Glossary

Here are definitions of medical terms related to premenstrual syndrome.

Aerobic exercise: Exercise in which the body's need for oxygen is increased. This is usually exercise for a sustained period of time in which the heart rate is mildly elevated.

Diuretic: A medicine that increases the body's removal of water.

Dysmenorrhea: Pain that occurs in the uterus and lower abdomen during a woman's period.

Estrogen: The major female hormone produced by the body which influences breast development, enables a mature egg to be released each month, and helps prepare the uterus for pregnancy.

Hormones: Chemicals that travel through the blood stream to deliver messages from one part of the body to another. Hormones are produced in specialized areas, such as the ovaries and thyroid glands, and signal other areas, such as the uterus and brain.

Menopause: The end of having menstrual periods. It occurs in most women between the ages of 45 and 55.

Menstrual: A word referring to the normal monthly cycle of women which results in a period each month. The one to two weeks before the period is called premenstrual.

Menstruation:The normal monthly cycle of women, this results in a period each month.

Neurotransmitters: Natural chemicals that nerve cells, especially in the brain, use to send messages to one another. These chemicals are involved in mood, thought, pain, and pleasure.

Peri-menopause: When the menstral cycle begins to become erratic and less frequent. Usually occurs in women anytime between the ages of 35 and 50.

Progesterone: A hormone made during the last two weeks of the menstrual cycle. It prepares the uterus for implantation of the egg.