Got It But When Should You See A Doctor
Yes, period bloat is super normal, but if it doesnt seem to cycle with your cycle , or the bloating and your other PMS symptoms are really bothering you, talk to your ob-gyn.
Your doc may suggest keeping a symptom diary, according to the Mayo Clinic. This will help you keep track of your bloating and give your MD useful data to help determine next steps.
Do You Suffer From Period Bloating Is It Something Serious
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.
Causes Of Menstrual And Pms Bloating:
Bloating during a womans menstrual cycle is a fairly common occurrence, but why and when does it happen? When does bloating go away after period?
There are multiple stages in a womans cycle and they are:
Bloating normally occurs in the pre menstrual or pms stage, follicular and period stages. What is called period bloating is actually fluid retention and results in a feeling of being overly full or being swollen around the waist area. It is quite often very uncomfortable, annoying and bothersome.
It is not the same as menstrual cramping nor is it responsible for other menstrual symptoms such as mood swings, fatigue, back pain, or headaches. Bloating is not a serious condition but rather a very irritating one that every woman wants to stop having. Bloating most often occurs during the pre-menstrual stage as a symptom of Pre Menstrual Syndrome.
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How To Get Rid Of Period Bloating
If youre feeling puffy and bloated, foods that contain potassium, like bananas and dark leafy greens, may help reduce water retention. They do this by counteracting high levels of sodium in the body.
Consuming lots of salty foods can make water retention worse.
Reducing the intake of refined sugars is also an important step for reducing period bloating. High-sugar foods encourage the pancreas to release a hormone called insulin, which can lead to water retention and bloating.
We Should Drink About 12 Litres Of Fluid Every Day To Stop Us Getting Dehydrated
Staying hydrated is often recommended to reduce menstrual bloating. Some people believe that one of the ways to reduce bloating is to drink lots of water, as it may improve kidney function. Start drinking water especially on the days leading up to your menstrual period. The amount of water to be taken daily varies from person to person as well as environment and personal health factors. The NHS recommends that in climates such as the UK’s, we should drink about 1.2 litres of fluid every day to stop us getting dehydrated. Take a water bottle with you all the time
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How To Minimise And Manage Bloating
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 . 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.
What Causes Bloating And Gas Before Period
A womans reproductive system is made up of the uterus, fallopian tubes and your varies. This system ensures that you have a regular menstruation, and also, it is controlled by plenty of hormones.
After the end of menstrual period, your body spontaneously increases the production of estrogen hormone. Estrogen hormone is the most prominent hormone after your period ends and will stay high till few days before ovulation occurs.
After ovulation , your body starts producing progesterone at higher levels. This hormone changes your body, including your breast, vaginal discharge, and your intestines
At your breast, it enlarges breast tissues and causes your beast to swell up. At your vagina, it causes your discharge to look and feel sticky.
One more effect of progesterone is in your gut . Your small and large intestines are an integral part of your digestive system. Their work is to convert food into energy and push out waste product through the other end .
Following ovulation, and because of raised levels of progesterone, the motility of your gut become much lower, resulting in constipation. In such a circumstance, it allows gas to accumulate in your intestine, resulting in abdominal bloating and gas before period.
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How Common Is Stomach Bloating
Between 10% and 25% of otherwise healthy people complain of occasional abdominal bloating. As many as 75% describe their symptoms as moderate to severe. About 10% say they experience it regularly. Among those diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome , it may be as much as 90%. Up to 75% of women experience bloating before and during their period. Only 50% of people who experience bloating also report a distended abdomen.
What Are Signs Of Period Coming Discharge
Vaginal discharge before period is thick white discharge.
During your menstrual cycle, your vaginal discharge may change from time to time. At the beginning of your cycle, after menstruation ends, vaginal discharge is thick white. Some women may experience vaginal dryness just after period ends.
At the middle of your cycle or just before ovulation occurs, vaginal discharge becomes stretchy and egg white. After ovulation occurs and before your period, vaginal discharge is thick white again.
Changes in vaginal discharge are due to hormone changes during menstrual cycles. Thick white discharge is a sign your period is coming. It occurs due to low levels of progesterone and estrogen.
