A recent study found that premenstrual anxiety and mood changes are so prevalent that they’re considered a global public health problem. According to University of Virginia scientists, 64% of women report having these symptoms.

Premenstrual syndrome symptoms interfere with women’s daily lives. 

According to their research, the majority of women have premenstrual syndrome (PMS) signs each menstrual cycle, and these symptoms frequently interfere with their daily life. Mood changes or worry are among the most frequently reported PMS signs, irrespective of age. Around 61% of women of all ages report experiencing mood-related problems at least once per cycle. Therefore, it implies that premenstrual mood problems are a global public health concern.

Study author and Reproductive Psychiatry Research Program Director at the University of Virginian School of Medicine Jennifer Payne said, “Our study demonstrates that premenstrual mood symptoms are incredibly common worldwide. But, most importantly, most women reported that their premenstrual symptoms interfered with their everyday life at least some of the time.”

The research aimed to learn more about the variety of PMS symptoms that women encounter and how such symptoms affect their day-to-day activities. Notably,  the researchers examined approximately 238,000 survey data from women residing in 144 different nations.

Food cravings were the most often mentioned premenstrual complaint (85.28%), preceded by worry or mood changes (64.18%) and exhaustion (57.3%). Additionally, 28.61% of those surveyed admitted that their premenstrual problems hampered their everyday life each menstrual cycle. Also, 34.84% of respondents reported that premenstrual symptoms occasionally impeded their daily routines.

Older people experience more premenstrual syndrome problems 

The study’s authors observe that older respondents indicated a variety of PMS problems more frequently. Some of these symptoms were absent-mindedness, poor libido, sleeping problems, gastrointestinal issues, weight gain, migraines, hot flashes or sweating, exhaustion, rashes, hair changes, and edema.

The higher prevalence of physical complaints in older women “makes sense,” according to the researchers, since many of these symptoms are associated with perimenopause, a time of the changeover to menopause that can result in irregular menstruation cycles.