Menopause is not an event. It is a period during which the body usually gives signs that its ability to give new life is coming to an end. They say it’s men’s fault. Yes, they are always to blame. Including the evolutionary approach of nature to consider that after the age of 52 a woman does not need menstruation, since she is not attractive to the male population anyway. We won’t argue with nature now, if she had waited a bit, she probably wouldn’t have known about Monica Bellucci, say. Menstruation, although it is a period, also does not appear out of the blue – at least not in most cases. Medicine notes that 4 years before the onset of menopause, a significant change in the hormonal background has already begun. According to more in-depth research, the decline in the levels of female sex hormones begins even earlier, ten years before menopause itself occurs. Why do we mention menopause so often – women today are hardly concerned about not being able to conceive at 52?! It’s become a household word “She’s in menopause!”, that is, leave her, she’s unbearable, she’s irritable, her emotional state is unstable… Yes, alas, emotional upset is inevitable when your whole organism is readjusting to another stage of its biological cycle and the harmony between the hormones in it is disturbed. You break out in sweat for no apparent reason, you get hot flashes when you want them, you swell up, you constantly feel some purely physical discomfort coming from your body, you gain weight for no reason… In perimenopause – the long period before menopause – the levels of female sex hormones in the female body are fluctuating. We know that normally as we age, estrogens drop, but during this period they are still constantly changing their values. When estrogen levels happen to be higher, it can cause fluid retention and bloating, which in itself is an unpleasant sensation, making us look a little wasted, tired, phlegmatic or cranky. Estrogens are not the only culprits in this condition. It is also linked to the changes that occur in the digestive system at this age, such as changes in appetite, the metabolism of nutrients – alas, it slows down, the emerging health problems that come from, roughly speaking, the years of exploitation of the body, the absorption of air, stress… That is, if until perimenopause we have not learned to maintain healthy habits of eating, sleeping, and lifestyle, in menopause our body will not be able to compensate for them. In order to correctly solve her problem, a woman must be able to distinguish between the cause of a swollen abdomen: whether it is due to fluid retention or gas accumulation. In the second case, the correction in the eating style can significantly relieve. Experts recommend eating more slowly, with slow and sufficient chewing of food, avoiding carbonated drinks and consuming smaller portions of food.More difficult to correct is fluid retention. When the swelling is of such a nature, it is observed not only in the abdomen: usually parts of the legs, arms, even the face are also swollen. Fluid retention creates an unpleasant, almost painful sensation when pressure is applied to the drained parts of the body. NEWS_MORE_BOX What other recommendations would help: Keep your body hydrated – water is the best friend of beauty and health, water provides conditions for good digestion and transport and absorption of nutrients in the body. Move – walking is not enough, you have to do sports. Exercise raises body temperature, accelerates metabolism, unlocks the release of retained fluids in the body as a whole and improves intestinal peristalsis. During a period of a swollen belly, avoid foods that can put an additional burden on the body. Legumes, broccoli, fried foods and generally foods rich in fat are gas-forming. It is more than recommended to reduce salt consumption – you have probably noticed that when you eat a salty delicacy or a meal at night before going to bed, in the morning your face is puffy and you have bags under your eyes… To reduce salt, it is not enough just to not salt supplement your meal, choose your products carefully – our bread contains salt, needless to say about its content in packaged foods, semi-finished products, sausages, too much salt is added in manufacturers even in milk… Avoid chewing gum if you are currently suffering from a swollen belly due to gas – it worsens the condition. Swallowing large portions complicates the digestive process and causes stress on the digestive system, as a result of which the metabolism after a meal slows down and we lose tone. That is why it is recommended to stick to eating small portions and a more rhythmic regime. In addition, the digestive tract can be supported by taking enough probiotics in the form of food – if necessary, we can ferment milk, it does not require so much time. Abdominal swelling is a well-known symptom for women, which appears according to the course of the menstrual cycle – ten days before the onset of menstruation. We are used to it appearing and disappearing, sometimes almost by itself. There are cases in which, however, the swelling lasts for weeks, creates a feeling of pain. Then corrections in the diet and lifestyle, as well as over-the-counter medicines from the pharmacy, such as flatulence and diuretics, do not help. In these cases it is good to see a doctor. The GP would be able to guide from the history whether there is a possible health problem or there is a possibility of a hormonal imbalance that could be corrected with hormone therapy. In contrast to weight gain – alas, it is precisely in these years that we accumulate mass in the abdominal area – abdominal swelling due to fluid or gas retention can be distinguished by several sure signs: the swelling is observed after eating,the size of the abdomen changes drastically in different parts of the day, there is a noticeable discomfort and even pain.