--- title: Do PMS symptoms affect exam scores in medical students? | Niyora description: Some PMS symptoms affected exam scores differently. Students with acne had higher exam scores, while those with sleep problems, nausea, bloating, or skin chan url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/some-but-not-all-of-the-premenstrual-syndrome-symptoms-affect-the-medical-exam-2021/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do PMS symptoms affect exam scores in medical students? Survey study, 2021 # Do PMS symptoms affect exam scores in medical students? Some PMS symptoms affected exam scores differently. Students with acne had higher exam scores, while those with sleep problems, nausea, bloating, or skin changes had lower exam scores. This is a small study from one university. Early or limited evidence 100 female medical students in Turkey, mean age 19.9 years ## What they did Cross-sectional study at Sakarya University in Turkey of 100 female medical students in their first, second, or third year. Researchers tracked five PMS symptoms (acne, nausea, sleep problems, bloating, skin changes) and recorded exam scores over one year during five committee exams. ## What they found Four of the five symptoms had significantly different exam scores. Students with acne had substantially higher scores than those without acne. Students with nausea, sleep problems, bloating, or skin changes had significantly lower exam scores than those without these symptoms. ## What it means for you Different PMS symptoms may affect school performance differently. The finding about acne is surprising. This is one small study from one university with no control group to compare. 100 female medical students 19.9±1.5 mean age in years 5 PMS symptoms examined ## About the study Original title Some, but not all of the premenstrual syndrome symptoms affect the medical exam scores in medical students Authors Bilir F, Akdemir R, Bilir C Journal Pakistan journal of medical sciences Year 2021 Study design Survey study Participants 100 What was tested Observation of PMS symptoms and exam scores Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.4.3931](https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.4.3931) Original abstract Objectives: This research aims to identify the effects of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms on the school exam scores in medical students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was designed at Sakarya University School of Medicine The study included medical students who were in the first, second, and third year of class. In this study, there were 193 male and 100 female students. The study investigated how PMS symptoms affected medical student's exam scores and school success. All exam scores were recorded during the two-consecutive semester so duration of study was one year. Results: There were 100 female students, and they had five different committee exams for one year. Female student's exam scores were significantly higher for four committees and an average score of all year. The mean age of female students was 19.9 ±1.5. Acne, nausea/vomiting, sleeping, abdominal bloating, and prurience change had significantly different exam scores compared to the group without these symptoms. Students with acne had substantially higher exam scores than without acne; inversely, the other four symptoms negatively affected exam scores. Conclusion: Some of the PMS symptoms can be more annoying and should change the quality of life more than the other symptoms, so we should define these symptoms to improve our student's quality of life and school success. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Randomised trial, 2016 Does cognitive-behavioral therapy improve quality of life in women with premenstrual syndrome? Randomised trial, 2026 Is Pilates exercise more effective than stretching for reducing PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2025 How common is PMS among female medical students, and how severe are the symptoms? Survey study, 2022 How common is PMS in female medical students and how does it affect their ability to study? Survey study, 2020 How do diet and lifestyle factors relate to PMS and PMDD in medical students? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