Vitamin And Mineral Supplements
Several vitamin and mineral supplements are available to ensure healthy period. This is mainly for those whose body fails to absorb the essential nutrients from the foods the body consumes. Increased intake of calcium is also essential to have regular menstrual cycle. These should be taken after detecting the prime cause of bloating to prevent complications.
How Long Does Period Bloating Last
Period bloating appears 12 weeks or a couple of days before your period and can last anywhere from 5 to 10 days. This is because everyone is different, depending on how their progesterone and estrogen hormone levels rise and fall.
Period bloating should stop during your period or after a few days. This is because the first day of your period is thought to be the day when your hormones start to revert to their normal levels.
Three Period Bloating Remedies Youll Want To Try:
1. High fibre, low sugar.
Preventing constipation, reducing diarrhea, and supporting the digestive system during your period is one sure way to reduce symptoms associated with PMS. Fibre keeps everything moving as it should, reducing the inflammatory processes that may arise within the digestive tract during your period. Sugar is an inflammatory food and can aggravate your bloating and gas during your period. It not only causes acute inflammation, but may lead to widespread systemic inflammation, which affects your entire body and health. Itâs a substance best avoided.
Instead of sugary treats, eat whole foods such as fruit – in moderation – to help with cravings, along with providing nutrients and fibre.
2. Use natural diuretics.
Because bloating and gas during your period may also be caused by an increase in salt and water retention , itâs best to support the body in its fluid balance . Natural diuretics such as dandelion, burdock root and green tea may ease the symptoms. Dandelion greens can be added to food, or tea can be consumed throughout your period as a soothing period bloating remedy. Ginger, garlic, cucumber and asparagus may also help.
3. Move more.
Extreme bloating during your period doesnât have to reduce your quality of life at the same time each month. Try these three period bloating remedies or speak to your doctor about determining the severity of your hormonal imbalances, to determine whether more intense treatments are required in your case.
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Don’t Suddenly Overdo It On The Fiber
If you’re feeling bloated, it might seem like a good idea to load up on as many fruits and veggies as you can to get your system movin’but that tactic might backfire.
It’s certainly good to have a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet, but if you suddenly begin eating them in mass quantities during your period, you may experience increased bloating simply because your body isnt used to the fiber, says Sara Twogood, MD, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.
Bloating Is Very Common During Periods Here Are Top 7 Ways To Manage Period Bloating Easily At Home
Written by Satata Karmakar | Updated : June 12, 2022 12:09 PM IST
Do you often feel bloated while on periods? well, this is a very common problem, which requires immediate solution. And why not? bloating can be one of the worst thing to experience or manage when it comes to period days. It can be annoying and uncomfortable, and those cramps that comes with it can be another enemy all together. But what if we tell you that there are some effective and easy solutions that you can try, in order to get rid of the bloating problem during periods.
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What Causes Period Pain
There can be many reasons for period pain, and if you experience chronic painful periods, its only natural to wonder why. Maybe youre the only woman in your family who gets severe cramps. Maybe your painful periods didnt start until your 20s. Whatever your situation, a doctor can help you understand why you get painful cramps every month. Some of the most common causes of painful periods are:
Is It Bloat Or Weight Gain
During perimenopause and menopause, you may be unsure whether youre experiencing bloating or gaining weight. Hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause may cause your body to gain weight more quickly than usual, particularly in your stomach area. This isnt just a sign of menopause. You may also be gaining weight because of aging, lifestyle behaviors, and family history.
Bloating should occur for just a short period of time, likely around the time of your menstrual cycle if youre in perimenopause or any time after you eat a large amount of food, eat very quickly, or eat foods that trigger bloating. Your stomach will protrude and change throughout the day with bloating. Your abdomen wont fluctuate in size throughout the day if youre experiencing weight gain.
Weight gain is a symptom of menopause, and you can adopt certain lifestyle changes to help avoid extra pounds. Eating a well-balanced diet low in salt and sugar, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly will help with weight gain, as well as bloat. Gaining weight puts you at risk for developing health conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
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Tips For Managing Period Bloating
Reduce salty foods
Salt makes your body retain water. Lowering sodium intake can be beneficial to reducing bloating and gas before periods. Eat more fresh foods and use other spices and herbs in place of salt.
Stay hydrated
Drink tons of water! H-2-O flushes the salt out of your body and assists in period bloating relief.
Move your body
Yoga and other gentle exercises can help reduce gas by moving around the abdominal muscles in certain ways. Meditative movement is also relaxing and helpful for de-stressing.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine
Caffeine and alcohol can exacerbate period bloating. In addition to being dehydrating, both stimulants can also create inflammation, causing bloating leading up to menses.
