How To Help Bloating During Period

Does Ovulation Cause Bloating

how to reduce bloating during period : do i need to workout from scratch after a bloating period

Ovulation is a time when your body is going through a lot of hormonal changes. One of those changes is an increase in estrogen levels. Usually, between days 11 and 14 of your cycle, you will experience a spike in estrogen, which can lead to mood swings, wreak havoc on your digestive tract, and causes headaches and other discomforts for some women.

The changes in your digestive tract make it common to experience increased water retention for several days. It can also cause slowed digestion and increased gas. All of this leads to the uncomfortable bloated feeling you experience at ovulation.

Ovulation can also cause you to gain weight. Water retention might mean that you see a higher number on the scale around ovulation, but never fear: your weight will return to normal shortly after you ovulate as your body gets rid of this excess water.

How Bloating Can Affect Sexual Intimacy

As mentioned before, being bloated is not a sexy feeling. Experiencing frequent bloating can affect someones desire to be intimate and their self-confidence. There is no reason to feel shame or low self-esteem from period bloating as its very common and will pass.

Also, someone whos bloated may feel physical discomfort, and sometimes even pain during or after sex. Communication with your sexual partner is the best way to navigate this situation. Whether you arent in the mood or are experiencing pain, it is important to let your sexual partner know how youre feeling. If you are not both feeling pleasure, then it simply isnt the right time.

Keep in mind, if you experience frequent discomfort or pain during sex, it is best to seek professional help if you are suffering from something more severe than temporary bloating.

Check Your Salt Intake

Having too much sodium in your system can cause your cells to hang on to more water, which can lead to puffiness. Sticking with a lower sodium diet, at least around your period, can go a long way toward keeping belly bloat at bay.

Make it a point to eat more whole, unprocessed foods like fresh fruits and veggies, which are naturally low in salt. Try to cut back on takeout or restaurant food and packaged or processed snacks, which tend to be salt bombs.

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Dont Skip Your Workout Routine

I get it: Working out is probably the last thing you feel like doing. But experts say getting your heart rate up is one of the best ways to alleviate PMS symptomsincluding bloat.

Bloating usually starts to kick in about one to two days before the start of a womans period.

People who live a more sedentary lifestyle tend to have more sluggish digestive systems, says Dr. Ross. Sweating it out can also help keep you stay regular and reduce constipation. Lighter workouts like swimming and yoga are your best bet, though high-intensity exercises may actually promote inflammation and, in turn, add to the bloat.

Signs And Symptoms Of Pregnancy Before A Missed Period

Ovarian Cyst Miracle

A pregnancy test is undoubtedly the most accurate way to assess if you are pregnant. However, experiencing a few common symptoms could reveal those first signs of pregnancy, much before a missed period. Here is a list of some early symptoms of pregnancy, which could help gauge if you are pregnant, prior to the agonizing wait to take the tests.

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Do Your Jeans Start To Feel A Bit Tighter In The Days Leading Up To Your Period Many Women Notice A Slight Fluctuation In Weight And Bloating Throughout Their Cycle

Period bloating and sometimes weight gain are unfortunately just other symptoms of PMS. This usually occurs just before you start your period and may extend a few days into it. But remember that around 70% of women experience bloating as a PMS symptom, so theres no need to panic as its just part of the natural cycle of the womb that many people tend to experience.1

Even though bloating may cause some discomfort, its important to realise that this physical change is temporary and tends to ease off during, or as soon as you start your period. In the meantime, read on to find out exactly why you may gain weight just before or during your period, along with some tips to help relieve and control bloating.

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.

Read Also: My Period Is 5 Days Late Am I Pregnant

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 “changes in levels of the sex hormones progesterone and oestrogen.”

“About a week before a woman’s 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 body’s cells become swollen with water, causing the feeling of bloating,” the medical site reads.

So now you know: you’re bloated on your period due to a mix of excess water and full bowels. Delightful.

How To Stop Menopause Bloating

How To Stop PERIOD BLOATING FAST | Relieve PERIOD CRAMPS NATURALLY

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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Is It Possible To Avoid Any Weight Gain During Your Cycle

Its important to note that weight gain and bloating from hormonal fluctuations cannot always be avoided. Natural body mass and weight changes are part of life, but they can be minimized with the above tips and methods. Also, if prevention is no longer your main concern because you’re already bloated, our experts recommend eating these seven foods to soothe the digestive issues and minimize symptoms.

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.

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Diagnosing Period Gas Pain

Anyone can develop abdominal pain from gas. Women can develop more gas during their period because of the hormonal changes and a tendency to eat gas-causing foods they might not usually eat to help them cope with the pain.

If your period gas pain is bad enough for you to see your doctor, they will inquire about your medical history and ask if it is normal for you to have gas pains during your period. They may conduct a physical examination of the abdominal area to locate where the gas is built up.

