of these hormones is a consequence of a malfunction of the central nervous system.

IN last years In gynecology, it is customary to consider premenstrual syndrome as the body’s reaction to a failed pregnancy.

Every month, the female body adapts to the disruption of the life continuation program. In the case of gynecological, endocrine or other diseases of a woman, adaptation turns out to be ineffective, anti-stress mechanisms do not cope with their task.

This is where mental and somatic manifestations begin - the harbingers of menstruation. As menstruation approaches, they increase, and with their onset they end.

Variety of premenstrual syndrome

Premenstrual syndrome comes in different forms. Some girls' mood deteriorates, a feeling of unreasonable anger or anxiety arises, even to the point of an emotional breakdown.

Others note the appearance and increase in swelling a week before the onset of menstruation. Most women experience breast pain and enlargement. It is customary to distinguish between the following PMS options:

• hydropic;
• neuropsychic;
• cephalgic;
• crisis.

Edema variant

The main symptoms of this variant of premenstrual syndrome will be bloating, swelling of the arms and legs, breast enlargement, engorgement and soreness.

Also, many women complain of excessive sweating and increased sensitivity to odors.

These symptoms occur due to water retention in the body. This condition can last 7–10 days. There are usually no urinary problems with the edematous form of PMS.

Neuropsychic variant

This form of premenstrual syndrome can manifest differently in different age groups. Girls are more likely to experience depressive symptoms - depressed mood, tearfulness, emotional instability. Older women are prone to aggressive behavior a few days before their period.

Often the neuropsychic form of PMS is manifested by suspiciousness, increased fatigue and weakness.

There may be violations on the part of digestive system– constipation, bloating, decreased or increased appetite.

Cephalgic variant

Cephalgia is headache. This will be the main symptom in this case. The pain is similar to that of a migraine. Usually noted in the temporal areas, pulsating in nature.

Many women complain of pressure and pain in the eyes, a feeling of widening of the eyeballs.

With the cephalgic variant, there is often nausea and vomiting, which is practically untreatable. There are usually no other manifestations of PMS with this option.

Crisis option

This form is one of the most severe and is manifested by disruption of the sympathetic-adrenal system, such as crises. Before menstruation, women will experience the following symptoms:

1. Promotion blood pressure, sometimes to significant figures.
2. Feeling of pain or pressure in the sternum.
3. Anxiety – a feeling of fear of death.
4. Increased heartbeat, interruptions in heart function.
5. Numbness of the arms or legs, their coldness.
6. Headache.

Typically, crises before menstruation are provoked by external factors - stress, fatigue, anxiety, physical overload. They are especially common in women with hypertension and kidney disease, but can occur even when there are no other diseases.

Headache and increased blood pressure with this form of PMS persist before menstruation constantly, even outside of crises.

Forms of premenstrual syndrome

PMS can be mild or severe, depending on the severity of the symptoms. How many days they last also plays an important role.

A mild form of premenstrual syndrome is represented by 3-4 symptoms, but only one or two of them are expressed. The duration of mild PMS is usually from two to ten days.

In the case of a severe form of PMS symptoms, there are many, 4-5 will be pronounced, and their appearance can be noticed 10-12 days before the start of menstruation.

Stages of PMS

The time of onset of symptoms and the degree of their severity in the phases of the menstrual cycle determine the identification of three stages of PMS:

1. The compensated stage is considered the most favorable. In this case, the precursors of menstruation remain unchanged for years, do not intensify, and stop by the first day of menstruation.
2. At the subcompensated stage, the precursors gradually begin earlier, and during PMS their intensity is more pronounced. But by the time menstruation begins, the symptoms also completely disappear, and the woman feels quite satisfactory.
3. The decompensated stage of PMS is the most severe, with a poor prognosis. Symptoms worsen over time and their number increases. They are observed not only in the luteal phase, but throughout the entire cycle. All this time the woman feels unsatisfactory.

Sometimes PMS symptoms persist, but there are no periods. This course is typical for an irregular menstrual cycle or its failure. The beginning of pregnancy also occurs under the guise of PMS, when all the precursors of menstruation are present, but the delay continues for a long time.

Premenstrual syndrome is not normal. This is a pathology of the menstrual cycle, which requires mandatory treatment by a gynecologist. With the right therapy, PMS symptoms significantly decrease or disappear completely.

When does PMS begin? This question can often be heard from women. PMS stands for premenstrual syndrome - this is the emotional and physiological instability of the female body, which provokes conflict with itself and others. To prevent this condition? Every woman needs to know the main rules of behavior and the characteristics of her body before the approach of menstruation.