Take a bath
A warm bath will not only be relaxing but help relieve a bloated stomach before or during periods. Adding some essential oils and Epsom salts may also aid in relaxing the abdominal muscles.
Consider essential oils
Some research suggests that intaking a supplement of fennel and curcumin essential oils can help relieve bloating and abdominal discomfort. However, if you go with this option, make sure to discuss your choice and dosage with a doctor.
Abdominal massage
*You can gently rub starting with hands under the ribcage and massage in a small circular motion moving slowly around the abdomen towards the pelvic floor.
So long as your symptoms occur around your period, you can assume that the bloating is due to hormonal changes and will come and go naturally.
When To See A Healthcare Provider
If period bloating has become so severe that lifestyle changes do not help and you are unable to keep up with your daily activities, talk with your healthcare provider or gynecologist. They will likely ask you to keep a symptom diary to understand when the bloating starts and what helps it.
Your healthcare provider may recommend taking diuretic medication around your period to relieve water retention and bloating. Its important to note that diuretics should never be taken with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs because of the risk of kidney damage.
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Avoid Junk Food And Sugary Drinks
Junk food and anything that has been fried can take a long time to break down in your stomach, causing bloating. Sugary drinks and refined carbohydrates can cause an increase in blood sugar levels. This raises blood insulin levels, which leads the kidneys to retain more salt.
Higher salt levels may result in more water retention. If you want to minimize bloating and water retention during your period, it is best to avoid junk food and sugary drinks.
Limit Caffeine And Alcohol
While commonly used and accepted in our society, we dont often talk about how tough both caffeine and alcohol can be on our digestive system. Ever been hungover in bed with terrible acid reflux or GI distress? Its pretty common due to the fact that both of these substances cause increased acid production in the stomach and gut. This can lead to temporary inflammation and swelling. It can also add to your baseline increased ability to bloat from hormones. Consider laying off these treats the week before you bleed.
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Avoid Rapid Weight Gain
Rapid weight gain is linked to bloating for several reasons.
First, a buildup of fat in your stomach area may constrain your bowels, increasing tension and contributing to bloating. Additionally, fat may have inflammatory effects, contributing to hypersensitivity in your gut .
Finally, unwanted weight gain may cause you to focus attention on your stomach area, which may increase your perception of bloating .
If you have overweight or obesity and are experiencing bloating, trying some healthy strategies for weight loss such as exercise and limiting portion sizes may be beneficial.
Summary
Rapid weight gain may contribute to bloating by increasing bowel tension, inflammation, and mental focus on your stomach area. Conversely, weight loss may help reduce these effects.
What Is Period Bloating
In general, bloating is when ones belly feels full and tight. Having said that, anyone can experience bloating. But generally when one is experiencing, or about to experience, that time of the month, period bloating is a big annoyance and sometimes, a concern. Period bloating is a symptom of PMS , and often invites a slew of other uncomfortable side effects along with it. Physical symptoms such as stomach cramps, headaches, food cravings, swollen breasts, and backache are common, yes, but there are also mental side effects of period bloating such as having lower self-confidence, mood swings, and feeling a lower sense of wellbeing.
And actually, up to 85 percent of women experience PMS symptoms, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. These arent lovely odds, are they? So instead of simply chalking it up to one of the irritations of being of the fairer sex, why not try to make life a lot easier and more manageable? Lets explore ways to ease symptoms of PMS, especially of period bloating, shall we?
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Say So Long To Stress
Women with higher perceived levels of stress are more likely to have disruptive PMS symptoms, bloating included. Finding ways to relax and unwind can help tame the tension, and as a result, stave off some puffiness.
Start hitting up yoga more often, carve out time for meditation or journaling, schedule a massage, or get in the habit of sniffing some calming essential oils. If it helps you feel more chill, it works.
Get Some Form Of Exercise At Least For Half An Hour In A Day
Exercise is the answer to almost all our ailments. Its no different when it comes to acidity, and we tell you exactly how. Lack of exercise leads to excessive deposition of fats, especially in the abdominal area. Excess abdominal fat pushes stomach acids up into the oesophagus which can further lead to frequent heartburns. Do those crunches and runs regularly to prevent acidity and shed those extra pounds.
Written by Liz Brown
Menopause bloating can be painful and uncomfortable. Learn how to stop menopause bloating and find quick relief!
Every woman will go through menopause at some point in her life. For some, entering menopause can feel like a sigh of reliefno more PMS, no more menstrual cycle, and no more birth control! Freedom! For others, entering menopause is no cause for celebration because they know what awaitshot flashes , mood swings , night sweats , and even a decreased libido!
