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Water retention before your period: How to stop the swelling
Monthly water retention can be uncomfortable and annoying. But simple lifestyle changes can usually relieve this common premenstrual symptom.
By Mayo Clinic staffPremenstrual water retention is that bloated, heavy, full feeling that occurs a week or two before your period begins and goes away after your period starts. For most women, water retention before menstruation is just a monthly bother, but in some cases, it can be severe enough to interfere with daily activities. Luckily, there are other options besides spending five days in your "fat pants." Lifestyle changes, medications and natural remedies can help ease your bloated belly.
Water retention: The most common premenstrual symptom
That need-to-unbutton-your-pants feeling is perfectly normal. Up to 85 percent of women who menstruate have at least one premenstrual sign or symptom. And abdominal bloating, caused by water retention, is common.
Water retention is just one of more than 200 symptoms that have been linked to a woman's monthly menstrual cycle — a condition commonly known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Other common signs and symptoms of PMS include fatigue, breast tenderness, acne, headaches, food cravings, irritability and crying spells. These signs and symptoms typically begin between the ages of 25 and 35.
Why water retention happens
The exact cause of PMS — and its unwelcome symptoms — is unclear, but cyclic changes in hormones during this time of the month seem to play a major role. Here's a refresher on how your menstrual cycle works:
- The average menstrual cycle lasts about 28 days. Day one is the first day of your period.
- In the first half of your cycle, estrogen levels increase, signaling the lining of your womb (uterus) to thicken and grow. During the same time, hormones from your pituitary gland stimulate your ovaries to develop and release an egg.
- About day 14, the egg is released and travels into one of your fallopian tubes. Then progesterone levels increase in preparation for pregnancy.
- If the egg isn't fertilized, hormones decrease again and the thickened lining of the uterus is shed during your menstrual period. This occurs about day 28, and the whole cycle starts over again.
Chemical changes in the brain seem to interact with monthly hormonal changes and contribute to PMS symptoms. Serotonin is the brain chemical (neurotransmitter) most frequently blamed for PMS, but other chemicals also may come into play. In addition, stress and emotional problems seem to make PMS worse.
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