Are You Retaining Water During Period? 5 Causes of Fluid Retention

19 Apr Are You Retaining Water During Period? 5 Causes of Fluid Retention

As if women don’t already suffer enough during their periods, they have to deal with water retention too.

And worse of all, retaining water during period can also result in weight gain. 

Yes, you read that right!

Water weight during the menstrual cycle happens for real and is a pretty common complaint. 

So, if you’ve been looking for answers for your weight gain during the period cycle, you know the reason now.

I’m sure you have many more questions about the usual retention of water around your periods. Is it serious or do you have something to worry about?

Without wasting any time, let’s begin with the basics.

What Is Water Retention During Period?

Water retention or fluid retention, as the name suggests, is a situation when your body holds on to excess water and salt. 

Simply stated, water flushes out the waste from your body. When your body restrains this process and saves the excess, it starts to retain water, which results in weight gain. 

It is among the leading symptoms of menstrual cycle. 

Moreover, the reasons behind water retention during menstrual cycle could be anything from hormones to inactivity (more about it later). 

And if you aren’t lucky enough, water retention during the period can make you prone to breast tenderness, swelling in the legs, and general body pain.

But the right question to ask is…

While it is among the top PMS symptoms, is it normal to retain water on your period for real?

Is Water Retention Normal During Period?

If you do feel the symptoms of water retention during period, you might be worried.

Well, then don’t be!

Fluid retention during menstruation is so common that around 92% of the women who menstruate witness water retention during period.

As mentioned, water weight is also a related problem. 

So, if you’re guessing it to be the reason behind your weight gain during cycle, you might have guessed right.

Among all the PMS symptoms, sudden weight gain is the most irritating problem, in fact. 

Your favorite trousers will suddenly get tighter, you look bloated all the time, and there’s absolutely no motivation.

Moreover, considering how normal it is, there has to be some number to identify the average water retention during period.

So, what is it?

How Much Water Weight During Period Is Normal?

Most women tend to gain around 0.5 to 2 kilos of weight during their menstruation. 

Almost every woman gains water weight during menstruation. It is, however, another story that not many feel it. 

You get to feel the water weight when there is bloating, uneasiness, and swelling. 

Now, before you panic, you need to learn about the causes of why do you retain water during your period.

What Causes Water Retention During Period? [5 Reasons]

There can be hormonal or lifestyle-related reasons behind water retention during your menstruation cycle:

1. Hormonal changes
2. Dehydration
3. Dietary factors
4. Physical inactivity or lack of exercising
5. Other factors include gastrointestinal issues.

Well, the bloating and uneasiness you feel during the cycle leave you with an unpleasant experience. 

While for some women it may be a monthly affair, some may experience it occasionally. 

To ease your worries, you need to ask what are the causes of water retention during cycle?

Firstly, water retention during a period could be the result of hormonal changes. 

However, diet and lifestyle also contribute to an extent. 

Here are some of the main reasons why your body is retaining fluid during period.

#1. Hormonal Havoc

Periods are all about hormonal fluctuations. 

Whatever you feel in your body before, during, and after your periods is the effect of that hormonal change. 

Hence, there is no surprise there are hormones behind your sudden weight gain during PMS. 

A hormone called progesterone affects the mobility of the intestine. It affects the way your intestine moves the waste out of your body.  

Hence, progesterone causes water retention leading to bloating and weight gain. 

#2. Dehydration

Dehydration is also one of the reasons why you’re feeling water retention during period. 

It happens because your body attempts to keep the remaining water. 

Hence, if you are often dehydrated or have the habit of drinking less water, you end up witnessing water retention during PMS. 

Not to mention, lack of water may also interrupt the smooth function of your intestine and add to the problems. 

Therefore, to avoid water weight, remember to drink plenty. 

#3. Diet

Period cravings… another devil you have to manage every month. 

Aunt Flo never comes alone. Cravings and cramps tag along. 

Talking about period cravings, if you crave salty foods, you might end up increasing the intake of sodium. 

