Wednesday, March 27, 2024

What Causes Bloating During Period

Must read

Do You Suffer From Period Bloating Is It Something Serious

Easy standing Abs during menstruation, reduce bloating and abdominal cramping

As you near the time for your period to start, you dread that period bloating and all the complications that come from it.

  • Why do women experience bloating before, during and after their menstrual cycle?
  • What causes it and how can it be prevented?
  • If bloating cannot be prevented can it be treated or remedied?
  • Is there a point in the menstrual cycle that a woman might have bloating without a period?

Eight out of ten women on average suffer from bloat both before and at the beginning of their period.

Cook At Home More Often

Of course, not everyone has the time or ability to make home-cooked meals nightly. But when you can, try to make it a habit, as making your own meals can drastically decrease bloating.

People are often unaware of hidden salt in restaurant meals, as well as in processed foods, Dr. Streicher says. Of course, thats why restaurant meals taste so good, but if you do your own cooking you can make sure not to over-salt your food, which can make a huge difference as far as keeping bloating down.

Score A Little More Shut

Sleep is often impacted by the pain of menstruation, bloating, and feeling out of sorts, says Dr. Roy. Its during these crucial hours, though, that the excess fluid in your belly is able to move back into the body and be eliminated, she explains. So aim to get eight hours a nighthere are tips to help you drift off.

Read Also: Why Do You Get Diarrhea After Drinking

Sowhat Helps Pms Bloating

The good news: There are some seriously easy steps you can take to de-bloat during your period. Switching up the foods you eat, like swapping in more potassium-filled foods and nixing the caffeine for a few days, can do some serious remedying to your bloated belly.

You can also consider even simpler fixes, like getting more sleep or cooking at home more often. Just scroll though the options belowthere’s definitely a remedy in this list that will work for you.

Causes Of Bloating During Perimenopause And Menopause

Swelling before period: what causes it + how to reduce period bloating

Menopause symptoms can begin several years before you reach menopause. This time is known as perimenopause. Menopause is defined as the lack of a menstrual period for 12 concurrent months. This happens because your ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone. After menopause, you can no longer get pregnant.

Most women experience menopause in their early 50s, though you can go through it earlier or later. Once you havent experienced a period for 12 months, youre considered postmenopausal.

Bloating may occur more frequently in perimenopause than during menopause or postmenopause. During perimenopause, your hormones are changing rapidly. That can lead to higher levels of estrogen. Estrogen causes your body to retain water, which can lead to bloating.

Bloating isnt the only symptom experienced by women going through perimenopause and menopause. Fluctuating hormones can also lead to:

  • hot flashes
  • swallowed air
  • another health condition

Its likely that bloating after menopause is related to one of these factors rather than hormones. Thats because after you go through menopause, your hormones dont fluctuate as much as they did during perimenopause and menopause.

Recommended Reading: What Probiotics Are Good For Yeast Infections

How To Relieve Bloating

Although there are no proven one-size-fits-all remedies, implementing some lifestyle changes can possibly be the only option.

Good news though, 2-3 days after your periods your hormones revert to normalcy which causes the bloating to subside. But in the meantime, you can try out some anti-bloating remedies:

Eat right

Avoid eating large amounts of salt. Additionally, its important to avoid processed foods since they contain high amounts of salts and other unhealthy ingredients. Instead focus on consuming healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.

Sodium in salt increases the bodys water retention ability. According to American Heart Association, the recommended salt intake limit should be between 1500-2300 milligrams per day.

Hydrate

Drinking plenty of water on the days prior t your periods may help to enhance the bodys water retention ability by improving the functionality of a persons kidney.

Despite the lack of evidence denoting that drinking more water alleviates bloating, it hydrates the body which improves how a person generally feels.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol

Some experts assert that alcohol and caffeine in some cases contribute to period bloating as well as other premenstrual symptoms.

