December 7th, 2018 | Updated on March 5th, 2020
- Most women of reproductive age have some physical discomfort or dysphoria in the weeks before menstruation.
- Almost 85% of American women experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in the childbearing years
- About 5–8% of women thus suffer from severe premenstrual syndrome
Menstruation is a natural occurrence in a woman’s body wherein a blood discharge occurs as part of a woman’s monthly cycle. This cycle usually starts during puberty, between ages 11-14 years old and ends at the age of 50 which is called the menopausal stage.
During the period of having the menstrual cycle, many women experience not only physical symptoms such as abdominal bloating, breast tenderness, and changes in appetite. However, it also affects emotional wellness such as feelings of fatigue, depression, and anxiety.
It is distressing enough that menses gives you feeling of discomfort, but having PMS is another burden to carry.
What is PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)?
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a condition that affects a woman’s emotions, physical health, and behavior during certain days of the menstrual cycle, generally just before her menses.
PMS is a selection of symptoms that occur about 14 days before a woman starts her menstrual period. They usually clear up in a day or two after the period begins. While most women experience mild symptoms, some experience severe symptoms that interrupt their daily routine.
Since hormones rise and fall during this time, some women experience PMS or Premenstrual Syndrome wherein a woman undergoes a wide variety of signs and symptoms such as mood swings, irritability and depression, food cravings, fatigue, and tender breasts. It is estimated that there are 3 out of every 4 menstruating women that experience some form of premenstrual syndrome.
If you have been observing yourself during these times, you might find out that symptoms tend to recur in a predictable pattern. On the other hand, the physical and emotional changes you experience during PMS may vary from slightly noticeable to immensely intense.
Causes of Premenstrual Syndrome
Although the premenstrual syndrome is a common condition in women, what causes it exactly is still unknown to the doctors. However, there are several factors that may contribute to this condition.
1. Changes in Hormones
Since menstruation is the time wherein hormones are at their “disturbed” state, the hormonal fluctuation in a woman’s body might be connected in having premenstrual syndrome. Many researchers believe that it’s related to a change in both sex hormone and serotonin levels at the beginning of the menstrual cycle.
2. Chemical Changes in the Brain
Due to the fluctuations in the serotonin— which is a brain chemical that plays a crucial role in mood states—this is thought that it triggers the PMS symptoms since an insufficient amount of serotonin may contribute to premenstrual depression, sleep problems, fatigue, and food cravings.
Factors that can increase your risk of developing premenstrual syndrome are:
3. Depression
Women with depression are more likely to have PMS than those who do not have depression. Multiple studies have found that traumatic stress or having post-traumatic stress disorder increases a woman’s odds of developing PMS.
Other risk factors for premenstrual syndrome include:
- a history of depression or mood disorders, such as postpartum depression or bipolar disorder
- a family history of PMS
- a family history of depression
- domestic violence
- substance abuse
- physical trauma
- emotional trauma
4. Lifestyle
Through the lifestyle that you have, PMS can be brought on or get worse if you have an unhealthy lifestyle, such as:
- Smoke
- Is under lots of stress
- Doesn’t exercise
- Doesn’t sleep enough
- Drink too much alcohol
- Eat too much salt, red meat, or sugar
Symptoms Of Premenstrual Syndrome
Usually, the symptoms of PMS are mild. About 5-8% of women suffer from severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Most of these women also meet criteria for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Mood and behavioural symptoms, including irritability, tension, depressed mood, tearfulness, and mood swings, are the most distressing, but somatic complaints, such as breast tenderness and bloating, can also be problematic.
Natural Remedies for Premenstrual Syndrome
If you’re dealing with PMS then you might improve your signs and symptoms by doing some changes in your lifestyle to relieve PMS symptoms naturally, such as from eating certain foods to exercising, there are a number of different ways to help alleviate the symptoms of PMS in a natural way. Here are the remedies that might alleviate the pain naturally to help you cope up with PMS.
1. Calcium
Calcium has demonstrated a consistent therapeutic benefit in relieving PMS symptoms. Thus, help your body by intaking food that is rich in the mineral, calcium. These said foods are dairy products, sesame seeds, almonds, and green leafy vegetables. Additionally, pair it with vitamin D so as to regulate your body’s calcium absorption.
2. Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is the most common recommendation which is most likely to limit your sugar intake and increase consumptions of complex carbohydrates. There might also be some type of diets which focuses on reducing sodium intake that might help other people to reduce bloating, breast swelling and tenderness, and water retention.
Another type of healthy diet is the restriction of caffeine which is a common diet since it induces PMS symptoms such as irritability and insomnia.
3. Exercise
Exercising brings a lot of benefits to our body—basically, it keeps our body healthy and strong. This is why having a regular exercise routine may help improve your PMS symptoms. There are many ways to exercise, from brisk walking, jogging, and cycling to heavy workouts, these exercises help release endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin which can boost mood and gives positive benefits on energy and sleep.
4. Stress Management
Managing your stress may help alleviate your symptoms of PMS through breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation, these are some of the natural ways to reduce stress and promote relaxation to your mind and body. Since many women feel emotionally sensitive before menses, these activities will help you stabilize emotions.
5. Integrative Approaches
There are also other ways in approaching premenstrual syndrome the natural way aside from doing what was mentioned above such as acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage therapy which are all sometimes suggested to reduce the symptoms of PMS.
Takeaway
Some women dread menstruation since it comes with many complications and changes during this period. However, one shouldn’t treat menses as a nemesis, but one should find an ally in this time and be at peace with the natural order of your body. Having menstrual cups such as daisy cup at your aid will surely help you have a comfortable period.
Here Are 10 Best Menstrual Cups Available On Amazon
1. DivaCup Model 2 Menstrual Cup
The DivaCup is a reusable, bell-shaped menstrual cup that is worn internally and sits low in the vaginal canal, collecting rather than absorbing your menstrual flow. Menstrual cups have existed since the 1930s when women were searching for an alternative to the choices of the time. Yet, its breakthrough into the feminine hygiene industry is much more recent. Many women feel uneasy about changing their menstrual care routine. Years of dealing with the sights and odors of disposable tampons and pads cause the familiar reaction: “ick!”. The DivaCup empowers women to connect with their bodies and menstrual cycles like never before. Perfect for all activities, its easy care and use make for a better period experience.
Review: Megan Bird
I am a 25 yr old mother of a vaginally delivered baby( 8 pounds 10 oz) , now 1.5 years old. I purchased the model 2 diva cup and I was extremely excited to use it. After trying it for the first time I realize it is way to big. It actually hurts to have it in and I checked with my midwife and she said I am inserting it properly and I watched a few informative videos of how to place it and different technique and have tried every way I have found.
After my issue I asked quite a few women that are in love with the diva cup ( most of them being my reason for getting it myself) and they said sizing is way off and that I probably need the model one. Many of these women having had 2+ vaginal deliveries. I’d really really love to use this product but unfortunetly can not because it is really to wide.
2. Lena Menstrual Cup
Lena is a reusable menstrual cup that collects your monthly blood flow. Inserted like a tampon, Lena Cup offers a complete protection and an odorless and sensation-free period. Join thousands of first-time menstruation cup users who say they will never go back to using pads and tampons.
Dance, run, swim and sleep with your Lena Cup – think of all the times your period held you back! Easy to insert and remove, Lena is ideal for menstruating users of all ages – wear your cup for up to 12 consecutive hours.
Review: RMD
I think that in general menstrual cups are difficult to review meaningfully because personal anatomy quirks are such a factor, so I’m going to try to give some information that hopefully will make it easier to evaluate whether or not my experience will match up with yours. I’m also going to do my best to avoid TMI whenever possible, but let’s be realistic: this is a review of a menstrual cup. There is some amount of TMI that is just part of the process.
I am a long-time menstrual cup user, but I have always preferred to sometimes use other feminine hygiene products under some circumstances – sometimes it’s just easier to use tampons, and I prefer to not use anything internal at night if I can get away with it.
3. DivaCup Model 1 Menstrual Cup
The DivaCup is a reusable menstrual cup that collects, rather than absorbs menstrual flow. The DivaCup offers up to 12 hours of leak-free protection, is easy-to-use, odor-free, super comfortable and saves you money. Model 1 is recommended for those under the age of 30 who have never delivered vaginally or by caesarean section.
Ideal for your Lifestyle Stay active with The DivaCup. Whether you’re traveling, swimming or hitting the gym, The DivaCup gives you the freedom and flexibility to do what you want without the worry of leaks. Stay confident and comfortable all month long.
