Impending menstruation means menses that is going to start soon. Menstruation is a monthly cycle which every fertile woman has to pass through. It is bleeding that occurs in uterus and passes through vagina every month. Before the start of menses, many women experience certain special feeling, which may be labeled as symptoms of impending menstruation. These symptoms are typically similar to premenstrual syndrome. The symptoms severity may differ from one woman to another. The onset of symptoms helps the woman to predict that her period is due. These symptoms usually develop few days prior to menstruation.
Symptoms of Impending Menses
Symptoms of impending menses may be different for every woman. For some it may be more aggressive and discomforting while some woman may not even notice them. Once the flow of menses begins, the symptoms gradually vanish. Following are the symptoms:
- Abdominal cramps: It begins 1 or 2 days prior to menstruation.Often this gives an indication for the woman that her menstruation is nearing. In medical terminology cramps in abdomen related with menses is called dysmenorrheal. In some woman the pain can be severe which often disturbs daily her daily routine activities.
- Breast tenderness: Some woman prior to their menses may experience heaviness and tenderness in their breast. It occurs due to water retention in the body. Soon after the flow begins, the pain and heaviness subsides.
- Swelling: Some women experience slight swelling. A woman can observe her blouse becoming slightly tight from its sleeves, swelling of her fingers, and ankle. This occurs due to retention of fluid because of hormonal changes.
- Tiredness: Some woman feel tired before the beginning of menses while some may feel extremely fatigued during menses due to heavy flow. On the other hand, some woman may feel more energetic and sleepless before the onset of menses.
- Acne breakouts: Due to hormonal imbalance that occurs before and during menses, many women may suffer from acne breakouts.
- Stomach discomfort: Some women may experience nausea, loss of appetite, and even diarrhea or vomiting before the onset of menses.
- Mood swings: Prior to menses, women can become quiet emotional. Frequent mood swings such as sadness, depression, and feeling to cry out loudly is common mental and emotional symptom before menses.
- Extra craving: increased craving for chocolates, sweets and salty food can be one of the symptoms of impending menses.
How to ease discomforting symptoms of impending menses?
The discomforting symptoms of impending menses can be eased by following these steps:
- Eat healthy food: Consume enough vegetables, fruits, poultry, fish, whole grains, nuts and seeds. These food items broadly provide enough nutrients that will helps in various metabolic processes.
- Avoid excess intake of coffee, tea, and other caffeinated drinks before menses. Avoid oily food. Avoid consumption of alcohol.
- Meditate and practice yoga daily as it helps to keep your mind sound and well balanced. It also helps in reduce depression and sadness that some women may experience as symptoms of impending menstruation.
- Exercise daily, walking, jogging, swimming are some useful types of exercise that any woman can follow.
- Avoid eating food that is high in salt (sodium). Do not add extra salt over the prepared dish. Salt increases water retention and you may experience more pain in your breast, edema in extremities.
- Drink chamomile herbal tea before retiring to bed. Add a teaspoon of honey to it. This will help to induce good night sleep.
- Eat bananas, as they are rich source of potassium. It provides relief in symptoms of cramps in abdomen, reduces water retention and bloating. Fruits such as black currant and figs are also rich in potassium.