However, if its impossible to skip your daily dose of a caffeinated drink, do it! but replace it with a decaffeinated type, tea, juice or water.

Go for potassium and protein-rich foods

Incorporate physical exercise

Stay away from refined carbs

What Is Gas Pain During Your Period

Hormones wreak havoc on a womans system during menses. Progesterone is a hormone that slows down your digestive system, especially during the latter half of your period. Many women begin to bloat a few days before their period even begins.

During this already painful time, gas can build up in your digestive tract and cause you to hurt even more. This is incredibly common: nearly 55% of women report gastrointestinal pain during their period.

There isnt much you can to control the hormonal turmoil within your body, but there are several steps you can take to reduce the extra pain that is caused by gas.

You May Like: What Does The Word Microbiome Mean

How To Reduce Period Bloating

It may not be possible to eliminate symptoms entirely, but there are several research-backed remedies that can help you get rid of period bloating. All of them deal with what you put into your body.

  • Watch the salt Salt binds with water to create a balanced environment for your cells. Limiting your salt intake is a potential solution, just know that small studies have found mixed results for PMS bloating.
  • Boost your B6 Vitamin B6 is a period symptom superstar. We wrote a whole thing about it. Our conclusion: A vitamin B6 deficiency can cause dopamine levels in the kidneys to plummet. This causes the kidneys to pump out sodium, which in turn, causes water to accumulate throughout the body.
  • Eat a banana Humans should get at least 4,000 mg of potassium per day. One banana can deliver 10% to 15% of that daily need. Thats good news considering potassium keeps your bodys fluid levels in check. You can get your fill of potassium in more ways than a banana, but hey, I like bananas.
  • More magnesium We love nutrients here at De Lune, so we wrote a bunch of stuff about the powers of magnesium. One of our favorite studies showed that increased magnesium intake can reduce period bloating by your second cycle, but consistent dosing is key.
  • Research can point us in the right direction, but in the end, your period is personal. You may need to experiment before you find the right remedy.

    Tags

    What Causes Period Bloating

    Bloating during Period | How to Reduce Bloating during Periods? | MFine

    There are several causes of bloating, Dr. Alyssa Dweck, MD, tells Woman’s Day. First, progesterone the hormone produced in larger amounts from mid-cycle until menstruation affects intestinal motility, she says. In other words, a change in the amount of progesterone in the body can impact the way your intestines move waste through and out of your body, by either speeding the process up or slowing it down. If the intestines move faster or slower, symptoms may occur including gas, bloating, constipation, or loose stools,” Dweck explains.

    In addition to hormone changes that occur during menstruation, Dweck says that the lifestyle changes that typically coincide with one’s period can also cause bloating. You may find yourself craving saltier or sugarier foods around your period, for example, thanks to a spike in both estrogen and progesterone. While those foods are undoubtably comforting, they can also lead to bloating.

    You May Like: Is Kombucha Good For Diarrhea

    Bloating Before A Period Is A Common Pms Symptom

    The week before your period, you may experience breast tenderness and swelling.

    Symptoms such as bloating, swollen arms and legs, and bags under the eyes can also appear. Swelling and bloating are common symptoms of premenstrual syndrome that are caused by water retention.

    Whether other symptoms of PMS are present or not, water retention is common during this time.

    Changes In Levels Of Progesterone And Oestrogen Levels

    Period bloating may occur as a result of changes in levels of progesterone and oestrogen levels. The change in the balance of these sex hormones, which occurs about a week before your period starts, causes the body to retain more water and salt/ As a result of this, the bodys cells become swollen with water thereby giving you that feeling of being bloated.

    Don’t Miss: Can Leaky Gut Make You Smell

    Nix The Carbonated Or Sugary Drinks

    Chugging fizzy beverages might make you feel better temporarily, but theyll leave you way more bloated than before, says Dr. Smith. The same goes for sugary drinks like Gatorade. Dont let brands that use artificial sweeteners fool youthey too cause you to puff up, says Dr. Smith.