Review: Leanna Jenkins
This is the 2nd diva cup I purchased, the first I purchased in a store. Right away I noticed it was much softer and had a different feel. I had great luck with my first Diva Cup, but this one I was never able to use. Upon browsing the reviews, I found other people showing how the products were differeny than the real ones and even the storage bags they come with were different in size and material, and sure enough when I compared mine they were obviously different.
Amazon needs to know that this seller is not selling legit products. Unfortunately, I realized this after the return window already closed so I am out the money spent and still have to go buy a new diva cup in store, as I certainly won’t be buying one off amazon. The most annoying part to me is that women will try this and think that all cups are difficult to use and give up, when a legit cup is life changing. Such a disservice.
4. Luna Cup Menstrual Set of 2 Cups
Feel nothing when you wear a menstruation cup! You never know you can feel so free during your menstruation period until you try a Luna Cup menstruation cup! Tampons are absorbing, they not only absorb menstrual blood, but also the natural vaginal fluids that keep you healthy and moist, and the string usually gets wet when you pee! Disposable feminine pads are like a constant reminder that you are in an inconvenient time of the month!
Wearing a menstruation cup rarely leaks! Unlike tampons and pads, when a menstrual cup is properly inserted, it rarely leaks!
Review: Zipper Case
I was unable to use tampons until I was 22 and even then I needed lube to do it, so I am familiar with struggling with insertion, but I was able to get this cup in in under 60 seconds and it was barely felt (ordered size s). Oh my god, I could sing about this product. Not a single leak, I don’t feel a thing when it’s in there, no matter how I move. This is a lifesaver for my yoga classes, all the twisting and the tight pants make my previous method of tampon plus panty-liner a hassle. I just feel so clean and good and happy about this.
I will say that I do need to bear down in order to reach the stem to pull it out, so make sure you are familiar with that before inserting it, I think. Also, for me, 12 hours at the cup was about halfway full, so there’s really no need to worry about changing it in a public restroom unless you literally spend 24 hours away from home. First menstrual cup I tried, worked like a charm. If you menstruate, buy this.
5. Athena Menstrual Cup
The Athena menstrual cup is bell-shaped cup that gives you a safe, comfortable, and odorless period for up to 12 hours a day. Athena Cup’s reusable design collects your flow rather than absorbing it and lasts many years which means less time, money, and hassle in your life – And who needs hassle! Athena Cup has worked hard to produce the softest cup available through innovative use of material thickness and higher quality silicone.
Review: Whitney
So prior to ordering, I had no idea what to look for, now that I have this one, I have nothing to compare it to, but this is what I have experienced… First of all, it is awkward. You do need to insert it with your fingers, and it can be messy. Hint: give it a spin to make sure it seals. Once it does, the suction and seal are both intense.
But no leaks! There is a science to it which you can only figure out after a few uses. Wear a liner at first while you get the hang of it. You don’t need to change with every pee, which is great. Once you pull it out you will feel the suction and it isn’t easy at times. Dump into a toilet. Awkward again when you have to rinse it in a sink (especially in public).
However, the amount of money I have saved in pads/tampons and new underwear has already above and beyond paid for this product. Plus no stinky mess in the garbage or fear of forgetting to sneak anything into the bathroom. The best part is the environmental impact!! It comes in a cute carrying pouch. I have no children, got the 2nd size and it is honestly extremely comfortable when you follow the directions. I do encourage every female to get one of these diva cups!
6. Lunette Reusable Menstrual Cup
The Lunette Menstrual Cup is the future of period care. It’s your user-friendly, safe, reusable, and eco-logical alternative to pads and tampons. Plus, using Lunette menstrual cups helps you rack up good karma points by protecting the environment and your purse strings offering peace of mind and a stress-free cycle.
Review: Caroline
I want to shout from the rooftops about how amazing this is! For the first time since I hit puberty, I don’t have any worries about my period. It took a few tries to really get the hang of inserting and removing the cup, and it required a new familiarity with my own anatomy, but it went much better than I expected.
I’ve found the punch-down fold works the best for me and opens consistently without anything more than wiggling the bottom of the cup. It typically takes a bit of pushing with my pelvic floor muscles to get the cup into a position where I can get a good grip to break the seal and remove it, but after a bit of practice, I can do it fairly quickly.