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Exactly What Is Period Bloating
Period bloating, also known as stomach swelling, is one of the most common symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome and it is reported that period bloating can affect up to 75 percent of the menstruating population. In the week before your period starts and the first few days after the onset of menstruation, bloating is usually at its worst.
Along with period bloating, symptoms of PMS often include tiredness, stomach cramps, backache, aching vaginal area, diarrhoea, constipation, migraine, nausea, trapped wind… and the list goes on! We have a lot to deal with!
Whilst most of us, if not all, regularly experience some of these common symptoms of PMS including bloating, periods can also impact your mental wellbeing as well. Symptoms like period bloating can also impact peoples’ confidence as the stomach swelling can be visible through clothes and regular clothes may also feel uncomfortable.
It’s not all bad though, there are things you can do to reduce period bloating and the way it makes you feel! Read on for further expert tips and tricks.
Is This Cause For Concern
There are a number of reasons why you could be constipated, and one of them is your changing hormones.
You may find that youre constipated before some periods and not others. Either way, its completely normal to have this and other digestive issues before or after your period.
Read on to find out why you may get constipated before your period, ways to find relief, and when to see a doctor.
Your menstrual cycle is the result of continued adjustments in your bodys estrogen and progesterone levels.
Not only do these hormones affect when you ovulate, they can also impact your digestive habits.
Some experts think that an increase in progesterone can lead to constipation. This usually occurs when you ovulate or a few days after.
Other experts think higher estrogen levels may lead to constipation. For example, researchers in one 2013 study studied the effects of estrogen and progesterone on female and male mice to determine if the hormones caused constipation.
At the studys end, the researchers didnt observe an impact on bowel movements from progesterone. However, they found that higher levels of estrogen slowed intestinal movement and caused constipation. Its important to note that this was an animal study. More research in humans is needed to determine if estrogen is a factor in constipation.
Regardless of the hormone that causes period-related constipation, most people find their symptoms get better after they start their period and these hormone levels start to go down.
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When Should I Be Worried About Abdominal Bloating
See your healthcare provider if your bloated stomach:
- Gets progressively worse.
- Persists for more than a week.
- Is persistently painful.
- Comes with symptoms of illness, such as fever, vomiting or bleeding.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
A bloated stomach is not a pleasant feeling. While its a common experience and usually temporary, you may become weary of the cycle. Spending a little focused attention on the problem to identify the cause can be well worthwhile. Try recording your symptoms and possible triggers in a journal. Note diet, hormonal and stress factors. When in doubt bring your notes to a specialist for professional guidance. The different factors that contribute to bloating can be complex and difficult to parse, but medical testing can help. As always, seek medical attention if your symptoms are persistent or severe.
How Nutrition Affects Bloating After Period
What we eat affects our digestive tube. This is the location where bloating occurs. Therefore, you need to put 2 and 2 together and acknowledge its source. Some people concentrate by mistake on yoga positions and other types of exercises when they experience this PMS sign however, this is somehow foolish.
Bloating means nothing else than the fact that there`s an excess of air in your abdomen that needs to get out. All the exercises and yoga positions in the world won`t get that air out.
Therefore, it needs to come out as gas evacuated from your body or you need to eat something which will absorb this gas. No magical yoga position will do that, and there is no real evidence of any kind of mechanism that this will happen with any physical exercise out there. All this is just a myth!
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Keep Up Your Regular Exercises
Even though it`s perhaps the very last thing you want to do, specialists claim that getting the heart rate up is among the best methods of reliving PMS signs, bloating included. People who have a sedentary lifestyle have a tendency of having slower digestive systems. Sweating it out can reduce constipation and aid you feel active.
Bring Up A Diuretic To Your Doc
Lauren Streicher, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, sometimes prescribes her patients a mild diuretic to help with bloating.
Its one thing to gain a little weight or be bloated, but some women also get really significant breast tenderness because of the water retention and a mild diuretic can be very helpful with that,” she says. “Its definitely not harmful.
There are also natural diuretics that you may already be consuming on a regular basis, such as caffeine, Dr. Streicher says. Of course, some people dont do well with caffeine, so I will always tell patients to also drink plenty of water and to restrict never fluid, she says.
