What should you know about pre menstrual bloating?

You may notice abdominal fullness, tight clothing, more wind, or a visibly swollen abdomen in the days before your period. Hormonal shifts can slow the gut or alter how the body handles salt and water. The pattern matters: symptoms that appear before menstruation and settle afterwards are more suggestive of a cycle-related change than a new digestive illness. Bloating can also occur with irritable bowel syndrome, food intolerance, lactose intolerance, coeliac disease, giardiasis, or Helicobacter Pylori Infection, so a recurring or changing pattern deserves attention.

Keep a diary for several cycles, recording meals, bowel habits, bleeding dates, and the timing of swelling. Regular movement, adequate fluids, slower eating, and smaller meals may reduce pressure. Limit foods that clearly trigger wind, and avoid making broad restrictive changes without guidance. Nutrition Counselling can help you test dietary patterns while protecting adequate intake. If constipation, pain, diarrhoea, or weight change accompanies the bloating, arrange a routine medical review.

Seek urgent medical help for severe or rapidly worsening abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, a hard swollen abdomen, fainting, blood in the stool, or inability to pass stool and wind. Arrange a clinician visit if bloating is new, persistent beyond the menstrual pattern, steadily worsening, or associated with fever, unintentional weight loss, persistent diarrhoea, or bleeding outside your expected period.

Ask whether your timing and bowel symptoms fit a menstrual pattern, whether medicines or supplements could contribute, and which tests are appropriate if symptoms persist. Bring your symptom diary and a list of foods, treatments, and any changes in your periods.