How common are PMS and heavy menstrual bleeding in young Indian women?

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (HMB) are two conditions that can shatter the daily life young girls after menarche. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a condition characterized by changes in mood, emotions, physical well-being, and behaviour that occur between mid-cycle and menstruation. A range of 14.3% to 74.4% has been reported as the estimated prevalence of PMS in India. Heavy menstrual bleeding is an excessive menstrual blood loss that interferes with a woman’s physical, social, emotional or material quality of life. Both are explicit presentations of hormonal upheaval in young ladies. The exact cause or pathophysiology of PMS is yet to be understood but it appears to be multifactorial, with disturbances in aldosterone activity and Adolescent heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is commonly related to hypothalamic pituitary ovarian axis immaturity, which improves with age. Studies show that menstrual disorders, at least one of the menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, & PMS, are prevalent in a range of 60% to 80% of young Indian women. Specific treatment-seeking data varies, one study, reported that only a third of those with a menstrual complaint especially in Urban India sought treatment from a health facility, while others resorted to home remedies or self-medication. Materials and methods: This article is outcome of small observational study of about 50 young ladies doing their post-graduation master’s in public health (MPH), with an average age of 24years, most of them in their 21-22 yrs. over three years between 2029-2022 and few other typical /atypical cases managed by Allopathy, Ayurveda and Homeopathy system of medical practices in India. Appropriate literature research adds to the epidemiology, and management practices.

Reproduced under CC-BY.