Periods & Puberty: All You Need To Know

PMS/ Common Period Side Effects

    This chapter was requested to me by a few people in PM, so I decided to write about it for them. There are obviously several side effects of periods and PMS but I will start out with explaining what PMS is in general. If you don't know or haven't read my previous chapters, PMS stands for Pre Menstrual Syndrome. If you still don't know what that means then PMS means the things that happen before you get your period. This chapter most likely won't be very long. Anyways, lets get started.

   The most common PMS effect is cramps. Cramps feel like a stomach ache. except they are in your lower abdomen area and they are usually more intense. When you feel cramping it is your uterine lining detaching itself from your uterus. Cramps can happen two to three weeks before a period, and they can range from horribly painful to a dull throb that is barely there. Some people are lucky enough to not experience cramping, but not everyone's that lucky. They are pain medicines or hot pads that you can use to relieve some of your cramping. If you want a pain medicine then I suggest talking to your doctor.

     Another side effect of PMS is mood swings. Mood swings are when your hormones become unbalances and out of nowhere your mood entirely shifts. You can go from happy and laughing to yelling at your friend over tapping you on the shoulder. You can also go from upbeat and happy to suddenly bursting out into tears over the fact that your shirt has a small hole in it near the hem. Mood swings can come out of nowhere and usually change your mood entirely. You are usually more irritable and easily set off when you have a mood swing. If you go off on someone while having a mood swing and you hurt their feelings, then you should probably apologize to them and  explain that you were having a mood swing and meant nothing that you said. You are usually more moody and violent a few weeks before a period.

     Acne is another big issue of PMS. Some people have naturally amazing skin but most of us don't. While acne already is a problem during puberty it flares up especially a week or so before a period. Blackheads and whiteheads are both awful. The main areas for getting acne is in your T-Zone (your forehead and nose), on your cheeks and your chin, and on the side of your nose. There are plenty of different acne treatments but it really helps if you keep your hair out of your face so your face isn't as oily.

        When you are PMSing you also get really weird food cravings. You want food in general but sometimes the food can be really specific. For example, instead of just wanting ice cream you may want a grasshopper malt with whip cream, a maraschino cherry, and green sprinkles. You will mainly want food. Salty food, sweet food, savory food, junk food, healthy food, your favorite food, you might even want food you don't even like! But one think you will want is food, so I suggest food handy for those late night cravings.

           So yeah, that's it for this chapter! I did say it wasn't really going to be long so don't get angry with me. If you have any questions post them in the comments, on my page, or through PM.