How to Decrease Hormonal Bloating and Understand Abdominal Bloating
Abdominal bloating happens when your gastrointestinal (GI) tract gets filled with gas or air causing it to become distended, swollen, painful, and tight. You know the feeling of a swollen, full, and tight abdomen after meals. When you have abdominal bloating you may also experience excessive gas, burping, belching, pain, rumbling in your stomach, or constipation. While most people experience abdominal bloating every once in a while, many people experience it on a regular or daily basis. It can get very uncomfortable and may interfere with your recreational, social, and professional activities.
The Connection Between Menstruation and Bloating
Menstruation is a significant contributor to hormonal bloating. Menstruation can impact your daily life for a whole week out of the month. You might feel more emotional, experience back pain, or have bloating that makes you uncomfortable throughout the day. According to dietician Dr. Boham, bloating during your cycle is usually due to water retention or uterine inflammation. Both of these will usually subside once your cycle ends and period bloating will cease.
There is a difference between bloating and inflammation that can help you decipher what you’re experiencing. Bloating is the extension of the stomach, usually after eating or associated with PMS symptoms. Inflammation is swelling either due to a health issue or the body alerting you that it’s fighting off an infection.
Major Causes of Abdominal Bloating
Knowing the major causes of abdominal bloating is critical for making dietary and lifestyle shifts that reduce or eliminate this uncomfortable experience. Aside from menstruation, the source of bloating is either swelling or excess gas in the stomach. These causes are often a result of unhealthy dietary habits and other gut health issues.
The cause of your abdominal bloating may not be what you are eating but how and how much you are eating. Some common contributing factors include:
- Swallowing air while chewing gum.
- Talking while chewing up your food.
- Eating too quickly.
- Consuming too much salt.
- Drinking too many carbonated drinks.
- Eating more than necessary during meals.
- Consuming processed foods.
- Consuming lots of sugars, especially artificial sweeteners.
- Eating meals that are too large or eating too often.
Food Sensitivities
Food sensitivities are not the same as food allergies and more often go unnoticed. If you are experiencing abdominal bloating due to food sensitivities, you will likely notice a bloated stomach an hour or a few hours after your meals instead of immediately. If you are consuming a certain food that you are sensitive to regularly, you may experience bloating daily even before meals.
The following table summarizes common dietary triggers identified in the material:
| Category | Common Triggers |
|---|---|
| Food Sensitivities | Gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, sugar, corn, and nuts. |
| Dietary Habits | Consuming processed foods, too much salt, and artificial sweeteners. |
| Beverages | Carbonated drinks. |
How to Reduce Bloating
Fortunately, there are some life changes you can make to help with hormonal bloating throughout your cycle. If you experience bloating regularly, take a minute to analyze your diet. Are you making some of the choices mentioned above or consuming more than you should? If you’re trying to help with bloating, try making a few changes to your diet to see if that helps. There are some simple natural solutions for abdominal bloating you can try to improve your health and regain your health and vitality.