Month: April 2020

PMS, short for Premenstrual Syndrome has always bothered me, for several reasons: First of all, incidence varies. Some studies claim 30-40%. A meta analysis looking at worldwide studies showed huge variability, from 10% in Switzerland to 98% in Iran, with the pooled prevalence at 48%. (1) This says to me there are problems with the way we define PMS. It also suggests there is a complex interplay between stress and PMS, and probably social and cultural aspects. It also makes …

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Yesterday’s post was about dysmenorrhea, pain during the period. Today we are moving on through the cycle to ovulation. Prior to ovulation there is a small surge in Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and a big spike in Luteinising Hormone (LH). The follicle is formed in the ovary with an ovum inside. With the surge in hormones this follicle moves to the outside of the ovary and the ovum is released into thee Fallopian tube. With ovulation comes the potential of …

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The menstrual cycle is integral to a good third of a woman’s life. Along with menstruation though there can be a host of symptoms that may cause problems. Because of the nature of this, I will have three posts over three days on this focusing on different parts of the monthly cycle and what can affect it. First of all, the science behind your menstrual cycle. We start the cycle on the first day of bleeding. In this time the …

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