Each month, the storm would return—a wave of sadness and irritability, leaving me questioning myself. When I learned about PMDD, it was a relief to name the struggle. Through therapy, mindfulness, and small lifestyle changes I could possibly help my body recover but many women are unaware of this suffering and just assume it as part of a regular menstrual cycle.

Periods often come with a host of uncomfortable symptoms, including cramps, fatigue, and headaches. Yet, for many, the emotional toll can be even more challenging. Depression during periods, particularly tied to Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), can significantly impact day-to-day life.

While periods can bring discomfort, understanding the link between hormones, mood, and PMDD can empower you to take charge of your health. By seeking appropriate treatment and making healthy lifestyle changes, you can manage PMDD effectively and regain control over your emotional and physical well-being.

Link Between Hormones and Mood

Hormonal fluctuations are a natural part of the menstrual cycle, but they also play a critical role in mood regulation. Changes in estrogen, progesterone, dopamine, and serotonin levels can trigger mood shifts and symptoms of depression.

Pre-Ovulation: Dopamine and estrogen levels rise, often enhancing mood and cognitive abilities.

Post-Ovulation: A drop in these hormones, especially estrogen and serotonin, can lead to irritability, sadness, and even depressive episodes.

During Periods: Hormonal levels begin to stabilize, which may alleviate mood symptoms in some people, but not all.

While not everyone experiences depression during their cycle, those with heightened sensitivity to hormonal changes or genetic predispositions may be more prone to severe mood symptoms.

What Is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)?

PMDD is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that affects approximately 5% of women of childbearing age. It goes beyond typical PMS symptoms, causing debilitating emotional and physical challenges. PMDD can disrupt daily life, relationships, and overall well-being.

Symptoms of PMDD

PMDD symptoms typically occur a week or two before menstruation and resolve within a few days of the period starting. Common symptoms include:

- Persistent irritability or anger

- Feelings of sadness, despair, or thoughts of self-harm

- Anxiety or tension, often accompanied by panic attacks

- Mood swings and frequent crying spells

- Loss of interest in daily activities and relationships

- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

- Fatigue or low energy levels

- Food cravings or episodes of binge eating

- Trouble sleeping, including insomnia or hypersomnia

- Physical symptoms like cramps, bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, and muscle pain

What Causes PMDD?

While the exact cause of PMDD remains unclear, hormonal fluctuations are believed to play a pivotal role. Serotonin, a brain chemical that regulates mood, appetite, and sleep, undergoes changes throughout the menstrual cycle. Women with PMDD may have heightened sensitivity to these changes, bad mood and physical symptoms.

Diagnosing PMDD

PMDD diagnosis involves tracking symptoms over several menstrual cycles to identify patterns. A healthcare provider will typically review your medical history and conduct a physical examination. To meet the diagnostic criteria for PMDD, you must experience at least five symptoms, including one mood-related symptom, during the luteal phase of your cycle.

Treatment Options for PMDD

Managing PMDD often requires a combination of medical treatments and lifestyle adjustments. Here are some effective strategies:

Medical Interventions

1. Antidepressants

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as sertraline, fluoxetine, and paroxetine, are FDA-approved for PMDD. These medications help regulate serotonin levels in the brain, alleviating mood-related symptoms.

2. Birth Control Pills

Certain oral contraceptives containing drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol can stabilize hormonal fluctuations, reducing PMDD symptoms.

3. Pain Relievers

Over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin can ease physical discomfort, including cramps, headaches, and backaches.

Lifestyle Modifications

Engage in relaxation techniques, such as yoga, meditation, or spending time on enjoyable activities, to reduce tension.

Focus on a balanced diet, minimizing salty and sugary foods, which can worsen bloating and mood swings.

Physical activity helps release endorphins, improving mood and energy levels.

When to Seek Help

If PMDD symptoms significantly interfere with your life or you experience thoughts of self-harm, seeking medical help is crucial. Consult a healthcare professional to discuss treatment options tailored to your needs.

