PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME SYMPTOMS (PMS) AND PREVALENCE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN

A cross - sectional study was designed to investigate the frequency of PMS, on 520 subjects selected from University of Karachi (mean age 20±1.94). The PMS and menstrual cycle data of individuals were collected from prism calendar and symptom - thermal chart for three consecutive cycles. Based on the observations, all subject s were grouped as control (208) and PMS patients ( 3 12). The frequency (60%) with symptoms include irritability (71.05%), fatigue (86.84%), and bowel constipation (36.76%) and loose bowel (17.65%), appetite up (42.65%), and appetite down (51.47%). Breast ten derness (67.65%), abdominal blotting (47.06%), aggressiveness (29.41%), depression (13.24%), and insomnia (14.71%), labile mood (5.88%), and anger (7.35%). Elevated irritability and breast tenderness were observed in age group (19 - 24 years) i.e. 92% and 82 % respectively with p