Premenstrual symptoms warn you that the period is about to arrive in a few days. About a week before, although it depends on each woman, these changes appear every month as if it were an alarm to remind you of what is to come. 
The discomforts are diverse, but we should not normalize intense pain as something habitual. Whenever you have a lot of pain, it is highly recommended to consult specialists, as they will be the ones who can best help you depending on your case, your lifestyle and, ultimately, your body.
How can you know if your period is going to come down soon? What signs tell you that the period is coming? In this article we tell you what are the 10 most unmistakable symptoms that your period is going to come so that you know your body and, above all, to know if everything is fine or you should have a check-up. Let’s see it!
How to know if your period is coming soon: most common symptoms
To rule out any pathology or pregnancy, it is very necessary to know your body. Listening to what they have to tell you will be very useful to discover when your period is due, when you are late or if you have to see a specialist for any reason. Thanks to the knowledge of the symptoms that we are going to tell you about below, it will be much easier for you to anticipate your period.
- Swelling of the breasts
A few days before (around seven or ten days before) there is an increase in fluid in the breast area due to the effect of progesterone. This causes the breasts to swell, slightly increasing their size. They can become sensitive to the touch and also harden.
- Acne breakout
Hormonal changes are to blame for the appearance of acne, those pimples that we want to hide so much every time they appear. They usually appear in the forehead, chin or nose area. This acne is usually very common in adolescents, but also in women of adulthood. Female hormones usually protect us from them, but we are very confused when we think that the use of contraceptives increases them.
- Fluid retention
As in the breasts, the increase in progesterone causes fluid retention. Normally, before the arrival of menstruation, you feel more swollen, especially in the lower abdomen, due to this fluid retention.
- Bad mood
Before the arrival of the period, the drop in female hormones can make us more aggressive. Mood swings before menstruation are quite common, and it is very normal to feel a little angrier, irritable or even more sensitive.
- Increased appetite
Generally, the increase in appetite is usually accompanied by small cravings, such as sweets. The urge to eat sweet foods can be a great sign to know that your period is about to come. Of course, you must control your cravings to eat so much sweet (or whatever you crave) during these days and continue taking care of your diet.
- Fatigue
Fatigue is another of the most common states that many people go through. You can feel like the body is more exhausted or more off. Also, the ability to concentrate in the days before the period may change or not be the same.
- Gastrointestinal discomfort
Digestive symptoms or intestinal problems are also very important before your period comes, they can even last several days after the period begins. There are many women who can suffer from stomach aches, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, gas, constipation and even nausea or vomiting.
- Insomnia
Sleeping difficulties affect many women when their period is about to come. Despite being more tired than usual, as we said a few lines above, they do not rest well for several nights, which can increase that tiredness, that irritability or those mood swings that we talked about before.
- Emotional changes
Premenstrual syndrome is also accompanied by other emotional changes, in addition to bad mood. Crying, depression, anxiety… it may be that a kind of roller coaster of emotions appears in which you can feel much sadder than usual. This usually happens because of changes in estrogen and progesterone levels.
- Headache
The headache is also due to the drop in the estrogen level. This decrease in hormones can cause this discomfort in the head and feel physically worse.
Rule out a pregnancy: signs that you are expecting a baby
When a couple wants with all their might to conceive a baby, it can be essential to learn to distinguish if what the potential mother is suffering from are the first symptoms of pregnancy or premenstrual syndrome, that is, the signs that the period is going to make its appearance in a short period of time.
And the same happens if it is an unwanted pregnancy. If you are very nervous because you are afraid of getting pregnant and there is a possibility, knowing how to differentiate the symptoms can help you relax a lot. Remember that the more nervous you are, the later your period can come down.
To distinguish pregnancy from premenstrual syndrome there are some signs to which you should pay special attention. At the beginning of pregnancy, some women experience discomfort and changes in their bodies that are very similar to those experienced during the days before menstruation arrives. That is why it is sometimes so difficult to differentiate one situation from another. And, for this reason, when in doubt, it is recommended to go to a specialist or gynecologist because they will be the one who can best help you.
- Some of the early symptoms of pregnancy also include irritability, insomnia, general tiredness, lack of appetite, a feeling of heaviness, bloating in the stomach, gas and abdominal pain. If you suspect that you may be pregnant and that it is not a premenstrual syndrome, take a pregnancy test or see your doctor or gynecologist.
- The famous nausea and vomiting, that symptom that can appear before menstruation and at the beginning of pregnancy, is something that worries women who want (or not) a baby a lot. Most commonly, morning sickness appears much later, after week 6.
- One of the most unmistakable pregnancy symptoms is olfactory hypersensitivity. It is very likely that even your favorite cologne and even that of your partner, which you used to love, now you end up hating it.
- Another peculiarity that can occur during the first weeks of pregnancy is the so-called ‘discomfort below’. This is so because there are a series of ligaments at the uterine level that stretch and produce that feeling of discomfort, causing this slight abdominal pain.
- In any case, the most obvious symptom of pregnancy is the lack of menstruation. It is possible that your period may be a little delayed a month for whatever reason, however, the ideal is to take a pregnancy test to clear up any doubts. And, above all, be very calm.
