Women who experience PMS .

As women, our bodies go through a cycle every 28 days, during which the body's ultimate objective is to become pregnant. According to the laws of nature, our objective is to keep the human race moving forward. Unfortunately for many of us, moving forward is not part of the monthly plan. Premenstrual syndrome(PMS) is a collection of symptoms that negatively affect millions of women each month.

Check out these PMS facts for a real eye- opening look at this all too common phenomenon:

- 90% of all women experience some of the painful and uncomfortable symptoms of PMS

- 40% of women are affected by PMS to a degree that interferes with their daily lives.

- As many as eight out of 100 women experience a more severe form of PMS called premenstrual dysphoric disorder or PMDD

- Women who experience PMS have a wide range of different symptoms, making the condition difficult to treat medically.

- More than 1,000 medical conditions have been tied to PMS ranging from mood swings to anemia and pre- mature aging.

- PMS often causes depression in women with a family history of depression.

- Even women who experience no harmful, physical effects from PMS place a long- term, monthly strain on their bodies. PMS is hard on a woman's body month after month.

- PMS is more likely to occur in women between their late 20s and early 40s, though the symptoms can appear in women of any age who still get their periods each month.

This syndrome is more likely to occur in woman with at least one child, though again, the symptoms may appear in women of all childbearing ages including young teen girls.

Though difficult, sometimes painful and even debilitating for some women, PMS is common and simply a part of the nature and physiology of the female body.