--- title: What premenstrual symptoms do women most often seek treatment for, and does this change with age? description: Fatigue and mood swings were the most common moderate-to-severe symptoms, and psychological symptoms were reported more often than physical ones. Women in the url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/symptoms-experienced-by-japanese-women-seeking-treatment-for-premenstrual-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - What premenstrual symptoms do women most often seek treatment for, and does this change with age? Cohort study, 2026 # What premenstrual symptoms do women most often seek treatment for, and does this change with age? Fatigue and mood swings were the most common moderate-to-severe symptoms, and psychological symptoms were reported more often than physical ones. Women in their 40s were less likely to report appetite changes and food cravings than women in their 20s. Early or limited evidence 199 women aged 20-49 seeking treatment for premenstrual symptoms at a gynecology clinic in Japan ## What they did Researchers looked back at records of 199 women, aged 20 to 49, who visited a gynecology clinic in Japan for premenstrual symptoms between November 2022 and May 2023. They checked how common 31 different premenstrual symptoms were and compared results across age groups. ## What they found Women in their 20s were the largest group, and 89.9% of them had dysmenorrhea (painful periods). Fatigue (71.9%) and mood swings (70.9%) were the most common moderate-to-severe symptoms overall. Compared with women in their 20s, women in their 40s had much lower odds of appetite changes (adjusted odds ratio 0.10), overeating (aOR 0.19), and specific food cravings (aOR 0.09). ## What it means for you Psychological symptoms like fatigue and mood swings seem to be the main reason women seek help, and appetite-related symptoms may matter less as women get older. This was a one-time look back at clinic records from a single site, not a long-term tracking study, so it cannot show how symptoms change over time for the same woman. 89.9% Had dysmenorrhea (women in 20s) 71.9% Reported fatigue 70.9% Reported mood swings ## About the study Original title Symptoms experienced by Japanese women seeking treatment for premenstrual symptoms and age-related differences: a cross-sectional study Authors Ogawa M, Valckx K, Iida M et al. Journal Fukushima journal of medical science Year 2026 Study design Cohort study Participants 199 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.5387/fms.26-00003](https://doi.org/10.5387/fms.26-00003) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/) 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 Survey study, 2026 Is PMS or PMDD linked to eating disorders? Systematic review, 2026 Does vitamin D supplementation help PMS symptoms? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Systematic review, 2024 Does yoga help reduce PMS symptoms? Systematic review, 2023 How common are menstrual cycle problems and PMS or PMDD in female athletes? Survey study, 2016 Is PMS or PMDD linked to eating disorders like bulimia and binge eating? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