Bloating
when the period is a common early symptom of menstruation which has been
experienced by most women when it comes to period. It gives you the feeling of
gaining weight or your abdomen and other parts of the body feel so tight and
even swelling.
Bloating
mostly happen before your menstruation and it will fade away and ultimately
disappear once you have been on a period for several days. You might not be
able to stop bloating entirely. However, there are many ways as well as home
remedies for this little evil “girl.”
Several
methods that you can use to calm down period bloating such as avoiding caffeine
and alcoholic beverages, consume more water, follow a less – sodium diet with
veggies, fruits, lean protein and whole grains, take a diuretic, exercise
regularly and consume less processed foods. Moreover, you can discuss with your
doctor if birth control medication can help. Once your bloating affects your
daily routine severely, you should seek help from your doctor immediately.
What to do to prevent and treat period
bloating?
Since
there is nothing called one – size – fits – all treatment, you might need to
adjust your lifestyle appropriately to reduce the bloating both before as well
as during your period.
1.
Consume the proper foods
You
should cut the salt consumption. But how to know whether your diet contains a
too high amount of salt? The AHA (American Heart Association) has recommended
limiting your daily salt consumption to no more than 2.3g.
For
example, processed foods or canned food contain a high amount of salt and other
ingredients which might not be the healthiest. Therefore, you should
concentrate on consuming more fruits and veggies and other healthy foods like
lean protein, seeds, nuts and whole grains.
2.
Drink more water
You
should ensure that you have consumed at least eight cups of water on a daily
basis. Therefore, try to carry a water bottle with you and target to top up it
a few times a day. Even though the recommendation is eight cups of water a day,
the amount of water might vary from a person to another due to personal health,
environment, and many other factors.
3.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol
This
seems pretty evident as caffeine and alcohol contribute a high portion to
bloating and other worse symptoms of PMS. Instead of drinking these beverages,
you should consume more water.
If
you have the difficulty of getting rid of your morning cup of coffee, you can
try to replace it with other healthier beverages such as tea, or you can choose
to consume decaffeinated type.
4.
Exercise regularly
Exercising
on a regular basis is essential when it comes to lowering your PMS symptoms.
Professionals recommend that you should consider one of the following
instructions:
- Several hours of mild physical exercises on
a weekly basis.
- An
hour or maximum 2 hours of vigorous activity on a weekly basis.
- An appropriate mix of these activities a
week
5.
Medication
If
these natural home remedies are not able to calm your PMS and bloating down
before as well as during your period, you might need to take a visit to your
doctor to other treatments. You might discuss with your doctor about this:
Birth
Control. Taking this might help you to calm your PMS down. However, you might
need to discuss with your doctor before using it.
Diuretics.
This medication will help you to reduce the bloating sensation and the fluid
your body stores. So you may ask your doctor about the medicine.
When does period bloating happen?
Before
your period comes or at the beginning of it, bloating is likely to happen. PMS
symptoms can start at least a week or two weeks beforehand. You might
experience bloating every month, not at all or once in a while. Relief from the
bloating may happen right after your period starts or it might take several
days to cover it up.
Moreover,
you might encounter other symptoms too. The American Congress of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists claims that about 85 percent of women say that they have
experienced physical symptoms associated with their period. Apart from
bloating, other symptoms that one might encounter when the period comes are
cramping, acne, fatigue, food cravings and moodiness.
Why do periods lead to bloating?
Long
story short, the answer is hormones. PMS happens when the luteal phase of your
menstruation is occurring. That is when your hormones such as progesterone and
estrogen might fluctuate. Moreover, it is also the time when your uterus
thickens. If you get pregnant, the fertilized eggs will attach to your
thickened uterine lining. Otherwise, when the thickened uterine lining
evacuates your body, and you have your period.
Besides,
hormones might not be the only reason that causes you physical symptoms which
cause period. Other causes for your symptoms might be due to your diet, the
type and volume of minerals and vitamins you consume, the number of foods and
drinks you have with alcohol and caffeine as well as your genes.
When to see a doctor?
You
should discuss with your doctor if you bloating has these following symptoms:
You
still experience bloating even after your period
It
becomes more severe and affect your daily activities
Mild
or middle bloating that often starts before your period and it goes away after
your period begins is nothing to worry much about. As long as you can do your
daily activities usually and your symptoms only occur around your period,
things you can do is to adjust your daily activities and your diet to suit the
time. However, if your symptoms have become more and more severe and the
bloating gets in the way of your daily activities, you need to see your doctor
immediately.
Reference:
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