Feeling bloated? Here’s what helps

Are you experiencing that puffy, full feeling in your midsection that makes your favorite jeans feel like they've suddenly joined a shrinking cult? That would be menopause bloating, and it’s one of the less-discussed but common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. But just because it’s typical doesn’t mean you have to grit your teeth and bare it. A few simple adjustments to your diet, activity levels, and stress management can help you feel more comfortable.

As with most menopause symptoms, your hormones are at least partly to blame. "The fluctuations of the hormones estrogen and progesterone during perimenopause and menopause can lead to fluid retention, which can cause bloating," says Carrie Eng-Mazur, N.P., a board-certified nurse practitioner based in New Jersey and owner of the women’s health clinic Rejuvenate Women’s Wellness. It can also lead to a redistribution of body fat around your belly, which can increase abdominal pressure and a sensation of bloating.

Your digestive system also responds to hormonal fluctuations. Both estrogen and progesterone can alter how quickly food moves through your digestive tract, which can cause bloating. There are also estrogen receptors located throughout your digestive system, so changes in hormones can make you more sensitive to the feeling of being bloated. And recent research shows that the gut microbiome can be influenced by perimenopausal hormonal changes, adjusting how your body handles food and possibly triggering, you guessed it, more bloating.

Preventing bloating during menopause focuses largely on lifestyle modifications:

• Adjust your diet: Certain foods or beverages may be making you more bloated than others, and identifying those can help you avoid them. Common culprits include beans, lentils, cruciferous veggies, dairy products (especially if you’re lactose intolerant), and carbonated beverages. High-fiber foods, onions, garlic, and artificial sweeteners can also cause bloating. Note down when you feel symptoms and what you ate before so you can draw links and take steps to make changes.

Get more menopause nutrition tips

• Stay hydrated: It may seem counterintuitive because water retention can lead to bloating, but drinking plenty of water can actually help. That’s because dehydration leads to constipation…which leads to bloating.

• Move your body regularly: Exercise helps maintain digestive regularity and reduces bloating, not to mention all the other benefits. "Regular exercise, especially weight resistance exercise, is extremely important at this stage of life and beyond," says Dr. Monica Christmas, M.D., the associate medical director at The Menopause Society, and director of the menopause program at the University of Chicago.

• Manage stress: The more you can minimize the impact of cortisol (the major stress hormone) on your digestive system, the better. What works best is super personal, but research shows mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation (whatever makes you feel the chillest) are most effective at bringing down levels of stress hormones.

When prevention isn't enough, these remedies may help relieve menopause-related bloating:

• OTC medications: You can try something like Gas-X, which contains simethicone. It works by bringing together the small gas bubbles in your gut to form bigger bubbles, allowing trapped air to pass through your body more easily.

• Gentle exercise: Research shows that mild activity can help stimulate digestion, clear intestinal gas, and reduce bloating. Post-dinner stroll, anyone?

• Digestive enzymes: These treatments, available over the counter and by prescription, aid food breakdown and have been shown to help alleviate bloating. The best known one is Lactaid, for people who cannot digest lactose.

• Probiotics: While more research is needed, there have been some studies that find probiotics may help reduce bloating in people with IBS, so it’s something Christmas puts on the "give it a try” list. Two that seem promising: Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which may help maintain healthy gut flora.

• Magnesium: This mineral can help by relaxing digestive muscles. A daily 200mg dose of magnesium oxide can start to reduce premenstrual fluid retention and bloating after just a month.

• Alternative remedies: Just because research doesn’t prove something works doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it. Some women find anecdotal relief with peppermint or ginger tea when they’re bloated.

Learn more about common menopause symptoms