The abbreviation PMS entered the lexicon of medical terms of gynecologists not so long ago. This syndrome is characterized by changes in the psychological state and physiological functioning of the body of girls and women before the onset of their next period.

• displays of behavior uncharacteristic for a woman;
• tendency to start a conflict out of nowhere;
• headache;
• causeless tantrums;
• tearfulness;
• fatigue, etc.

According to statistics, about 90% of all women in the world are susceptible to developing PMS of varying strength. There are almost 150 different symptoms of this condition.

Symptoms

Premenstrual syndrome appears big amount. In some they manifest themselves particularly strongly, in others less intensely. Symptoms may not stop for several days, generally dragging on for even 10 days. They are classified into physiological and psychological.

Psychological ones include:

• depressive states;
• feeling depressed;
• stress;
• nervousness;
• unreasonable aggression and irritability over trifles;
• frequent mood changes.

Psychological signs are usually very pronounced and begin to gradually develop in the second half of the cycle. As a rule, the strength of such symptoms corresponds to the functioning of the nervous system and hormones.

Physiological ones include:

• nausea with vomiting;
• changes in blood pressure;
• aching heart pain or tingling;
• swelling;
• breast enlargement;
• the temperature rises - this happens very rarely;
• weight gain.

Physiological symptoms directly depend on a woman’s hormonal balance and her lifestyle.

Causes

In the 30s of the 20th century, gynecologist Robert Frank first defined the disease, which manifests itself with varying strength in all women before the onset of menstruation. He called it “premenstrual tension.”

Wherein main reason The doctor considered the imbalance of hormones in the body before menstruation to be unwell. Medical scientists are still trying to clarify the reasons for such changes in the body. Indeed, during this period, balanced women become truly hysterical, conflictual and emotional individuals.

Several theories of the development of PMS have been identified, but all of them cannot fully describe the causes of health problems before the onset of menstruation:

Hormonal disbalance

IN specific days cycle - usually in the last 2 weeks - women experience a disruption in the balance of hormones between estrogen and progesterone. This causes psycho-emotional disorders, deviations in the functioning of the vegetative-vascular system, and problems with metabolic and endocrine processes.

An increase in the concentration of the hormone estrogen provokes a retention of sodium and water in the cells - in connection with this, swelling appears, abnormalities in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, as well as excretory organs, and a stomach ache.

Nervousness, tearfulness and fatigue are triggered precisely by hormonal imbalances.

Water intoxication

In accordance with this theory, the development of physiological and psychological abnormalities is associated with disturbances in water-salt balance. Delayed fluid excretion, swelling, acute perception of certain odors, itching of the skin are the consequences of neuroendocrine disorders.

The accumulation of water in the body before menstruation often causes excess weight gain. A woman’s weight usually increases by 3–5 kg, but from the day her period begins, these kilograms go away on their own.

Disorders of the central nervous system

This theory of the causes of PMS is considered the most relevant. It turns out that a disruption in the emotional and physical state is triggered by functional disorders of the central nervous system.

The older a woman is, the more pronounced the symptoms of PMS appear, and the tendency to depression increases. Young girls become aggressive and irritable, and they are characterized by frequent changes in mood and behavior.

Scientists have carefully studied the risk factors associated with PMS. The most common of them that affect the intensity of PMS manifestations include:

• Caucasian race;
• mental work and living in big cities;
• frequent pregnancies;
• absence of pregnancy, abortions and miscarriages;
• pathologies of the genitourinary system;
• gynecological operations;
• long-term thrush of the genital organs;
• prolonged depression and constant stress;
• chronic fatigue;
• infections;
• side effects of contraceptives;
• malnutrition;
• physical inactivity.

When PMS begins depends on the physiological processes in the woman’s body. Every day of the cycle, a woman’s body undergoes some changes in the genital organs. In the first half, the process of egg maturation lasts 14–16 days. Midway through the cycle, the egg leaves the follicle. In the remaining days before menstruation, the body prepares conditions for pregnancy, if it occurs, or begins to reject excess if it does not occur.

When the cycle begins, the woman feels good - but from the moment the egg is released - ovulation - negative changes begin. It turns out that PMS begins on average 1 - 2 weeks before menstruation. Sometimes a premenstrual symptom immediately follows ovulation.

How many days before menstruation

The psycho-emotional and physical condition begins to deteriorate somewhere between 2 and 10 days before menstruation. This time is individual for each woman and depends on the characteristics of her body, living conditions, temperament and state of health.