I also find I have to fold the cup a bit in order to pull it out comfortably – once I have the bottom pinched and the seal broken, I work it down to where I can use my pointer and middle fingers to wrap the bottom of the cup around my thumb on the other side, a bit like the “C” or “U” fold. Fair warning: you get a good look at the fluids whenever you empty the cup. If you’re squeamish, it can be pretty gross, but I think it’s really cool to be able to get an accurate measurement of exactly how much is coming out.
7. Lena Menstrual Cup
Lena is a reusable menstrual cup that collects your monthly blood flow. Inserted like a tampon, Lena Cup offers a complete protection and an odorless and sensation-free period. Join thousands of first-time menstruation cup users who say they will never go back to using pads and tampons.
Lena is the most affordable USA-made and FDA-registered feminine hygiene cup on the market. Lena uses US medical grade silicone and dyes to ensure complete safety so you can trust your body is getting the best.
Review: Amazon Customer
Determining what size and feel works is subjective, I would recommend doing research on different sizes/brands of menstrual cups and looking at a lot of reviews if you don’t want to end up buying a bunch that you will end up not using. If you’ve tried the Diva cup (the smaller of the two sizes) and it didn’t work out for you because it was too big, the Lena cup (small) is a good next option!
I originally tried the Diva cup (the white one in the pictures) but I find that the Lena cup (purple in the pictures) is more comfortable since it is smaller overall. The silicone for the Lena is also not as stiff as the Diva cup, so actually feels like its not there! I have some pretty bad cramps, and the Diva cup would move around and exerted some pressure, making it difficult to pee.
The Lena cup’s body is smaller, and I guess that’s what I needed! The diameter of the rim is the same as the Diva cup and the Diva cup has measurements on it (if you want to measure how much your menstruate, I guess?). The little stick thing that helps you take it out is longer for the Lena than the Diva cup, but can be easily adjusted.
8. Softcup
Softcup is a disposable menstrual disc that can be worn for up to 12 hours. It is made from body-safe materials that are not linked to infections or TSS. Softcup is similar in shape to a diaphragm and sits at the base of the cervix collecting menstrual fluid, rather than absorbing it like a tampon. Because it’s disposable, you don’t have to rinse and reuse it like a menstrual cup.
Review: Amazon Customer
These work so well and you can’t even feel them. The hardest part is learning how to put them in, once you have that mastered, it they’re the greatest. I was trying to put them in so they were horizontal to the floor, which is the WRONG way to do it. I was picturing the vagina as a straight tube, but it’s not it’s curved in a ‘C’ shape.
The correct way to put them in is to pinch in the middle so they’re a figure 8 shape and insert into the vagina with the top of the ‘8’ going in first so it’s vertical not horizontal, once it’s in the vagina use one finger to push it up until you feel a bump- that’s the pubic bone once the whole plastic ring is pushed up above that, it’s in place.
You shouldn’t feel it at all. If you can feel it, it’s in wrong, but you can pull it out and try again. If at first you don’t succeed, keep trying, it took me two months to figure it out, but once I did I discovered the easiest most comfortable way deal with your period.
9. Saalt Menstrual Cup 2
The Saalt Duo Pack has you covered on your light and heavy days with a small and regular sized cup. Saalt is strong but flexible, organic but resilient, functional but elegant. Saalt is inspired by the elements and enables you to care for yourself the way nature intended, with no waste, no chemicals and no hassle. Designed to be the highest quality and easiest cup to insert and allow you to live your element.
Review: avid reader 9876
I researched menstrual cups for a while before finally deciding to go with the Saalt cup. I read tons of reviews and watched you tube videos of people who tried various brands to get a sense of the good, bad and ugly of the cup, and each of the most popular brands. Then I chose Saalt, because it had a very soft and flexible stem, the large cup was larger than many brands which I needed for my heavy days, the blue/red color was pretty to avoid obvious staining early, and i could save money and frustration from tampons.
10. HAWWWY Brand Menstrual Cup
Comfortable super soft silicone design was made to keep you active and comfortable at the same time while creating a leak-proof barrier to collect your monthly blood flow. Easy to insert and remove, design also comes in two sizes (both included) small and large. Perfect for the first time user or a heavy monthly flow.
Review: molly becker
Whoa! I’ve heard a lot about these but I was honestly afraid to try it. I’m so glad I did! It’s so much easier to use than I thought. I’m so glad I don’t need to waste my money on expensive (and toxic) tampons. If you’re on the fence, you should 100% give this a try!
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