For immediate support in crisis situations, contact emergency services or a helpline like 911.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: The American Psychiatric Association.

Who doesn't love the sight of green buds forming on trees? Or lavender flowers blossoming everywhere? Springtime is always welcome when it arrives…but for a growing segment of people, allergies are a miserable side effect.

Seasonal allergies can occur because of the types of plants that are blooming and fertilising in a given area during a particular time of year. A person experiencing allergies may find themselves with a sniffling nose and watery, itchy eyes. But when is allergy season? And how should you prepare for those seasonal allergies hit?

Which Seasons Are Most Prone To Seasonal Allergies?

Naturally, the most common timeframe for seasonal allergies is during the 'pollen' months, meaning certain plants are pollinating to allow for fertilisation. While there isn't an exact month to pinpoint when seasonal allergies are worst, the most common months are these types of allergies are the worst, the most common months people will experience these types of alllergies are between March and September.

Which allergy you'll be hit with will depend on which pollen you are allergic to. So, that brings us to the question of the most common allergens. Pollen season looks different in different parts of the country. It largely depends on the plants that are native to your region. In the northern United States (US), for example, the three most common pollens are:

• tree pollen
• grass pollen
• weed pollen

Therefore, people allergic to tree pollen will experience symptoms from March through April. Those allergic to grass pollen experience symptoms from late May through July. People allergic to ragweed pollen experience symptoms in August and September.

Keep These Items In Your Toolkit To Battle Seasonal Health

Nasal sprays: While many allergy sufferers turn to antihistamines first, nasal sprays should be the primary daily treatment. Steroid nasal sprays reduce inflammation in the nasal passages, relieving congestion over time. However, they do not provide immediate relief and must be used consistently for several days or up to two weeks for full effectiveness.

Oral antihistamines: Antihistamines in liquid or pill form provide quick relief from seasonal allergy symptoms. For children with severe symptoms, combining antihistamines with a nasal spray can be even more effective. Non-sedating antihistamines such as cetirizine, levocetirizine, loratadine, and fexofenadine are preferred, as they start working within 30 minutes and offer relief for 24 hours. In contrast, diphenhydramine can cause drowsiness and lasts only six hours.

Eye drops: For itchy, watery eyes, allergy eye drops containing olopatadine can help prevent histamine release, the primary trigger for eye irritation. These drops are available in different concentrations, with higher doses recommended for children with severe symptoms. Natural tears and warm compresses can also provide soothing relief.

Beyond medications: If over-the-counter medications are not sufficient, allergy shots (immunotherapy) may be an option. While most health experts do not recommend allergy shots for children under five, school-age children and adolescents with persistent symptoms may benefit from desensitization therapy. Sublingual immunotherapy, approved for grass, weed, and dust mite allergies, offers another treatment alternative.

A new wave of tobacco products is rapidly gaining traction worldwide, but questions about their impact on health remain unanswered. Heated tobacco products, such as IQOS, Ploom, and glo, are being marketed as less harmful alternatives to traditional cigarettes. Unlike conventional cigarettes that burn tobacco, these devices heat it to produce a vapour rather than smoke.

Ben Taylor, an IT consultant and longtime smoker, was intrigued by IQOS, a pen-shaped electronic device developed by Philip Morris International (PMI). After struggling to switch to vaping, he found that heated tobacco products provided a closer experience to smoking without the unpleasant aftertaste of vaping. Taylor reported that his chronic cough vanished after switching, yet he remains uncertain about the potential long-term health effects.

Despite industry claims of reduced harm, health experts caution against accepting these products as safe alternatives. Epidemiologist Silvano Gallus, who has been monitoring the spread of heated tobacco in Italy, warns that they are often marketed to young adults through celebrity endorsements and influencer campaigns. PMI, Japan Tobacco International (JTI), and British American Tobacco (BAT) maintain that they target adult smokers, but concerns persist that heated tobacco products may serve as a gateway to smoking for non-smokers, particularly youth.

