--- title: What are the most common PMS symptoms and how much do they disrupt daily life? description: Painful periods affected 63% of women and 40% said their routine was disrupted during their period. However, the study was in one community in Pakistan and on url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/physical-and-psychological-symptoms-associated-with-premenstrual-syndrome-and-2020/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - What are the most common PMS symptoms and how much do they disrupt daily life? Survey study, 2020 # What are the most common PMS symptoms and how much do they disrupt daily life? Painful periods affected 63% of women and 40% said their routine was disrupted during their period. However, the study was in one community in Pakistan and only recorded current symptoms, not tracked changes over time. Early or limited evidence Women from a squatter settlement in Karachi, Pakistan (excluding pregnant women and those on birth control) ## What they did Researchers recorded information about PMS symptoms and their impact on daily activities in women from a squatter settlement in Karachi, Pakistan. They excluded pregnant women and those on birth control. ## What they found Painful periods occurred in 213 women (63%), fatigue in 108 (32%), bloating in 64 (18.9%), and back pain in 45 (13.3%). Irritability occurred in 134 women (39.6%) and anxiety in 117 (34.6%). More than four-fifths of women said they felt impure during menstruation. Thirty-eight women (11.2%) believed menstruation was God's way of punishing women. Forty percent said their normal routine was significantly disrupted during their period. ## What it means for you PMS symptoms are very common in this community and significantly affect women's daily lives and work. Many women hold negative cultural attitudes toward menstruation that may make PMS harder to manage. The study is from one community in Pakistan and only asked about current symptoms, not tracked across multiple cycles. 213 women with painful periods (63%) 40% with disrupted daily routine 134 women with irritability (39.6%) ## About the study Original title Physical and Psychological Symptoms Associated With Premenstrual Syndrome and Their Impact on the Daily Routine of Women in a Low Socioeconomic Status Locality Authors Abbas K, Usman G, Ahmed M et al. Journal Cureus Year 2020 Study design Survey study Participants 38 What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.7759/cureus.10821](https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.10821) Original abstract Introduction The constellation of the physical and psychological symptoms that appear several days before menstrual period is regarded as the premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The current study evaluated the symptoms associated with PMS and their impact on the day-to-day activities of women. Methodology An observational cross-sectional study was conducted at a squatter settlement in Karachi, Pakistan, from January 2019 to February 2020. Amenorrheic, pregnant women, and women who were on birth control at the time of data collection were excluded from the study. The demographics, symptoms of PMS experienced by the participants, and the impact of PMS symptoms on the daily lives of women were recorded. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences v.25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) was used for data analysis. Results The mean age ± standard deviation of 23.93 years ± 9.41 years was recorded. As many as 213 (63%) women reported dysmenorrhea, followed by fatigue in 108 (32%), bloating in 64 (18.9%), and back pain in 45 (13.3%) women. Irritability and anxiety were experienced by 134 (39.6%) and 117 (34.6%) women, respectively. When asked about their attitude and perception towards menstruation, more than four-fifth respondents confessed that they feel impure when they are experiencing their monthly period. About 38 women (11.2%) believed that menstruation is God's way of punishing the womankind. For the question, "Do you feel that your normal routine is significantly disturbed during your period?", 40% responded in affirmation. Conclusion The findings of the current study reflected a generally negative attitude towards menstruation, which significantly affected the routine lives of women in our setting. The study further concluded that dysmenorrhea, fatigue, irritability, and anxiety were the most common symptoms of PMS experienced by women. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Fatigue and energy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-fatigue/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)[Economic burden](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-economic-burden/) 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, 1982 How common are premenstrual symptoms in American women, and what factors affect them? Survey study, 2026 Can changing your diet help with period and PMS symptoms like fatigue, mood swings and bloating? Survey study, 2002 How common is premenstrual dysphoric disorder among women in Morocco? Systematic review, 2021 Does damask rose help reduce menstrual pain, headache, fatigue, anxiety, and bloating? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 1999 How much do premenstrual symptoms affect women's work and daily life? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