Why Does Period Bloating Happen?

The menstrual cycle occurs monthly and is the process of a woman’s body continually readying itself for pregnancy. In the weeks prior to menstruation, often called a period, the uterus creates a lining to prepare to nourish a potentially fertilized egg.1 Should this not occur, hormone levels change, and blood and the lining leave the woman’s body over the course of a few days.1 This fluctuation in hormones prior to the onset of menstruation may be largely responsible for why some women experience period bloating. According to Michelle Smith at the Sutter Gould Medical Foundation, bloating is often part of a woman’s normal menstruation cycle and can be an indicator that a period is on the way.2

A woman smelling a smelly smell and holding her nose

MISCELLANEOUS GAS

Causes of Excessive Gas and Bloating in Women

What’s that smell? For women, the origins of your farts can be something as simple as diet or something going on with your reproductive health.¹ Get the facts on your gas and learn how hormones can lead to it and how to treat it.

Common Causes of Excessive Gas and Bloating

First, there are many non-hormonal reasons why you might be experiencing excessive flatulence and bloating. Some common causes are:

Swallowing air. Yes, taking a nice gulp of air can lead to air bubbles in your digestive tract.¹
Fibrous foods. The culprit of your gas might not be a culprit at all. Eating foods high in fiber like beans, broccoli, dairy, fruit and oats may make you a bit gassy, and hey, that’s alright sometimes.¹
Dairy. If you have a lactose intolerance, your stomach has trouble digesting cow’s milk and produces excessive intestinal gas as a result.¹
Normal flatulence. Yup, sometimes a fart is a fart, and that’s that. Flatulence (gas) is produced as a byproduct when your pancreas releases enzymes and healthy bacteria that help with digestion.¹

If none of these seem to resonate with you, there is also a chance your gassiness and bloating may have something to do with hormones.

Common Hormonal Causes of Gas and Bloating

Studies have shown that women experience more gastrointestinal symptoms than men, with about 73% of women in a study experiencing more bloating and gas during their menstrual cycle.²Hormonal changes throughout different phases of a woman's life can significantly influence digestive health.³

Hormones play a significant role in regulating various bodily functions, including the digestive system.^3,4 Fluctuations in hormone levels, particularly estrogen and progesterone, can affect gastrointestinal motility (the movement of food through and out of the body) and lead to gas and bloating.^3,4,5 Estrogen can slow down the digestive process while progesterone relaxes smooth muscles, including those in the gastrointestinal tract, which can result in slower transit of food and increased gas production.⁵

Pre-Menstruation Syndrome (PMS)

During the pre-menstrual period (the time right before your period), levels of progesterone rise.⁶This can lead to relaxation of the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in slower digestion, increased gas production and bloating due to slower gastrointestinal motility.⁶

Menstruation

Menstruation (your period) itself can exacerbate gastrointestinal symptoms. Prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances involved in pain and inflammation, are produced in higher quantities during menstruation.⁶These can cause uterine contractions and affect the intestines, leading to cramping, diarrhea and increased gas.⁶

Pregnancy

Pregnancy involves significant hormonal changes, such as notable increases in progesterone and estrogen.⁴The growing uterus also puts pressure on the intestines, which further contributes to bloating and discomfort.⁴

How to Treat Gas and Bloating

Some ways you can get relief from your excessive gas and bloating are:

Try yoga. Certain yoga poses can help you get out that gas. Do it at home, or if you wish, a class (but maybe take your mat to the back of the room, if you do).
Massage the locations of your gas pain. Whether it’s on your left side or in your lower back, a massage can help alleviate gas pains and bloating. Just use your fingers and gently massage the area for 30 seconds.⁷
Take a simethicone product. Over-the-counter products with simethicone like Gas-X products can help target trapped gas in your system to relieve you of gas pain and bloating.

Source Citations:

Flatulence. Victoria Department of Health. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/flatulence. Accessed 07/30/2024.
Gastrointestinal symptoms before and during menses in healthy women - PMC (nih.gov). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3901893/. Accessed 07/30/2024.
The Influence of Hormonal Fluctuation on Inflammatory Bowel Disease Symptom Severity—A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study. Oxford Academic. https://academic.oup.com/ibdjournal/article/24/2/387/4816930?login=false. Accessed 07/30/2024.
Progesterone Inhibitory Role on Gastrointestinal Motility. Physiol. https://www.biomed.cas.cz/physiolres/pdf/2022/71_193.pdf. Accessed 07/30/2024.
Gastroparesis. Yale Medicine. https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/gastroparesis. Accessed 07/30/2024.
Symptomatology of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease during the menstrual cycle. Oxford Academic. https://academic.oup.com/gastro/article/3/3/185/613343?login=false. Accessed 07/30/2024.
Abdominal Self Massage. University of Michigan Medicine. https://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/MBCP/AbdominalSelfmassage.pdf. Accessed 07/30/2024.

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