Abstract
This study aimed to clarify characteristics of menstruation, its accompanying symptoms, and lifestyle factors of patients with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in Japan. We collected data on premenstrual symptoms, the menstrual cycle, working situation, and lifestyle factors (improvement of eating habits, sleep patterns, regular exercise, smoking habits, drinking habits) for 82 patients with PMS and 162 non-PMS patients. This study identified patients with PMS experienced physical symptoms (swelling of hands and feet, headache, abdominal pain) and psychological symptoms (irritation, depression, emotional instability, staying indoors) significantly more often than non-PMS patients. In non-PMS patients younger than 29 years, the most common symptom around menstruation was abdominal pain. In addition, there was a tendency in non-PMS women to take over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs before menstruation. Patients with PMS tended to practice reasonable lifestyle habits before being diagnosed with PMS and seemed to be more careful about lifestyle factors than the non-PMS group. In addition, the PMS group tended to notice that stress exacerbated symptoms before menstruation.