How long does it last

The main cause of PMS is a hormone imbalance. PMS becomes more severe after gynecological operations.

Feelings of discomfort, pain and other pathological changes begin to occur 1 to 10 days before menstruation. The condition lasts until the onset of menstruation. On her first day, the symptoms gradually disappear. If PMS persists, you need to visit a gynecologist for consultation.

How to relieve the condition

If PMS in a girl or woman is painful and lasts a long time, it requires medical correction to alleviate the condition and.

In order to normalize emotions, sedatives with natural ingredients are prescribed - for example, Novopassit.

To restore hormonal balance, hormonal drugs are prescribed - or Utrozhestan. Diclofenac is used to relieve pain.

Video about premenstrual syndrome

Under the concept menstrual cycle This means the painstaking work of the body, which is preparing to conceive a child: the uterus is lined with a special layer of tissue, a comfortable place is prepared for the baby during pregnancy, and the egg matures. If conception does not take place, then the body gets rid of the achieved results in order to start all over again.

Before the start of a new cycle, a woman experiences unpleasant moments or signs before menstruation, called PMS. They are accompanied by lingering pain in the lower abdomen, increased irritability, and fatigue. However, pregnancy and menstruation, the symptoms of which are very similar, may have similar symptoms. It is important for every woman to learn to distinguish them from each other.

Menstruation or pregnancy

Once fertilization has occurred in a woman's body, the menstrual cycle stops until the baby is born.

However, in some cases, women continue to experience bleeding for several months. These discharges can hardly be called full menstruation. They are sparse, brownish or reddish in color. Essentially, the fertilized egg implants itself into the walls of the uterus, which can result in minor tears and bleeding. They may appear once, or they may occur periodically; the fruit will not reach a certain size. Such discharge cannot be called menstruation, and its appearance is a reason to visit a doctor.

Main signs before menstruation

The discomfort associated with the onset of menstruation can be very individual. However, the most common period symptoms are:

• pain in the lower back, abdomen, chest;
• depressive mood combined with sleep disturbances;
• headache.

If you compare the symptoms of menstruation with the first signs of pregnancy, you can come to the conclusion that they are very similar. In the early stages of pregnancy, a woman may be drowsy, irritable, and have sudden mood swings. To understand the manifestations of the body, you need to learn to listen to yourself and feel changes.

Watch yourself for a few months. If the symptoms before your period are headache and back pain, then it is likely that these symptoms will not bother you once you become pregnant. If, on the contrary, the signs of the onset of menstruation are unknown to you, then you can say with reasonable confidence that pregnancy has occurred if you suffer from migraines, excessive irritability, and mood swings.

Temperature changes may also indicate a change in condition. A woman's temperature rises by several degrees during ovulation. If it has returned to a constant level, then you should prepare for the onset of menstruation. If the temperature column freezes at an elevated level, then we can talk about the onset of pregnancy. However, in this method there is also an error due to individual characteristics. In order to speak with confidence about normal or elevated temperature, it needs to be measured daily for several months in a row in order to have a picture of changes in body temperature over a certain period.

Pregnancy symptoms

In addition to delayed menstruation, pregnancy can manifest itself with a number of other symptoms:

• Constant fatigue can be caused by hormonal changes in the body, which are among the first signs of conception.
• The breast reaction may become aggravated. All touches to it become painful, and sometimes there is an increase in volume.
• Cramps, pain in the lower abdomen, which happens before menstruation, can be one of the signs of pregnancy before the delay.
• Small vaginal discharge, which is a sign of attachment of the egg to the uterus.
• Nausea may appear along with a delay in menstruation and go away fairly quickly or accompany the woman throughout pregnancy.
• The constant urge to urinate is associated with a gradual increase in blood in the body, as well as other fluids that ensure the vital functions of the mother and the unborn baby. The longer you are pregnant, the more often you will have to visit the toilet. However, this symptom should not be confused with possible manifestation inflammatory diseases, for example, cystitis.
• Glitches in the schedule. If previously menstruation appeared on a clearly designated day, but now even after PMS there are no periods, then fertilization may have occurred.
• Sensitivity to odors is an early sign of pregnancy and is caused by a sharp increase in estrogen levels in the blood.
• Increasing the temperature a few notches can tell you a lot, but you'll have to keep a temperature log to do that.
• Positive test response. Pharmacy tests can rarely detect pregnancy before your period is missed. If you notice other signs of pregnancy and the test shows a negative result, it is worth repeating the test in a few days.