Research funded by tobacco companies suggests that heated tobacco emits fewer harmful compounds than cigarette smoke, yet independent studies reveal that these products still release dangerous toxins. For instance, chemical engineer Efthimios Zervas found that while some toxins were reduced, others, such as carbonyl methylglyoxal, were present in higher concentrations. Moreover, a 2024 study in Italy found that non-smokers who started using heated tobacco were 5.8 times more likely to transition to smoking cigarettes within six months.

Public health organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), have expressed concerns about the potential for dual use, where smokers use both cigarettes and heated tobacco products. WHO also noted that heated tobacco products are marketed as cost-effective alternatives, potentially undermining efforts to reduce tobacco use.

As heated tobacco devices return to the US market in 2025, experts emphasise the need for robust, independent research to assess long-term health effects. Until then, they advise consumers to remain cautious and consider quitting tobacco use entirely.

A common nighttime habit that many men overlook could potentially be a warning sign of prostate cancer, a deadly disease affecting approximately 55,000 men in the UK each year, according to Cancer Research UK. Prostate cancer primarily impacts the prostate gland, a small, walnut-sized organ that sits below the bladder and surrounds the urethra. Symptoms typically only emerge once the tumour has grown enough to exert pressure on the urethra, making early detection crucial.

Dr. Jiri Kubes, a radiation oncologist at the Proton Therapy Centre, while getting up to urinate during the night, known as nocturia, is a common occurrence as men age, sudden changes in urinary habits should not be ignored. "If you notice changes to your toilet habits, such as a new need to empty your bladder more often, then it’s always worth getting checked out," he advises.

Nocturia Itself Isn't A Cause Of Concern

Nocturia itself is not always a cause for concern, as it can be linked to various benign conditions, including benign prostate enlargement, a non-cancerous increase in the size of the prostate gland. However, Dr. Kubes emphasises that other symptoms, such as difficulty starting to pee, a weak urine flow, straining during urination, or feeling as if the bladder has not fully emptied, could indicate a more serious issue.

"The same goes for any other changes in urinary habits that are unusual for you," he notes. "It's always a good idea to discuss these changes with your doctor so they can investigate the cause and rule out something sinister." Men over the age of 50 are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer, particularly those with a family history of the disease or those from the Black community. Dr. Kubes urges men to be vigilant about any changes in their urinary patterns and to seek medical advice promptly.

While nocturia may simply be a part of ageing, persistent or worsening symptoms could be a signal that something more serious is at play. Early detection and intervention remain key to effective treatment and better outcomes for prostate cancer patients.

What Is Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that occurs when malignant cells form in the prostate gland, which is a walnut-sized gland in the male reproductive system. Prostate cancer treatment guidelines have shifted their path a bit in recent years, with many men opting for active surveillance rather than immediate treatment for slow-growing tumours. However, about 50% of men on "watchful waiting" will require further treatment within 5 years because of the tumour progression. This is what triggered many researchers to aim and identify whether dietary modifications, specifically increasing omega-3 fatty acids, could prolong this surveillance period and slow down the tumour progression.

Prostate cancer that's more advanced may cause signs and symptoms such as:

• Trouble urinating
• Decreased force in the stream of urine
• Blood in the urine
• Blood in the semen
• Bone pain
• Losing weight without trying
• Erectile dysfunction

Prostate cancer treatment and management vary based on the stage and severity of the disease. Early-stage cancer may be monitored through active surveillance, involving regular check-ups without immediate intervention. More advanced cases may require surgery to remove the prostate gland, radiation therapy to target cancer cells, or hormone therapy to reduce testosterone levels that fuel cancer growth. Chemotherapy and targeted drug therapies may also be employed in metastatic cases. Lifestyle modifications, such as a healthy diet, regular exercise, and stress management, can support overall health during treatment. Early detection and timely intervention significantly improve treatment outcomes.