Symptom of Bloating During Menopause

Bloating refers to a feeling of abundance or rigidity in the abdominal area, which can induce some pain and a definite amount of uneasiness. Many women experience this aching symptom during their menopause due to water arrest, greater intestinal gas, or both. But do you know something? Bloating can also occur as a side effect of the Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Yes, this is a proved fact.

Bloating is one of the most infamous symptoms of menopause, but is also among the frequently experienced ones. As with the other menopausal symptoms, even bloating’s duration and intensity tend to differ from one woman to another. So, some women will feel the symptom for only few days, while some might experience for several months. It might happen that you might get up in the morning with a flat stomach and then notice it getting inflated progressively across the day. Alternatively, bloating might also take place in just few minutes, which might be the result of eating. In order to understand the symptom thoroughly for curing it, you need to know about its symptoms, causes, and treatment options. So, keep reading!

• Symptoms of BloatingIt is not necessary that any two menopausal women notice the symptoms with the same intensity and duration. Listed below are the most common symptoms of bloating.
• Abdominal fullness
• Abdominal tightness
• Expansion in abdomen
• Increased burping and flatulence

Once you are aware of the symptoms, it is necessary to know as to what causes these symptoms frequently among menopausal women to obtain a control over this disturbingly common symptom.

• Causes of Bloating The primary cause of bloating is the fluctuating levels of hormones, especially estrogen that is vital for the body. Estrogen plays its own role in the retention of water that takes place naturally during the woman’s menstrual cycle. During the days of menstruation, women are bound to retain more water due to increasing estrogen levels. So, it is clear that when the estrogen levels decline during perimenopause, the frequency of water retention also reduces, which results in bloating.
  
  Further, estrogen also impacts the production of bile that is made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder to help in digestion and act as a lubricant in the intestines. Due to low or erratic estrogen levels, bile production also gets reduced making the stools to accumulate in the small intestine and become dry and hard. This invites constipation followed by bloating.
  
  Besides water retention and lowered bile production, there is another common cause of bloating that is intestinal gas. As per the studies, some 30 to 60% of menopausal women complain of an increase in gas during menopause. Due to this, researchers were of the opinion that hormonal fluctuations also affect the production of gas. This gas is caused by diet changes, irritable bowel syndrome, swallowing air, carbonated beverages, and lactose intolerance. Some foods that welcome gas and bloating are:
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Beans
• Oats
• Apples
• Milk
• Fluffy wheat
• Broccoli
• Onions
• Corn
• Potatoes
• Pears
• Soft Cheese
• Peaches

Some more factors that might lead to bloating in women are abdominal surgery, obesity, weak abdominal muscles from pregnancy, gallstones, diabetes, and kidney disease.

• TreatmentHurray! Bloating is not a permanent menopausal symptom and that you can control or eradicate it. So, begin with the least invasive option - lifestyle changes. If gas is the cause, do ensure changes in your diet for effective results. Avoid taking dairy products, sodium, and trigger foods listed above. Further, plan for some stress reduction techniques like yoga or meditation.
  
  To deal with the fluctuating levels of estrogen, your next step in combination with the lifestyle changes is to go for natural and alternative remedies that bring back the hormonal balance. This is the safest and most effective way to combat bloating. Do so by adding bananas, grapes, rice, peanut butter, fruit juices, herbal teas, yogurt, and hard cheese in your diet.
  
  Only in case of extreme bloating that is prolonged or painful, it might be necessary to consult a healthcare professional for surgical or pharmaceutical options. However, these are the most risky ways to curb bloating.