What a woman should always pay attention to

Pain in the mammary glands, increase in volume and swelling may indicate both menstruation and pregnancy. The appearance of colostrum secreted from the nipples will tilt the diagnosis in favor of the latter. However, breast pain in a specific area, combined with discharge from the nipples, against the background of excluding pregnancy, is a reason for an urgent visit to a mammologist, since such symptoms may indicate oncology.

All of the above has one big amendment: each organism has its own individuality. If you cannot determine exactly what signs are bothering you, buy a pharmacy test. If your schedule is delayed and you suspect you are pregnant, you can contact a gynecologist who will examine you and prescribe the appropriate tests. However, in most cases, a woman intuitively determines the presence of pregnancy better than any tests or analyses.

Sometimes, while waiting for your period to come, you feel a certain discomfort, and critical days they never come. This leads to doubts about whether pregnancy has occurred?

The first symptoms of pregnancy are similar to symptoms of PMS. Each girl experiences different unpleasant sensations, but the most common ones can be noted:

• swelling and sensitivity of the mammary glands;
• drowsiness;
• cravings for certain types of food;
• increased sensitivity to odors;

All these manifestations are associated with changes in hormonal levels in the body. The balance of progesterone and estrogen is disrupted, which affects the neuro-emotional state and causes deterioration in well-being.

Swelling and chest pain are characteristic of both PMS and pregnancy. This is due to changes in hormone levels, so this sign is not decisive. The only thing you can take into account is the duration of this condition.

During pregnancy, this symptom accompanies the young mother all the time, as processes associated with lactation occur in the chest.

With PMS, this symptom lasts for several days.
Discomfort in the back area
Back pain during pregnancy occurs much later, closer to the third trimester. On early stages This is not a characteristic sign and may occur due to a state of general malaise. More pronounced back pain occurs with PMS.

Bloody issues

Bloody discharge during pregnancy is not profuse, more spotting and lasts 2-3 days, general health is better than during normal menstruation.

This discharge may begin a little earlier than the expected period, and can be brown or brown in color.

Bloody discharge during pregnancy is explained by the process of attachment of the embryo in the uterine mucosa. Such phenomena do not happen often during pregnancy, but 2 of my friends experienced this. Every woman should listen very carefully to her body, then such symptoms will not go unnoticed. This symptom is quite indicative. It is important to learn to tell the difference between bloody discharge

during pregnancy and menstruation.

Nausea PMS may also be characterized by nausea, but this is short-term and a rare event

, and occurs much earlier than during pregnancy.

Early toxicosis of pregnant women leads to aversion to food. Nausea occurs not only in the morning, but throughout the day at any time. Under the influence of unpleasant odors, toxicosis intensifies.

Usually this symptom occurs after 5 weeks, which is associated with the vital processes of the fetus. The metabolism has not yet been established, and fetal decay products enter the mother’s blood and cause minor intoxication. This continues until 4-5 months, while the placenta matures. Vomiting may occur periodically. One woman had different pregnancies

this symptom can manifest itself in different ways. My friend did not have toxicosis while expecting a boy, but when she became pregnant with her daughter, nausea and vomiting accompanied her constantly. From my own experience, I will say that toxicosis accompanied me from 5 to 16 weeks, but for two of my friends, it clearly stopped at 12 weeks. Several of my good friends did not suffer from it at all.

Cravings for certain types of food

In the early stages of pregnancy, women may experience a feeling of hunger, this is due to significant energy expenditure by the body at the time the fertilized egg moves through the fallopian tubes and its implantation. This process takes up to two days.

But such a symptom is also not decisive, since from my own experience I will say that before PMS my appetite greatly increases, like most of my friends. This is also understandable from a physiological point of view - the body accumulates nutrients

before significant blood loss.

Aching pain in the lower abdomen

During pregnancy - short-term, non-intrusive and sluggish.

With PMS, the pain is more severe and unpleasant, and there is bloating, especially on the first day. A third of my friends have a tummy tug throughout their period. There are also lucky women who do not experience such unpleasant sensations.

When pregnancy occurs, the egg is fertilized, and the uterus begins to prepare for its implantation. During the attachment of the fruit egg to the mucous membrane, unpleasant sensations are possible. Before menstruation, the reverse process occurs - the mucous membrane exfoliates, which is released during menstruation. It gives a similar feeling. In both cases, the pain is of a different nature.

Sudden changes in emotional state

During pregnancy, mood swings are extreme, emotions are stronger and appear more vividly. One of my friends, in the early stages of pregnancy, wanted to cry all the time, she felt sorry for everyone and was offended to the point of tears, or she simply laughed merrily at an insignificant joke. Moodiness and causeless anxiety also constantly accompany a woman.

