As many as 80 per cent of Indian women in the reproductive age group experience physical and behavioural changes in the days leading up to their menstrual cycle, found a study published in the International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health in 2020. According to the research, about 80 per cent of women respondents reported mild degree of distress, 20-40 per cent reported a moderate degree of distress and in 10 per cent of women, distress was severe enough to impact the quality of life.

The International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, defines premenstrual syndrome or PMS as, “cyclical physical and behavioural symptoms that appear in days preceding menstruation and interfere with work or life style followed by a symptom free interval.”