Premenstrual Syndrome Part VI - What Causes Migraine Headache, Breast Tenderness and Insomnia

Premenstrual syndrome effects over 70% to 90% of women before menopause in US and less for women in Southeast Asia because of their diet. It is defined as faulty function of ovaries related to women menstrual cycle, it effects the women physical and emotional state and sometimes interference with daily activities as resulting of hormone fluctuation. The syndrome happens in one or two weeks before menstruation and then declining when the period starts. In this article, we will discuss what causes Migraine Headache, Breast Tenderness and Insomnia for women with PMS.

A. Migraine headache
Migraine headache are the most common symptoms of PMS, they effect about 15% of population and just before or on the days of period. While headache does not accompany with symptoms, migraine usually followed by series of symptoms.

1. Serotonin
Serotonin besides secreted by the pituitary gland when we come to stress, it is also secreted during migraine attack. The level of serotonin effects the blood vessels in the brain causing irritation to the nervous system resulting in swelling the brain's blood vessels that causes pain last for hours.

2. Allergic reaction
For what whatever reasons, some women with pre menstrual syndrome may be sensitive to food such as daily products, peanut, etc just before period causing migraine headache. It may be caused by inability of digestive system in foods digestion that causes some food particle being leak into bloodstream and immune reaction.

3. Estrogen
Research believe that migraine may be caused by high levels of estrogen and low levels of progesterone because the symptom of migraine headache before period is gone when the woman becomes pregnant.

4. Medication
Some medication such as bromocriptine uses to reduce levels of prolactin for women with breast pain before period may cause headache and migraine because of it's side effects.

5. Magnesium deficiency
Magnesium beside helps to regulate the levels of blood sugar, it also helps to stop the blood vessels spam, because it reduces the risk of blood vessels around the brain to constrict, then dilate during migraine attack.

B. Breast Tenderness
Breast tenderness effects more than 70% of women in the US alone. Sometimes, it is so painful that some women afraid to be hugged and uncomfortable during sleep.

1. Caffeine
Caffeine is stimulant. It contains methylxanthines, a chemical which exhibits the problem of PMS including breast tenderness, breast pain. Reducing intake of foods containing caffeine such as coffee, tea before period may help to reduce the symptoms of breast tenderness and pain.

2. Stress
Prolactin produced abundant by during baby feeding. Hormone prolactin may also be released by during prolong period of stress leading to breast tenderness for some women with PMS.

2. Hormone imbalance
Some women may experience breast changes during menstrual cycle, since the problem is linked to the cycle, it may be caused by the fluctuation of levels of estrogen and progesterone as resulting of hormonal imbalance.

3. Sluggish Liver
Liver is important in fat and protein metabolism. Sluggish liver causes abnormal function of liver in regulating the levels of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids resulting in increasing the imbalance of levels of PGE2 leading to breast tenderness and pain.

4. Nutrients deficiency
a)Vitamins and minerals deficiency
For what ever reason, women with pre menstrual syndrome are found to have low levels of zinc, vitamin B6 and magnesium leading to over production of levels of PG2 which causes PMS including breast tenderness and pain.

b) Omega 3 fatty acid deficiency
As we mention before, Omega 3 fatty is important to inhibit the levels of PG2. deficiency of Omega 3 fatty acid causes high levels of PG2 in the bloodstream resulting in breast tenderness and pain.

5. Prostaglandins hormone
Balancing of prostaglandins hormone is vital in regulating the uterus muscles during menstrual cycle, if the levels of PGE2 of the prostaglandins is getting too high, it may cause breast tenderness and breast pain for women with PMS.

C. Insomnia

1. Mineral deficiency
Calcium, magnesium and silicon are essential for women during menstrual cycle because they have a calming effects for the nervous system. Imbalance or deficiency of calcium, magnesium and silicon increase the tension of the brain's cell resulting in insomnia.

2. Vitamin deficiency
Women with PMS are found to have low levels of vitamin B6 which is vital to convert tytrophan to serotonin. Deficiency of vitamin B6 interferes the production of serotonin resulting in lessening the production of melatonin, a vital hormone in promoting a good nigh sleep.

3. Alcohol
Alcohol not only damages the liver in fat and protein metabolism, it also increases the tension of nervous system. Limit intake of less than one cup of wine everyday will helps to reduce the symptoms of insomnia.

4. Caffeine
Caffeine may helps to increase nervous system function but it may causes nervous tension and vitamin B6 deficiency as resulting of caffeine stimulating. It also causes unbalance of production of serotonin and melatonin hormone resulting in increasing the nervous tension leading to insomnia.

5. Low levels of melatonin
Melatonin is hormone which helps to regulate the sleep pattern of our body. some women with PMS found to have low levels of melatonin before period caused by low levels of serotonin and tytrophan. Intake of food with high in serotonin and tytrophan will help.

5. Insulin irregularity
Researchers exam the inter relationship between insomnia and insulin fluctuation found out that improving insulin balancing will helps to improve the sleep pattern and via versa.

Since PMS is treatable and manageable by natural remedies and a self help course, if you have PMS, please look on the bright side. FOR EMOTIONAL STRESS RELIEF SELF HELP COURSE

I hope this information will help. If you need more information or insurance advices, please follow my article series of the above subject at my home page at: http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com http://lifeanddisabitityinsuranceunderwriter.blogspot.com

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