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Lifestyle Home Remedies and Alternative Medicine for PMS

Many women who have been diagnosed with mild to moderate symptoms of PMS have decided to treat themselves using home remedies and alternative medicines instead of taking the chances with the side effects of pharmaceuticals. There are many natural ways to counteract the effects of the symptoms of PMS. Just be sure to see your doctor if your symptoms do not improve or if they worsen.

One thing that you can do at home is to modify your diet in order to lessen some of the symptoms of PMS. When modifying your diet make sure to eat smaller, but more frequent meals each day. Do this, will reduce the bloating and the unpleasant sensation of fullness. You should also limit your salt intake to avoid the bloating, fluid retention and resultant weight gain. When designing your meals, choose foods that are high in complex carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also, choose foods that contain calcium. If for any reason you are unable to digest dairy products you can get your calcium by taking supplements. Read all supplement labels and speak with your doctor concerning what supplements are right for you and what safe dosages are for you. Overusing supplements can harm you. You will also benefit from limiting your intake or avoiding all together alcohol and caffeine.

Exercise helps to relieve some symptoms of PMS because of the endorphins that are released when you exercise. Try walking, biking, swimming or doing aerobic activity at least 3 days out of the week. Regular exercise can improve your overall health, and reduce PMS symptoms like fatigue and depression.

It is important to reduce the stresses in your life because stress can aggravate symptoms of PMS. You can reduce stress by getting plenty of sleep, and by practicing muscle relaxation or deep-breathing exercises at home. These exercises can help by reducing headaches, and reducing anxiety and helping to improve the amount of sleep that you can get by falling to sleep easier. Yoga or getting a massage is two ways to help you to relax and relieve the stresses you feel.

Alternative medicines that may assist you in relieving your symptoms of PMS include taking supplements like calcium, magnesium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Herbal remedies, and by taking natural progesterone creams. Calcium helps to reduce the physical and psychological symptoms of PMS and can also reduce your risk for osteoporosis. Magnesium can help relieve fluid retention, breast tenderness and bloating. Vitamin E can help by reducing the production of prostaglandin's, which cause cramping and breast tenderness. Herbal remedies that women have been using for years to relieve PMS symptoms are black cohosh, ginger, dandelion, chasteberry, evening primrose oil and raspberry leaf. Be sure that you are getting your herbal remedies from a reputable company, as the FDA does not regulate herbal remedies. Natural progesterone creams are derived from wild yams and soybeans. These creams have been reported by women to help reduce signs and symptoms of PMS, but there are no scientific studies to prove this claim, yet.