Study, 1940
What is the range of severity for premenstrual distress symptoms?
Premenstrual distress affects women very differently, from mild symptoms that are easy to tolerate to severe symptoms that cause depression, suicidal thoughts, or extreme irritability.
What they did
Described the varying severity levels of premenstrual distress in women.
What they found
Many women experience suffering during the week before menstruation from headache, nausea, bloating, emotional disturbances, and swelling. For some women the symptoms are mild and tolerable. For others, the distress is considerable and causes severe mood changes including depression, suicidal tendencies and extreme irritability. Symptoms exist on a spectrum of severity rather than representing a single distinct condition.
What it means for you
This describes how premenstrual distress varies greatly in how much it affects women, from barely noticeable to severely debilitating. It suggests that premenstrual tension exists on a spectrum of symptoms at different severity levels rather than being one specific condition. The main limitation is that this is a clinical description without numbers or treatment information.
About the study
- Original title
- THE MECHANISM AND TREATMENT OF PREMENSTRUAL DISTRESS WITH AMMONIUM CHLORIDE
- Authors
- J.P. Greenhill, S. C. Freed
- Journal
- Endocrinology
- Year
- 1940
- Study design
- Study
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1210/endo-26-3-529
Topics
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