    Instead, rely on your good buddy water, and aim for eight glasses a day. Mix in some green, peppermint, or fennel tea to help eliminate inflammatory mediators, says Dr. Ross.

    How To Minimise And Manage Bloating

    Pin on Weight Loss

    Period bloating isnt a nice feeling, so even if you know its going to disappear after your period comes, you may want to try a few tricks to lessen the impact. While you cant always prevent bloating completely, there are some home remedies that can help:

    Do you experience bad bloating around your period? Wed love to know how you manage it. Share in our or drop us a note on Insta @itsyoppie. Don’t forget that our personalised period subscription box can get organic tampons delivered easily and regularly through your letterbox, which is one less worry to weigh you down.

    Read Also: How To Know If Baby Is Constipated

    Treatment And Prevention Of Bloating

    You can reduce bloating by making various lifestyle adjustments. These changes in behavior may also help you prevent bloating from occurring.

    • Change your diet: Avoid foods that cause bloating. These include fatty foods, vegetables known to cause extra gas, and dairy products. Also, skip overly processed foods, which have high levels of sugar and salt.
    • Exercise more frequently: Try to work out several times a week, and keep your activity varied from cardiovascular exercises to strength-building ones.
    • Skip chewing gum and carbonated beverages: These can fill up your stomach with air, leaving you with a bloated abdomen.
    • Avoid smoking and alcohol: These can increase bloating.
    • Drink plenty of water: You may experience bloating if you dont stay hydrated enough.

    There are other ways to prevent and treat bloating that involve over-the-counter and prescription medications:

    What Causes Bloating During Ovulation

    Ovulation is the release of one or more egg from a ruptured ovarian follicle from either the right or left ovary. Before and after ovulation occurs, there are different hormone changes that affect the way you feel.

    If you have a 28-day menstrual cycle, you are most likely to have ovulation on day 14. This means, just a week after the end of period, your ovary releases ovulation egg.

    Before this time, and just after period, your body estrogen begins to rise. Estrogen triggers water retention that causes you to feel bloating.

    Bloating before ovulation occurs because of the surge in estrogen, and during ovulation, you will experience symptoms too.

    Read Also: Does Plan B Cause Bloating

    Is Bloating A Sign Of Period Or Pregnancy

    Bloating could be a symptom of either PMS or early pregnancy. Bloating before and during a period is triggered by changes in the levels of estrogen and progesterone. Hormonal changes in early pregnancy also cause a feeling of bloating, similar to common symptoms just before the start of your period. Bloating in early pregnancy makes some people feel more snug than usual in their clothes.

    Why Does Period Bloating Happen In The First Place

    Can ovulation cause cramping, bloating, and an increased appetite?

    You can thank fluctuations in estrogen levels and a sharp drop in progesterone right before your period. “When estrogen levels are higher, our bodies tend to retain water,” says Meggie Smith, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist and reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellow at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.

    Related Story

    Progesterone, which is high in the latter half of your cycle, can make for a slower digestive tract, so to speak, which also may not help symptoms of bloating or fullness, she adds. Basically, it’s a bloating double-whammy.

    Bloating usually starts to kick in about one to two days before the start of a woman’s period, according to the Mayo Clinic. But some women experience symptoms up to five days beforehand, often interfering with normal activities. Period bloating will typically go away once you’ve been menstruating for a few days.

    Read Also: What Is A Good Probiotic

    How Do You Stop Bloating Before Your Period

    To help limit bloating before your period, you can try the following:

    • Avoid salty foods.
    • Eat potassium-rich foods.
    • Try natural diuretics .
    • Avoid refined carbohydrates. They can cause an increase in blood sugar levels, which further raises insulin levels and causes the kidneys to retain more sodium.
    • Exercise regularly.

    Your health care provider can provide further advice on other possible remedies for water retention, such as diuretics.

