for the first time in 12 years, i actually went to read up on pre-menstrual syndrome, because i've been having crying spells for the past 2 days. i cry over everything, even over the fact that i find myself crying on crowded buses, and it's totally uncontrollable. honestly, i wasn't aware that i have this tendency to cry nearing my period, not until my man pointed that out. i always thought pms was only about feeling irritable and moody. but no, your hormones actually take over in many more ways than that:

These can include:

Mood swings	Irritability
Anxiety and tension	Bloating
Breast tenderness and swelling	Water retention
Acne	Tiredness
Weight gain	Headaches/migraines
Crying Spells	Depression
Sugar and food cravings	Constipation
Dizziness

Types of PMS

In order to make classification of PMS easier, Dr Guy Abraham in America, devised a system of categories for the different types of PMS symptoms. These fall into four categories

Type A - Anxiety

This category which is very common in up to 80% of women each cycle, includes those symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, anxiety and tension.

Type C - Cravings

This group includes cravings for sweets or chocolates, increased appetite, fatigue and headaches. Up to 60% of women can experience these kinds of symptoms leading up to the period.

Type H - Hyperhydration

Type H includes symptoms such as water retention, breast tenderness and enlargement, abdominal bloating and weight gain. Up to 40% of women can experience these changes.

Type D - Depression

Depression is the largest symptom in this group but it can also include confusion, forgetfulness, clumsiness, withdrawal, lack of co-ordination, crying spells, confusion. Only 5% of women experience these symptoms but these can be the most serious if the woman is verging on the point of being suicidal.

Many women will get symptoms from each Type during any one cycle. And for some women these symptoms can change from month to month, so they are not always experiencing exactly the same symptoms before each period.

that really explains why i cry over the littlest thing and feel so needy periodically. sigh. hormones. but at least we could see what we can do about it.