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Our Top Tips For Reducing Period Bloating:
Make a change to your diet
In the week leading up to menstruation, it can be useful to introduce some friendly foods and start cutting out possible trigger foods.
Whilst you might have cravings for treats and sugar foods during your period, staying away from these could help to reduce bloating. Processed foods like cakes, crisps and chocolate might feel good in the moment but they are very possibly the cause of symptoms like bloating.
Friendly foods include sweet potatoes, nuts, cherries, bananas, avocados, and leafy dark coloured greens. As a rule, most fresh fruit and veg is good for your body and we always try to get our 5 a day in! Drinking lots of water and keeping hydrated will also help flush out any unwanted toxins and reduce any uncomfortable symptoms.
Making slow gradual changes to your diet will help you to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t – you can then introduce new regular foods and start phasing out those unhelpful foods.
Take out some me time
Taking a holistic approach with your body at this time of month can only be beneficial. Giving your body a little bit of all round love and care will help you to feel more relaxed and in turn, reduce some of those unwanted symptoms. Just like a gardener nurtures their whole garden, we can do the same for our body and nurture it during our menstruation!
Exercise
Trying low intensity activities such as a long walk, yoga or pilates are a great place to start and get the body moving gently.
Taking vitamins
And So Is Progesterone
As you know, progesterone levels will start rising and peak in the days before your period. As it happens, progesterone also has an effect on your intestines by either causing reduced bowel motility, like oestrogen, which translates into flatulence, bloating and constipation, or by causing diarrhoea. We know, why cant our hormones give us a break, right? But thats not all. High levels of progesterone can also trigger liquid retention which cause further bloating.
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What Else Can Happen During Perimenopause
One of the first signs that you are perimenopausal is a missed period. As your estrogen and progesterone levels slowly drop, you will no longer have regular monthly periods. However, they do not simply stop altogether overnight, the process can take years, so you might not have a period for a couple of months, then all of sudden you will. You are considered officially menopausal when you havent had a single period for 12 months.
Many women feel like they are losing control as they enter this stage in their lives. Your body is transitioning and with that you might feel anxious, dizzy or even depressed. These are symptoms that arent spoken about as much amongst women, but they are often the worse, affecting your mental state and increasing stress. Not only that, but fatigue can also take-over, so if you notice a considerable dip in energy this could be why.
Some women report a more uncomfortable time during perimenopause, as opposed to menopause itself, but every womans journey is different. If youve ever wondered why some women suffer more than others, you might like to read our previous blog post on this topic.
Of course you have come to the LadyCare blog, which means we have a solution, that is proven to help up to 71% of women with 24 symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. This includes the more common symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings and weight gain to name just a few.
Non Serious Causes Of Gas Before Period
While its possible that your excessive gas before period is due to hormone changes, it could be due to what youve eaten or drank, and also, your lifestyle.
Heres an email I received from Maria
Hi Doc,
I am 24 years old and had intercourse three weeks ago with my partner. While Im expecting my period, I started experiencing horrific gas before period, and Im wondering if its okay or not.
My period was supposed to commence three days ago and yet I dont have any signs.
I feel fatigued, and my breast hurts more. I have taken a pregnancy test last week and its negative. What are your thoughts? Should I repeat my pregnancy test?
Just like Maria, if you feel painful abdominal bloating and gas so much before period, you will be worried about pregnancy if youve engaged in an unprotected sexual activity.
While it could be pregnancy , it could also be due to any of these
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How To Manage Unexpected Menstrual Symptoms
If you are experiencing period pain but are not expecting your period, the situation can be confusing and alarming. Many women experience pelvic pain, often cramping, but the cause may not always be your period.
There are several other medical conditions which can cause you pain or discomfort like that of your period. You may not be able to tell what the cause of the pain is, but if the pain happens when youre not on or due your period, then this may not be the cause.
Cut Back On Caffeine And Alcohol
Pre-menstrually, alcohol can enhance PMS symptoms like breast tenderness, mood swings, and bloating, says Dr. Bitner. And coffee can overstimulate the digestive tract and irritate the bowels, not to mention dehydrate you, which causes you to retain water. Hey, you’ll save some serious $ by bypassing your morning latte, too.
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