Does your intestine also go crazy when you menstruate? – GOOD SHAPE

If you are a person who menstruates, you must have already been through this situation: during the period of premenstrual tension, the intestine hangs. When menstruation comes down, it lets go too. Sometimes you go to the bathroom more often than at other times in your cycle. Ever stop to wonder why this happens?

What is the relationship between menstruation and your intestine?

According to Dr. Fernanda Pepicelligynecologist and obstetrician at Clínica MedPrimus, there is no fully mapped logic of the causes that lead the bowel to deregulate during the menstrual period – but it is a fact that many people who menstruate experience these discomforts.

Some studies connect this irregularity to the hormonal variation that happens in the body and leads to bleeding: the increase in estrogen and the fall in progesterone, mainly. It is these changes that also end up causing swelling and other discomforts that signal the arrival of the cycle.

“Some women report that their bowels feel looser and others report constipation,” explains Dr. Fernanda. “It is believed that the prostaglandins produced during the menstrual cycle, the same ones that promote uterine contraction, will interfere with the intestinal musculature, altering its function.”

For those who don’t know, prostaglandin is a substance similar to a hormone and has some functions in the body, among them, helping in the contraction of muscles, dilation and constriction of blood vessels.

That is why it is common to hear (or experience) reports of diarrhea, gas increasetrapped intestines, increased intestinal colic and even change in appetite.

How to improve these symptoms?

Everyone understands the discomfort of spending more than a day with a trapped intestine or the opposite, with it super loose. But the good news is that, especially for those who deal with these symptoms in the pre or menstrual period, they are not permanent and can be minimized.

According to the doctor, the main thing is to keep the focus on the lifestyle, instead of looking for immediate solutions: this means prioritizing a balanced diet with plenty of fiber, low fat intake and higher water intake. In addition, performing physical activities can also help, both in relieving symptoms such as swelling and fatigue typical of this period, as well as with bowel movement.