Disclaimer: Please note that this blog is for educational purposes only, it includes general information on health-related topics. Women’s Healthcare of Boca Raton is giving medical advice to Patients Only. Follow this link to request an appointment with Dr. Ellman.
For women, their monthly flow is a normal phenomenon, and this runs for most of their young adult lives. However, when they get to a particular age, usually from 50, the bleeding stops completely, and we often refer to this as menopause. This is the time that signals the end of a woman’s menstrual cycles or periods and the probability or chances to bear a child.
Before a woman can be officially considered to have entered menopause, she must have a complete year without menstruating. This does not, in any way, have any medical effects as it is part of aging. Also, when this happens, hormonal changes occur in the body, leading to different symptoms such as bloating.
With that in mind, let’s describe what menopause bloating is and the causes that come with it. We’ll also talk about the differences between bloating and weight gain and a few strategies that can help offer menopause bloating relief.
What Is Menopause Bloating?
Menopause bloating is a common thing during menopause and perimenopause, the time before you enter the menopause period.
It usually comes with feeling tightness and fullness in the stomach. At times, it may include continuous burping or gas, or constipation which may even happen on a daily basis.
In other words, bloating is a disturbing pressure in the abdominal region when there is extra fluid or air in the gastrointestinal tract.
Causes Of Menopause Belly Bloat
Two things are responsible for menopause belly bloat, water retention, or gas retention.
Before a woman gets to the menopause stage, there’s usually an increase in her estrogen, leading to menopause water retention and bloating.
There are other factors related to the gastrointestinal tract that can cause bloating in women during and after menopause, and these include:
- Change in diet or appetite.
- Slowed digestion.
- Swallowing air.
- Health conditions
Is Bloating The Same As Weight Gain?
Uncertainties happen during perimenopause and menopause, such as weight gain or bloating. The body may gain more weight due to hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause more quickly. However, it can be difficult sometimes to determine whether you have a menopause belly bloat or you’re gaining weight.
Menopause bloating leads to a swollen belly, and it causes your stomach to change in size during the day. It can cause discomfort, and many women experience menopause bloating when they eat large amounts of food or eat quickly.
However, if you are experiencing weight gain, there will be no changes in your belly size. Women going through menopause have a slower metabolism, which can cause weight gain, even if the bloating doesn’t occur. Also, adding too much weight can put an individual at the risk of developing health issues such as heart disease or diabetes.
Strategies For Menopause Bloating Relief
You may be curious about how to stop menopause bloating, and the truth is that there is not always a simple way of solving this issue. Every person’s body works differently, and what works for you might not work for other people.
However, the following preventive measures may help in providing menopause bloating relief:
- Staying hydrated: This ensures that movement in your gastrointestinal tract remains smooth. It may also be a good option to cut down the caffeine from coffee, cola, and tea.
- Exercising regularly: This can help you to relieve water retention and move the food through the digestive organs.
- Avoiding eating certain foods: We recommend that you avoid eating foods that have a high chance of causing gas retention. These include beans, broccoli, fatty and fried foods.
- Avoiding drinking carbonated beverages: You may have excess gas in your stomach if you drink carbonated drinks, so it is best to avoid them. Alcoholic drinks can also trigger an increase in gas production.
- Limiting salt intake: Salt is an ingredient that can cause water retention and swelling if you add a lot of it to your food. That said, avoiding eating processed foods can help prevent menopause bloating.
- Walking: Taking a short walk after eating can help move the gas around and improve menopause water retention. A gentle but firm belly massage will also help let go of trapped wind.
- Avoiding sitting for a long: If your job demands that you stay seated for extended times, go for a break, at least once in 60 minutes. This helps you to stretch your legs and tummy.
Further to that, your gynecologist may recommend that you keep a food diary to help you find out which food choices are causing your tummy to swell. Take note of all the foods you eat and the beverages you drink and watch out for how you feel after consuming them. Alternatively, you may try cutting out some of your food choices for a short period, maybe four to six weeks, to figure out if it will be helpful.
However, medications may be the best option if you experience frequent bloating, and these can help reduce discomfort.
These can be helpful in most cases:
- Over-the-counter gas medications
- Prescription water pills and diuretics
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Birth control pills
When To See a Doctor
Seeing a doctor is a crucial part of helping you stop menopause bloating.
At our OBGYN services clinic, we usually recommend an individual to see a doctor when certain persisting symptoms show up. These include:
- Having a high temperature coupled with fever
- Experiencing continuous weight loss
- Having blood coming with your stool
- Having yellowish skin (jaundice)
- Being above the age of 50
- Losing appetite for meals or feeling full a few seconds into a meal
- Feeling a lump in your belly
Women should also seek medical help if their bloating is painful and lasts for several weeks. This is because this could indicate that they have a medical condition.
Book Your Appointment Today
Menopause is a natural phase that women go through in their life. The body may take up a new shape, and bloating is a common symptom that occurs during this period. Some lifestyle changes can help reduce the risk of having a swollen belly, such as exercising, avoiding fizzy drinks, walking, and staying hydrated.
Everybody is different, and not everyone experiences the same symptoms, and we understand that you may feel uncomfortable or experience anxiety before your first appointment.
Dr. Ellman, our physician at our women’s healthcare clinic has over 25 years of extensive training and experience working in the obstetrics and advanced gynecology field. We work with patients with different backgrounds and conditions and give individualized care tailored to every person’s needs.
Call us at (561) 273-7364 or (561) 465-8834 to book an appointment at our clinic. We can talk about any symptoms you might be experiencing and suggest a treatment plan suitable for you.
Dr. Ellman is a Board Certified OBGYN who established his medical practice in South Florida over 25 years ago. His office, Women’s Healthcare of Boca Raton, is located in Boca Raton, Florida at West Boca Medical Center. Dr. Ellman attended Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, where he received his medical degree. He went on to intern at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston- an affiliate of Harvard Medical School- and continued his residency at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York- an affiliate of Cornell Medical School.
Dr. Ellman has practiced Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Boca Raton area since 1995. In addition to treating patients at West Boca Hospital, Dr. Ellman also treats patients through his own private practice, Women’s Healthcare of Boca Raton, located on the West Boca Medical Campus.