Excess intake of sodium disrupts the natural balance of sodium-to-water ratio in your body. To cope, your body retains water.

As a result. salty and spicy foods like chips, meats, junk foods, and canned veggies increase water retention in your body. 

Although these foods may taste finger-licking, they often lead to a spike in estrogen and progesterone too. 

This leads to bloating, water retention, and weight gain. 

#4. Lack of Exercises

Menstruation also results in fatigue. You often feel slouchy and want to be a couch potato all day. 

On top of it, when you cut down your workout and daily exercise routine, you get to see water retention. 

Notably, those women who spent most of their lying in bed or sitting experience more water retention during their period. 

The more tissues hold water, the more weight you are about to gain during your period. 

#5. Other Causes

Other causes that may add to the reason behind the water retention while on period include:

• Gastrointestinal issues and indigestion
• Constipation
• Certain medications like antidepressants and pain killers.

So, now you know hormonal change isn’t the only factor responsible for fluid retention during menstruation. 

This is definitely a situation that may take a toll on your mind and body. 

Consequently, you may not want to bear it for longer. 

So, for how long does water retention last during period? Find it here.

PEOPLE ALSO READ: CAUSES OF HEAVY PERIODS

How Long Does Water Retention Last During Period?

You might freak out realizing your favorite jeans are a little tighter on your waist. 

But while it may be a common sight after every menstrual cycle, thankfully, it doesn’t last long. 

The good news is for most women, water weight gain during period doesn’t last more than 5-7 days. 

If you are wondering when does period weight gain start, well it starts 5-7 days prior to your period date. 

Moreover, as soon as you start to bleed, your water retention weight starts to reduce. 

While the duration may vary from person to person, it normally goes away in a week. 

So, you definitely gain weight, feel bloated, and look pregnant during your period. 

However, there has to be a way that you can get rid of it.

With that in mind, now that you about the basics of water retention during menstruation, it’s time to know what can you do to get rid of it.

How To Reduce Water Retention During Period? [Remedies]

The best remedies to get rid of water retention before and during periods are:

1. Intake of probiotics – Eat kimchi and curd
2. Regular exercising – Try yoga or light exercising during periods
3. Avoid certain gas-causing foods and drinks – Broccoli, cabbage, beans, and carbonated drinks
4. Get a diuretic or eat natural diuretic foods – Try watermelon or cucumber
5. Up the intake of potassium and protein-rich foods – Bananas, asparagus, and celery

Fluid retention accompanied by water weight during period is certainly not really a flattering feeling. 

It’s highly uncomfortably, annoying, and demotivating at the same time. 

Without a doubt, one would like to avoid it at all costs. 

Thus, some of the ways to reduce water retention during period are:

#1. Take Sufficient Probiotics

Probiotics are something that can help you with de-bloating when your body has retained enough water to make you look like a sausage. 

The imbalance of good and bad gut bacteria increases the level of beta-glucuronidase. 

This, as a result, leads to estrogen dominance and a lack of progesterone. 

It leads to bloating and gas. 

You can try fermented foods like kimchi, kombucha, and curd to ingest probiotics in your diet. 

#2. Avoid Skipping Your Workout

It’s absolutely normal to feel fatigued before and during the period. 

Sometimes, due to menstrual cramps, women halt their daily workout routine. 

But while you may feel like lying in bed all day, just know that increasing your heart rate can only provide relief from PMS symptoms. And water retention is one of them that will certainly show some improvement.

You may decrease the intensity or the number of reps, but try not to eliminate your workouts. 

You can try yoga, light exercises, and even stretching.

#3. Maintain Distance From Foods That May Cause Gas

If your body is retaining water during menstrual cycle, stay away from foods that cause gas. 

Foods like broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beans, peas, and lettuce are some of the culprits. 

These foods contain raffinose, which gets hard for the human body to break down completely. 

Additionally, you must also restrict yourself from consuming carbonated and fizzy drinks.

Water retention already makes you feel bloated, and eating such foods may worsen your condition.

#4. Consult Your Gyno to Get a Diuretic

If you don’t know, a diuretic is a substance that promotes the production of urine. 

