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PMS linked to smoking

05:58 PM PST on Tuesday, December 2, 2008

By JEAN ENERSEN / KING 5 News

Video: PMS linked to smoking
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If you're a woman who smokes, you're upping your risk for PMS.

"Moodiness and just short tempered. You just have to take one day at a time," said Alma Lopez-Reyes, who suffers from PMS and used to be a social smoker.

Now there's proof that women between 27 and 44 who smoke are twice as likely to develop PMS.

"Most women who do smoke do start seeing irregularness in periods, which do cause a lot of those PMS type symptoms. Bloating, breast changes, irregular periods. And so it definitely seems to go hand in hand," said Dr. LeAnn Haddock.

The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology also finds the amount and how young women start smoking compounds those PMS symptoms.

“Hands down, don't smoke. Work hard to stop smoking, talk with your physician. There's a million ways to stop smoking, you may be able to prevent something, plus all the other risk factors," said Dr. Haddock.

Alma now works in the medical field and wouldn't dream of lighting up.  As for her PMS, she says there's not much she can do.

"Nothing, just time. I try to cope with it myself," she said.

The study also found that 20 percent of women have PMS symptoms severe enough to affect activities and personal relationships.

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