If necessary, the doctor may order some tests to find out why gas might be building up. Tests can include:

The doctor uses X-rays to look for signs of any blockages or other abnormalities that might be causing you to have gas pain.

Doctors perform a colonoscopy to look for signs of cancer, narrowing, polyps, tumors, or obstructions.

A sigmoidoscopy is a procedure that uses a light and a camera that is inserted through the anus to look at the lower colon area for inflammation, obstructions, sores, or anything else that is out of the ordinary.

Doctors use an upper GI series test to check your esophagus, stomach, and duodenum functions, which could cause digestive problems like excess gas.

What Is Period Bloating

What foods to eat and avoid during periods

Period bloating is one of the common PMS syndromes that occur around one to two weeks before your period starts and vanishes after a few days on your period. Period bloating is when a woman feels her abdomen is heavy and swollen just before and at the start of her period. When you get this it may make you feel like youve gained weight or feel that other parts of your body are swollen or tight. Although you might not be able to completely prevent or stop bloating, there are some things you can do to reduce it.

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Taking Supplements Or Medications

Take calcium and magnesium supplements.

Your diet should provide at least 1,200 mg of magnesium daily but if it does not provide you should take a supplement. Calcium, magnesium and potassium can help in reducing effects of bloating.

Foods that are high in calcium include:

  • Dairy products

Take contraceptives

Oral contraceptives can reduce period symptoms. You should first consult your physician for a prescription that suits your body.

Start Hormonal Birth Control

Birth control can stop period pain if cramps are caused by a hormone imbalance. Balancing your levels of estrogen and progesterone helps thin the uterine lining so it sheds more easily. Hormonal birth control also regulates the length and frequency of your period. Some forms of birth control can completely alleviate period cramps by stopping your period altogether. Talk to your OB-GYN about birth control options, including the pill, birth control shot or hormonal IUD. Then, youll be able to choose the type of birth control that works best for you.

If youve tried all the treatments on this list and still have painful periods, or you want to know up front which option will work best for you, talk to your primary care doctor or OB-GYN. At HealthPartners and Park Nicollet, our womens health doctors can prescribe stronger treatments for menstrual cramps. A little help from a doctor might be the best way to stop dreading your periods.

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How Does Bloating Feel

Abdominal bloating can feel like your belly is full, or even swollen. It can feel tight, hard to the touch, and can be rather painful. You might also pass wind more than usual, frequently burp, or experience belly gurgles. For some people this will quickly pass and it wont be an issue, while for others, it can interfere with daily life and cause them to avoid social situations. If this is the case for you, you should speak to your GP about it so they can provide possible remedies.

Period Bloating Causes And Symptoms

PMS and Bloating: Top 10 Remedies for Period Bloating!

Menstrual bloating is the stretching or swelling of the abdominal area during or before your menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle, as is it known to many, is the regular natural change that occurs in the female reproductive system that makes pregnancy possible. Period bloating leads to fluid retention which is often accompanied by gas, causing the sufferers tummy to feel tight and uncomfortable.

Some of the causes of menstrual bloating include:

Hormonal fluctuations

During the menstrual cycle, your hormone levels change, especially estrogen and progesterone. About a week before your period, progesterone levels fall causing your kidneys that are responsible for passing out fluids to release less of the hormone in your urine. This will therefore affect the digestive system leading to bloating.

Hereditary factors

If your mother or grandmother suffered bloating and other premenstrual symptoms during their tender ages the probability is therefore high for you to experience the same symptoms of bloating before or during your menstruation cycle.

Dietary changes

Some dietary factors before your periods for example too much intake of salt in your food or diet or intake of a diet heavy in processed and preserved foods with sodium, and junk foods contributes to water retention.

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Menstrual Bloating Remedies To Feel Better Fast

When bloating comes on strong and all you want to do is live in yoga pants and stay in bed, there are things you can do.

Here are four natural remedies to help you get back to your life, bloating be gone:

1. Make Some Diet Modifications: The power of nutrition is incredible, and with just a few dietary modifications prior to and during your period, you may be surprised at how much less bloated you feel. Here are some nutrition hacks to beat period bloating.

2. The Power of Plant-Based Healing: We cant downplay just how amazing Traditional Chinese Medicine and potent, healing herbs are for countless ailments and symptoms like period bloating. And Elix can help with your menstrual bloating. Our Cycle Balance formulas not only help balance hormones and help get to the root of all your symptoms, but the herbs in our formulas can help reduce the water retention that often leads to that uncomfortable bloated feelingso you can feel better, faster.

In need of a natural remedy right away? Try using a chasteberry tincture or sipping on some chasteberry tea. Studies have found this berry to be incredibly beneficial for easing PMS symptoms including water retention and even cravings.

Dandelion leaf tea can also be great for period bloating. It acts as a natural diuretic to help reduce some of that uncomfortable fluid retention while also giving the body a little extra potassium boost.

Know When to See a Doctor

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