Test for premenstrual syndrome
What is a test for premenstrual syndrome?
Many diseases are diagnosed with standardized tests. There are many self-tests on the Internet for premenstrual syndrome, but they are not standardized. The tests can help assess your own symptoms and identify them as premenstrual syndrome.
Gynecologists usually use open questions and diagnose premenstrual syndrome on the basis of a detailed discussion and some laboratory values, which can be increased within the complaint period. Test procedures, both standardized and free, are always only guidelines and the evaluation of the tests can only really be carried out by the gynecologist.
Reasons for a test
Many symptoms of premenstrual syndrome are very unspecific. This means that these symptoms can also occur with many other diseases. If you suspect that the symptoms may be premenstrual syndrome, a test can confirm this suspicion or make it unlikely.
Many women with mild symptoms use these tests to get an explanation for their symptoms. In the event of severe complaints, those affected usually seek medical advice directly.
Read more on the topic: Premenstrual syndrome despite taking the pill
These tests are there
The tests for premenstrual syndrome can be divided into medical diagnostic procedures and self-tests. Obstetricians and gynecologists use a scheme to question those affected, which they have often put together themselves and tend to ask open-ended questions as this gives them a better overview of the woman's complaints.
In addition to the detailed discussion, laboratory tests are carried out. The inflammation parameters may be increased during the symptoms. A test to show the hormonal balance can also give the gynecologist information about the woman's state of health. The other group of tests for premenstrual syndrome are the self-tests, which can be found both online and in various magazines.
Examples of this are the questionnaires from Thieme, Lifeline, Bild der Frau and Bonasanit, but there are also many other offers on the Internet. These tests consist of five to 30 questions and these can be answered with yes or no. Typically, questions are asked about the various possible symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and the frequency of the symptoms. The probability of suffering from a premenstrual syndrome results from the point value.
You can find much more information on the site: These symptoms indicate premenstrual syndrome
This is how useful online tests are
There are a large number of online tests on the Internet that can help people diagnose premenstrual syndrome. These tests are usually questionnaires with yes and no questions. The point value determined from the yes answers gives the probability of suffering from the premenstrual syndrome. A problem with these tests is that they are not standardized and each website uses different diagnostic criteria.
So can on the one hand Yes and on another side No arise as a result. Furthermore, only certain symptoms are queried and not always all possible symptoms of a premenstrual syndrome. Some people affected also only suffer from a single symptom, but this can be very pronounced. These women get one on the online test No.
The questions and answers are completely uncommented and laypeople often do not have the opportunity to assess with certainty whether their symptoms match the questions asked. If the result is positive, online tests can also focus women completely on this diagnosis, so that other diseases may not be detected.
Self-tests should only be taken as an indication that a visit to the gynecologist might be useful. The exact diagnosis can only be made by a doctor, not the Internet.