The symptoms of menopause can be a huge pain in the ovaries and can be really uncomfortable for a lot of women. If youre currently going through menopause and are experiencing some not-so-thrilling symptoms, like menopause bloating, there are some natural menopause bloating remedies to help you find quick relief. But first, lets take a look at the connection between menopause and bloating so we can fully understand what causes it in the first place.
Heres what well cover about menopause bloating:
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The Actual Cause Of Feeling Bloated Is The Digestive System And Not Your Reproductive System
According to Dr Penelope Law, a consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist at the private Portland Hospital, the uterus contracts in a very subtle manner every day. As you get closer to your period, these mild contractions, which usually happen at the upper end of your uterus, gradually move down to the cervix with an increased frequency of about every 40 minutes. This becomes more intense by the time you get to your period and can be responsible for the pains some women experience during their period. Although period bloating is linked to these contractions, Dr Law explains that the actual cause of feeling bloated is the digestive system and not your reproductive system.
During your period, the bowel becomes slow as the increased contractions of the uterus slow down the speed of food through the bowel . This process creates the swollen feeling many women experience during their periods and this can also be linked to constipation during menstruation.
Use Cucumber To Magically Wipe Away Your Bloat
In the beauty world, cucumbers are often used to help reduce puffiness around your eyes. They do the same thing for your belly when consumed, thanks to a synergistic combination of nutrients, including caffeic acid , vitamin C, silica, and water.
Some nutrients are found in the skin, while others are in the flesh. To get the full benefits, its important to consume both parts. Consider slowly snacking on fresh cucumber slices. Cucumbers can also be juiced or added to smoothies.
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When Does Bloating Happen
Most people who menstruate can experience bloating one or two days before their period begins. For some, it starts as much as five days before, and can affect everyday activities. One study done in 2011 found that people whose bodies retained the most water experienced worse bloating on the first day of their period. Once you start your period, bloating tends to dissipate and you may find some relief.
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Tips For How To Reduce Period Bloating
Most women have experienced discomforts during their period. The symptoms may vary, and the most common one is feeling bloated. Hormonal changes of this stage can cause increased water retention, leading to the bloating feeling. Usually women report a weight increment of two to four pounds during period caused by water retention. There are something that you can do to help reduce period bloating.
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When Is Period Bloating A Sign Of Something More Serious
Symptoms of bloating should be short-lived, lasting only a few days, Dweck says. They usually resolve with onset of flow. But there are moments when bloating may warrant a trip to a doctor, especially if your symptoms are starting to interfere with your day-to-day activities.
Certain ovarian and gastrointestinal conditions can present with persistent bloating, and this should be evaluated by your doctor, Patrusky explains. And while these issues can be serious, Dweck says it’s best to avoid falling down a Google hole of anxiety, especially if you think your bloating symptoms are a sign of a potentially grave health issues.
Dr. Google will surely scare many readers about bloating and ovarian cancer, she explains. Ovarian cancer is rare, but difficult to diagnose early, and is often associated with vague GI symptoms. She does say, though, that any persistent, worsening or increased severity in bloating warrants a trip to your doctor. This also applies to PMS or menstrual bloating that doesnt resolve cyclically, Dweck says.
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Is It Just My Totm Causing My Bloating
Of course, there may be other contributing factors to the cause of bloating on your period, like water retention. As explained on Medical News Today, this is linked to âchanges in levels of the sex hormones progesterone and oestrogen.â
âAbout a week before a womanâs period starts, levels of the hormone progesterone fall. Research suggests that changes in progesterone and oestrogen levels cause the body to retain more water and salt. The bodyâs cells become swollen with water, causing the feeling of bloating,â the medical site reads.
So now you know: youâre bloated on your period due to a mix of excess water and full bowels. Delightful.
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Do You Suffer From Period Bloating
As many women approach the start of their period, they dread period bloating and all the other concerns that arise from this. It is estimated that eight out of ten women suffer from bloating before and at the beginning of their period.
The menstrual period may be natural however there is nothing normal in having to put up with the uncomfortable symptoms of period bloating. Your clothes may feel too tight, your appetite might be reduced and some women may even choose not to go out during this time.
What causes period bloating?
Bloating during a womans menstrual cycle is a relatively common occurrence but why does it happen? Period bloating is actually fluid retention and results in the feelings of being overly full or having a swollen waist. It is not a serious concern but an annoying one.
Bloating usually occurs at the premenstrual stage as a symptom of Premenstrual Syndrome. During a menstrual cycle, there is a major fluctuation between the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. It is the relative levels of these hormones and the difference in levels of the two hormones that cause different symptoms in different women before and during a period. Women actually gain pounds of water due to the ability of oestrogen to cause fluid retention.
Most often by the third day of a period, the water retention begins to diminish and the symptoms ease. When oestrogen levels rise bloating increases and when oestrogen levels fall, bloating decreases.