Some gynecologists recommend diuretics to their patients to help reduce bloating. 

It is quite reasonable to use diuretics to reduce water retention during periods. 

While you must consult your gyno before adding any diuretic pills, you can easily add natural diuretics to your diet. 

Some of the diuretic foods are watermelon, lemon, celery, and cucumber. 

#5. Consume More Potassium and Protein-Rich Foods

Eating more protein and potassium-rich foods can help in reducing severe water retention during period.

Potassium-rich foods like bananas, celery, cantaloupe, and asparagus encourage the diuretic effect and balance the fluid. 

Protein is yet another choice that won’t let you puff up during a period. 

So, munch on protein and potassium-rich foods and feel light and healthy even on your periods.  

In general also, diet is the key to a healthy life. 

Maintaining a proper diet and avoiding cravings remains one of the important remedies of water retention during period.

But won’t it be even better if you don’t let fluid retention during periods happen in the first place?

How To Avoid Water Retention During Period?

If you don’t want to feel all puffed up during your menstruation and want to slip effortlessly into your dress, why not work on it beforehand.

Given you can’t control your hormones (which we all hope we could), making certain lifestyle changes is the only thing under your control. This will indeed show you some difference. 

Notably, there are ways to lessen or counter hormonal effects that can help you prevent water retention during period. 

Some of the natural ways to reduce water retention before and during periods are as follows:

#1. Drink Plenty of Water

DRINK UP!

If you’ve got this habit of skipping water consumption, you definitely need to change it for the sake of your weight. 

Although you should always keep yourself hydrated, ramping up the water consumption for at least 2 weeks can also do you much favor. 

Try to set a minimum consumption limit of at least 2-3 bottles. It will keep your intestine clean and also promote the diuretic effect. 

#2. Control Your Salt Consumption

Take control of your salt consumption before and during your periods and prevent water retention during period. 

This doesn’t only mean cutting salt from your everyday foods. 

There are numerous other foods that contain hidden salts. You need to take control of that as well. 

Also, how can you forget about the salty period cravings? You might need to be a little hard on yourself with this. 

It ain’t easy to control junk food eating. 

#3. Choose Wholegrain Foods

Wholegrain foods contain magnesium. According to a study in the Journal of women’s health, magnesium helps prevent fluid retention and period water retention. 

You can switch to whole-grain foods at least 1-2 weeks before Aunt-Flo pays the visit. 

According to the study, women who took 200 mg of magnesium every day showed less water weight gain during period.

You can find enough magnesium in wholegrain rice, yogurt, kale, and unsalted nuts. 

#4. Take Care of Your Vitamin Levels

If you’re struggling with vitamin deficiency, there are chances you might end up feeling bloated during the period. 

To explain, if you have a deficiency of vitamin B1, B5, and B6, you need to start supplementing. 

According to a study, a two-stage double-blind clinical trial was conducted on 126 women. 

They were randomly allocated into three groups to receive magnesium, vitamin B6, and a placebo. 

As a result, it was found that vitamin B6 and magnesium were most effective on 2 PMS symptoms, i.e., depression and water retention.

Hence, get yourself diagnosed with the deficiency and if you are deficient, amp up the vitamin level to prevent water weight retention during period. 

Water retention is the most common PMS symptom.

While water retention weight gain in PMS might take you by shock, you need not worry. 

We have already discussed what you need to do in order to knock it down.

The Rundown

Periods-related water retention is truly an annoying condition, especially if you get stomach aches as well. 

But taking control of hormones is not in your hands. What you can do is take control of how you eat and maintain your lifestyle. 

Periods do cause water retention, and it is absolutely common and nothing to be worried about.

Just drink ample water, keep yourself moving, and eat enough potassium and magnesium.

That’s it!

You’re ready to glide your way effortlessly in your favorite dress without worrying if it would fit. 

Hope you found answers to why you were suddenly bloating and gaining weight during periods. 

If you like the blog, don’t forget to share your views in the comments section below or send in your queries at regina@horizonclinics.org