--- title: Are premenstrual and menstrual symptoms separate problems or part of one larger problem? description: They appear to be part of one larger problem. Although some symptoms are worse before your period and others during it, the symptoms largely overlap. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/toward-a-construct-of-perimenstrual-distress-1982/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Are premenstrual and menstrual symptoms separate problems or part of one larger problem? Survey study, 1982 # Are premenstrual and menstrual symptoms separate problems or part of one larger problem? They appear to be part of one larger problem. Although some symptoms are worse before your period and others during it, the symptoms largely overlap. Early or limited evidence 193 nonpregnant women aged 18-35 from five neighborhoods in a southeastern US city ## What they did Researchers interviewed 193 women aged 18-35 from five neighborhoods in a southeastern US city. Most (179) completed a questionnaire about menstrual symptoms across different phases of the cycle. ## What they found At least 30% of women reported weight gain, skin problems, backache, breast pain, irritability, depression, headache, cramps, fatigue, swelling, mood swings or tension around their period. Although some symptoms like cramps, weight gain, and fatigue showed bigger differences between premenstrual and menstrual phases, most other symptoms were reported similarly in both phases. ## What it means for you All symptoms around your period should be understood as one overall experience rather than as completely separate premenstrual and menstrual problems. The main limitation is that the study relied on women's recall of symptoms, which can be less accurate than daily tracking. 193 Women surveyed at least 30% Reporting menstrual distress 31 Symptoms with no cycle phase difference ## About the study Original title Toward a construct of perimenstrual distress Authors Woods NF, Most A, Dery GK Journal Research in nursing & health Year 1982 Study design Survey study Participants 193 What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1002/nur.4770050304](https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.4770050304) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Mood swings and emotion regulation](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-emotional-regulation/)[Fatigue and energy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-fatigue/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/) 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, 2025 Can a plant-based supplement reduce PMS symptoms? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Randomised trial, 2021 Does hypnotherapy reduce pain and emotional distress in women with PMDD? Randomised trial, 2020 Does progesterone therapy help premenstrual syndrome in women with PCOS? Randomised trial, 2018 Does swimming reduce premenstrual syndrome symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