Mood and menstrual cycle

According to Barbara L. Parry and Patricia Haynes, women have a significantly higher risk for developing mood disorders than men. Although reasons for this gender difference are not fully understood, it is clear that changing levels of reproductive hormones throughout women's life cycles can have direct or indirect effects on mood. Fluctuations in reproductive hormones may interactively affect neuroendocrine, neurotransmitter, and circadian systems.

Women behavior depends very much from concentration and proportions of hormones. Many women feel weak and unpredictable during the period. The most happy and stable period is usually before ovulation (5- 13 days of the menstrual cycle). Some girls and women feel the ovulation and they could have abdomen pain before and during ovulation (13-15 days of the cycle). The most problematic is the period before expecting menstruation (16-28 days of the cycle). Above mentioned days are calculated for most common duration of the menstrual cycle – 28 days.

It is well knows so called premenstrual syndrome (PMS) which includes several symptoms:

	acne ,
	breast swelling and tenderness,
	tiredness,
	troubled sleeping,
	upset stomach, bloating, or diarrhea,
	headache or backache,
	appetite changes,
	some muscle pain,
	troubles with concentrating and/or remembering,
	tension, irritability, mood swings, or crying spells,
	anxiety or depression.

Above mentioned symptoms vary from one person to another depending on hormones and woman sensitivity. If you are planning a romantic dinner or important meeting or travel – better make your own calculations in advance.