While the main symptom of bloating is that full or heavy feeling there are many others that are quite common occurrences. It's important to remember that not every woman will share the same bloating symptoms, nor does it mean she must have every symptom under the sun.
However, it's important to recognize these menopause symptoms as some may cause long-term harm to the body, or possibly be a sign of an underlying condition. If at anytime there is blood present in the stools, diarrhea, excessive vomiting, severe pain or high fever it's important to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Symptoms of Bloating
- Pain or discomfort is one of the most common symptoms that is associated with bloating. It can be felt nearly anywhere in the body, however, abdominal pain is the most common. This can occur due to constipation, water retention and even gas. All of them can be a direct result of a hormonal imbalance, food allergy or intolerance, and even more serious conditions.
- Excessive gas or flatulence can be a result of eating certain foods. Cruciferous vegetables are a likely culprit, but if you've suffered from constipation it can cause bacteria to grow in the intestines. This bacteria isn't overly harmful but it can cause offensive gas.
- Indigestion is often thought to be only related to spicy or heavy foods. While this could be the cause it could also be a side effect of bloating. This is especially true if the bloating is caused by hormonal conditions such as menopause, and this is due to estrogen levels causing the production of bile to alter. Bile is necessary for proper digestion of food particles and it's also needed to lubricate the walls of the intestines.
- Chest pain is a symptom that is typically associated with gas, but not always directly related to bloating. However, it is common enough to mention it as its own symptom. The pain itself can vary between women but is most commonly described as a stabbing pain in the chest. Some may even find it difficult to breathe when their chest feels tightened.
- Constipation can occur for different reasons, but it can also be the cause of bloating. When suffering from constipation you will notice fewer stools, stools that are difficult to pass, drier than usual stools and at times the stools can be painful to pass. This can be caused by a poor diet, lack of hydration, lack of proper fiber, and of course it could be caused by lack of bile during digestion too.
- Increased waist size is a very common side effect of bloating. The culprit is typically water retention. Retaining water has many of its own causes that could include salt intake, hormonal imbalance such as PMS or menopause, thyroid problems, the weather and even seasonal allergies.
- Bloody stools can be the sign of a serious underlying condition, but sometimes it simply occurs when constipation is present due to straining when eliminating. On the other hand if your stools take on a dark color and resemble coffee grounds you visit your doctor as soon as possible as this is a symptom of internal bleeding.
- Vomiting is a side effect often associated with constipation and bloating. This is also true for nausea and upset stomach. It's often thought that it's because digestion has slowed down to the point where the body can't digest the food so it expels it from the body. However, vomiting once or twice isn't enough to warrant concern, and is considered to be normal. When vomiting becomes excessive to the point of dehydration then it's best to seek medical treatment.
Keep in mind these are only some of the symptoms commonly associated with bloating and bloating caused by constipation. It's important that bloating be treated correctly, so it's essential to know what is causing your condition and receive the proper treatment. For many women treating bloating symptoms and it's as simple as small diet change or consuming extra fiber.
