Every day more 300 million people menstruation all over the world. Approximately from 5% to 8% of them suffer from moderate to severe premenstrual syndrome, which means that at least 15 million people They suffer from this. However, it remains an understudied disease with underappreciated symptoms. For many, it’s just a few days of crying and bad mood before menstruation. But in reality it is much more. In fact, according to a recent study, people suffering from this condition are more than twice as likely as others to commit crimes. suicide.
It’s worth wondering whether premenstrual syndrome would be better studied if it predominantly affected men. Just like it happens with endometriosisadenomyosis and many other conditions associated with female reproductive system. But, in principle, let’s leave this aside.
Whatever the reasons why it is not well understood, premenstrual syndrome is a serious problem that needs to be given enough attention. For some reason it seems to protect patients from dying from natural causes, like cardiovascular disease, but this puts them at much greater risk of accidents and suicide. The reasons are not entirely clear on either issue, but there are some hypotheses whose threads would need to be continued to be pulled.
What is premenstrual syndrome?
Although 5% to 8% of menstruating women suffer from moderate to severe premenstrual syndrome, which has a very negative impact on their lives, it is estimated that 3 in 4 suffered from symptoms connected with it at some point in their lives.
These symptoms very diverse. These range from problems with attention to irritability, episodes of crying, lack of appetite, impaired libido or depressive episodes. This is all on top of physical symptoms, which include joint pain, constipation or diarrhea, headaches and fatigue, among others.
In some cases, the symptoms are so severe that these people have to take antidepressants or anxiolytics in the days before menstruation. But what is all this about?
The exact reasons are not clear. However, to a greater or lesser extent, there must be an influence of two issues. On the one side, hormonal changes associated with this phase of the menstrual cycle. And, on the other hand, change in serotonin levels. It is a neurotransmitter whose deficiency is associated with mood disorders such as depression, and its levels appear to decrease in the days before menstruation.
Why does the likelihood of suicide increase?
Several studies in the past have shown that people suffering from PMS moderate to severe symptoms are more likely to develop mental health disorders. Again, the reasons are the same. Hormonal changes and serotonin levels.
However, the association with physical disorders appears to be small. In fact, curiously, a certain amount of protection is felt. To test how true this is, a group of Swedish scientists conducted a study in which they had data from more than 400,000 womenwho were observed from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2018. Of these, 67,748 were diagnosed with premenstrual syndrome. Each was randomly compared with five women without the syndrome and their susceptibility to certain diseases was compared.
According to the results of the study, 367 women with PMS and 1958 women without PMS died. This amounts to 8.4 and 9.1 women per 10,000 people per year, respectively. Thus, PMS does not appear to be associated with higher likelihood of death. Rather the complete opposite. It is not clear why this all happens, but it is suspected that it may be related to the antidepressants prescribed, as some of them seem to have some cardioprotective role.
On the other hand, mortality from unnatural causes was higher in the group with premenstrual syndrome. This included accidents, but mostly suicides. This was recorded in 2.3 compared to 1.06 women per 10,000 per year.
A very serious problem
All this will indicate that emotional discomfort before menstruation what has been downplayed is much more serious than we would like to believe. If someone is sad and in a bad mood, the phrase “wow, you’re on your period” always sounds somehow derogatory. But in fact, this is an issue that many people remain silent about so as not to be seen as weaklings and not to complain. So that they are not told the typical “it’s just because of the rule.” ONLY. Just because it is associated with menstruation does not mean it is not a worrying problem and should not be addressed. The well-being and even the lives of many people may be at stake.
If this article has made you uncomfortable, caused you to identify with it, or for any other reason you are considering suicide, do not hesitate to call 024 if you are in Spain, or the telephone number established for this in your country. You are not alone or alone.
Source: Hiper Textual