    Period Bloating: What It Is And How You Can Make It Stop

    It can be bad enough having a period every month many of us get a range of PMS or premenstrual syndrome symptoms like menstrual cramps, irritability and mood swings, but period bloating is another level of challenge: do we really have to go through that as well?

    If youre feeling bloated, youre not alone. According to Diana Bitner, M.D., an obstetrician-gynecologist based in Michigan, about 70 percent of women experience bloating as a PMS symptom too. Feeling bloated can make you very uncomfortable and also negatively affect your self-confidence it can make you feel like you’ve gained weight with a swollen stomach. However, the good news is that there are things you can do to help. You may want to try our WUKA High Waist, with a 45% stretch around your waist. Super comfortable, especially on those bloated days.

    We have our very own WUKA ambasaador who happened to be a doctor. Each month we ask her a question related to our blog and get an expertise opinion. So we asked Dr Larisa Corda one question that really bugged us. Is menstrual bloating same as pregnancy bloating? Her anwers is right at the bottom of this article…

    Also Check: How To Balance Gut Microbiome

    Artificial Sweeteners Cause Pcos Bloating

    Around 70% of women with PCOS suffer from high blood sugar and insulin levels. In an attempt to lower them, they avoid sugar and instead opt for artificial sweeteners. However, studies have found that artificial sweeteners like sorbitol and aspartame can cause bloating. The reason for this is because the body does not completely absorb them.

    Also, research shows artificial sweeteners such as saccharin and sucralose can alter the bacteria found in your gut. Which means they can cause an imbalance in your good and bad gut bacteria.

    To help reduce the bloat, hereâs what I recommend.

    Drink More Water

    Swap your diet drinks, which contain artificial sweeteners, for water.

    Also, drinking plenty of water can reduce any water you are retaining which may be causing your bloating. Because heres the thing, your body retains water when it is dehydrated. So, providing your body with plenty of water will prevent it from holding onto it.

    When To Seek Help With Ovulation Bloating

    Period bloating: Causes and remedies

    While bloating can be a normal luteal phase symptom during the menstrual cycle, if you experience bloating that lasts more than a few days you should probably see your doctor to verify that there is not something more serious behind your bloat. Sometimes, bloating during ovulation can be caused by medical conditions such as endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome , or an ovarian cyst. These should be ruled out by a doctor.

    Many women experience bloating during their menstrual cycle. It is usually not a cause for concern. If it becomes uncomfortable, start by trying a few dietary changes, exercising, and taking gas-reducing supplements. Should bloating last more than a few days or become very painful, however, it is best to see your doctor. Just remember you are not alone in facing this common symptom of ovulation.

    Medically Reviewed by Banafsheh Kashani, MD, FACOG

    Banafsheh Kashani, M.D., FACOG is a board-certified OB/GYN and specialist in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Eden Fertility Centers, and has been treatingcouples and individuals with infertility since 2014.

    Dr. Kashani has conducted extensive research in female reproduction, with a specific focus on the endometrium and implantation.

    Additionally, Dr. Kashani has authored papers in the areas of fertility preservation, and fertility in women with PCOS and Turners syndrome. She also was part of a large SART-CORS study evaluating the trend in frozen embryo transfers and success rates.

    Also Check: How Can Probiotics Help Me

    Take Less Of Caffeine And Alcohol

    If you want to avoid bloating, cut back on these two whenever youre getting close to your period. During your period alcohol can increase bloating and make other PMS symptoms worse, while coffee can over stimulate the digestive tract thereby irritating your bowels and also dehydrating you causing your body to retain water.

    Caffeine drains out magnesium from the body, which is one of the four key electrolytes the body needs. Take less caffeine, avoid stress and eat magnesium rich foods like leafy greens, dark chocolate and sunflower seeds to boost the amount of magnesium in your body. Note that menstrual cramps can be of the signs of low magnesium.

    More articles

    Popular Articles