Bloating is a symptom that often occurs in women during menstruation. In fact, 7 out of 10 women experience bloating during their period. The cause of bloating during menstruation is a change in the level of the hormone estrogen, which increases, and progesterone decreases before the start of the first day of menstruation.
When levels of the hormone estrogen are high, the body will tend to absorb and store water, causing swelling of the legs and period bloating. Even though bloating is normal, there's nothing wrong if you want to reduce its impact, so it doesn't interfere with your appearance or comfort during activities.
Here are seven tips you can do to deal with period bloating:
1. Consume foods rich in protein and potassium
Foods with a high potassium content, such as bananas, tomatoes, and potatoes, help maintain the balance of water content in the body. Foods rich in protein, such as chicken, fish, and tofu, won't make our stomachs bloated. In addition, foods that can act as natural diuretics, such as celery, cucumber, and garlic, can also help with flatulence. Diuretics are medicine used to remove excess water and salt through the urine.
2. Stay active doing sports
The early days of menstruation are not the most comfortable time to do sports. However, engaging in activities that increase your heart rate is the best way to relieve PMS symptoms, including bloating. The best exercise you can do is light exercise, such as swimming and yoga. It is recommended not to do high-intensity exercise first because it can cause inflammation and worsen the bloating condition.
3. Reduce consumption of caffeine
The caffeine content in coffee can trigger the digestive system to work harder and interfere with intestinal conditions. In addition, caffeine can cause dehydration which triggers the body to try more to retain water, causing bloating.
4. Avoid drinks with high sugar content and soft drinks
Consuming soft drinks will only make your stomach more bloated than before. Likewise, packaged drinks that use a lot of artificial sugar can cause your stomach to bloat. Instead, drink enough water, at least eight glasses every day.
5. Get enough sleep
The ideal sleep duration for people aged 18-64 is 7-9 hours per day. By getting enough sleep duration, you can reduce the impact of period bloating. This is because, during sleep, the excess fluid accumulated in the stomach will be distributed evenly back into the body before being excreted later through various means, such as sweating and urinating.
6. Reduce consumption of fast food
The high salt content in fast food can exacerbate existing period bloating conditions. Instead, you can get used to cooking yourself at home. Make sure not to overuse the salt.
7. Do not consume high-fiber foods suddenly
Eating high-fiber foods that trigger digestive system movement seems like a good idea for dealing with period bloating. Even though this strategy can backfire on our bodies, consuming high-fiber foods is good for our health. Still, if you overeat it during your period, it will only make your stomach more bloated. This is caused by the body not being used to foods high in fiber.
Bloating is a very natural thing to be found in women who are on a period. However, don't hesitate to contact your doctor if you find that your stomach is not getting better even though your menstrual period has passed or the condition of your bloating is so severe that it interferes with your daily activities. You can monitor the health condition of the menstrual cycle by keeping records from time to time so that if there is an abnormality, it can be realized more quickly.
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Sources:
Sinrich, J., Benton, E., & Jones, A. (2021). 11 Ways To Get Rid Of Period Bloating, According To Gynos. Women'sHealth. [online]. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19995105/de-bloat-during-period/
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2022). Water retention: Relieve this premenstrual symptom. Mayo Clinic. [online]. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/water-retention/