Bloating in the Menstrual Cycle

Bloating is that feeling of puffiness and swollenness, feeling fat and not quite fitting into your clothes. This is because the body retains water and salt.

Although researchers cannot exactly pinpoint what causes the bloating and puffiness, it is thought to be caused by the hormones estrogen and progestin changes in some way.

Bloating starts a few days before ovulation and it builds to a peak on the first day of menstruation. After that is falls rapidly until it is gone by day 5 of the cycle. It seems to be happening in cycles where the woman ovulates, as well as when she does not ovulate (anovulatory cycles).

Bloating seems worse for women that are overweight and for athletes.

Although bloating does not have any bad physical effects, it can affect a woman’s self-confidence because she feels fat and overweight, and she may not fit in her clothes the same way.

The medical term for bloating is ‘menstrual endema’.

Treatment for menstrual bloating:

• Cutting down salt consumption
• Losing weight, if appropriate
• Doing regular exercise
• Some PMS medicines like Midol contains a diuretic to combat bloating. Using dedicated diuretics should however be approached very carefully and under the supervision of your doctor.