With PMS, negative emotions, increased nervous tension, panic attacks, anger, and anger are more often present. Everything returns to normal with the start of menstruation.

It is this indicator that most often catches the eye of others. The nature of this symptom is related to hormones, but there are also differences in its manifestation.

Fatigue and dizziness

• During pregnancy, there is a sharp increase in progesterone levels, which causes increased fatigue in the first weeks.
• There is a decrease in blood pressure and sugar levels

The total amount of blood in the body increases

This causes deterioration in well-being and dizziness. Characteristic features include absent-mindedness and fatigue. Before the onset of menstruation, similar changes occur, but as they begin, progesterone levels decrease and fatigue goes away.

During pregnancy, drowsiness occurs quite often and this is of a protective nature. The body is trying to protect the little child from the excessive emotionality of his mother, the woman becomes more lethargic, wants to sleep all the time, and “not run to the front line and rush into battle.”

During my pregnancy, I simply slept through the entire first trimester, I was extremely sleepy:

• in the morning
• at lunch
• In the evening

There are women who experience insomnia during this period.

With PMS, this symptom is short-term.

This symptom occurs against the background of general fatigue of the body.

Sensitivity to odors

This symptom appears one of the first in early pregnancy. A woman feels morning sickness. Some smells are particularly disgusting. Most often this concerns the smell of household chemicals, eau de toilette, perfumes, odors from foods, especially during their preparation. All “aromas” are felt very sharply.

During her pregnancy, my good friend simply could not go into the kitchen and open the refrigerator, she had difficulty traveling on public transport, everything smelled terrible to her. It is especially unpleasant to experience this period in the summer, when heat is added to all the irritating factors, which simply intensifies it.

During PMS, sensitivity to odors also occurs, but it does not manifest itself as strongly and does not last long.

How to determine exactly

None of the above signs are 100% decisive; you can guess about a possible pregnancy or have doubts. Even the absence of menstruation does not definitely indicate pregnancy.

Delays can be caused by severe stress, overwork at work, emotional overstrain, perhaps you have exams or a difficult interview, you quarreled with your loved one; may be associated with climate change, or be a signal of the development of a disease. To eliminate any doubts, the best method is the use of a pregnancy test.

All tests have the same principle; they react to the level of a hormone in the urine - human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
Exist different kinds tests:

1. Test strips are not expensive. The test is a strip with markings applied to it. The test must be placed in a container with morning urine. After a few seconds, place the material on a horizontal surface and wait until the indicator strip reacts to the hormone level. Morning urine contains the highest concentration of hCG, so the result will be more reliable. Two lines on the test indicate that the woman is pregnant. If the result is short, the result may be incorrect; it is better to recheck after some time.
2. The tablet test is relatively new and convenient. It has great sensitivity, which makes it possible to detect pregnancy in the early stages. The test looks like a tablet with windows. A small amount of urine must be applied to a special window where there is a colorless cloth with a reagent. When urine comes into contact with fabric, it reacts, colors it, and the result is visible in another window. This test is more effective.
3. Jet test is one of the new modern species. It is a small plastic device, at the end there are strips with applied sensitive particles that immediately react to the presence of the hCG hormone in the urine. It has very high accuracy and reliability.
4. The electronic test is very convenient and comfortable. By appearance resembles an inkjet, but has a special screen on which there will be an inscription: “pregnant” - you are pregnant, and “not pregnant” - you are not pregnant.

If you have done the test and have doubts, you can do a laboratory blood test for hCG.
Remember, every woman is individual and unique, no one can understand her body better than her. PMS is a monthly phenomenon, and each of us knows best what special symptoms it is accompanied by. Listen to your body and you will definitely notice if any changes occur.

For additional reading

The menstrual cycle involves a huge and complex work of the body, which is preparing for the conception of a child. In the middle of the cycle, an egg is released from the ovaries and prepares for fertilization. An additional mucous layer forms in the uterus, which will receive the unborn baby.

If fertilization does not occur, then the body begins to get rid of the results of its achievements, and next month everything will start all over again. Before the start of a new cycle, a number of changes occur in the female body, which occur a few days before the onset of menstruation and are called premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Every second woman notices manifestations of PMS, but in my environment, individual signs are found in all my female friends and acquaintances.

Other symptoms:

• back discomfort;
• aching pain in the lower abdomen;
• sudden changes in emotional state;
• fatigue and dizziness;
• nausea and vomiting;
• bloody issues.