Why does the face swell before menstruation. Why swelling occurs during menstruation and how to deal with it

24.04.2020 -

Every girl aged 13-14 is faced with the onset of menstruation. This process is not painless for everyone, for some it causes a lot of trouble and inconvenience. Edema before menstruation torments every third woman. As a rule, they occur in the area of the feet, ankle, often on the face and abdomen. Is it possible to deal with them? We will try to find the answer to this question in the article.

Extra pounds or swelling?

Many women note that they get better before the onset of menstruation. Favorite jeans become small, and dresses begin to fit too tightly. At the same time, no diets and sports do not help. What is the reason? It's all about edema, which is problematic to deal with.

Experts say that women these days are changing dramatically. In place of the usual estrogens, progesterones come, which contribute to fluid retention in the body. Edema before menstruation is a common thing for the female. Shortly after the end of the critical days, excess fluid is safely removed. Forms are back in place. If the edema bothers the woman too much and makes her normal life unbearable, it is necessary to seek the advice of a doctor.

Why do edema occur?

On women's forums, you can often see the question: "Why does the body swell before menstruation?". The reason may be in the individual characteristics of the body of each girl. In this case, getting rid of the problem will not work.

If the matter is in hormones, you can try to correct the general background. To do this, you must pass the appropriate analysis. The hormone estrogen, which rises in the blood before critical days, is able to retain salts in the body. In this regard, the liquid is not brought out, edema is formed.

In addition, the body may lack two elements: magnesium and vitamin B6. They are not only important for normal general well-being, but also maintain the desired water balance.

If the edema disappears after the spotting has begun to go, you should not sound the alarm. In 90% of cases, this can be restored with the help of birth control pills, which are selected individually, based on the results of hormone tests.

If the swelling persists, you should consult a doctor. This may indicate:

Vascular pathologies.

Heart failure.

Problems with the lymph nodes.

Varicose veins.

In any case, if the body swells before menstruation, it is better to consult a doctor.

Who is more prone to edema?

There are categories of women who endure menstruation too hard. It can be both an individual feature of the body, and a hormonal failure. Most often, women turn to gynecologists with a similar problem:

After 30 years. It is at this age that the hormonal background begins to change.

With an irregular cycle. In this case, in addition to edema, serious gynecological diseases (cysts, polyps, endometriosis, and so on) can be added.

Since a woman does not ovulate, she cannot become pregnant.

Edema before menstruation can cause a lot of trouble for a woman, especially in the summer months, when additional factors are: high temperature, low humidity.

Getting rid of edema with traditional methods

Many women ask about how to get rid of edema? To do this is quite simple. Doctors advise to increase the amount of fluid consumed. It is better that it be water without gas or natural vegetable juices. The liquid will help flush out excess toxins and salts from the body that accumulate in the tissues.

Try to eat as little salty, smoked, spicy foods as possible. You can also reduce the amount of sodium, but only after consulting a doctor to do this without harm to the body.

If swelling before menstruation causes a lot of trouble, the best way to get rid of them is to wear during this period. This method is only suitable for the cool season. Modern products have a beautiful look, all kinds of patterns and colors.

Many women take diuretics, but this should be done after consulting a doctor, otherwise the situation can only worsen.

We stick to a diet

So that edema does not torment before critical days, a woman should stick to a diet. Forget about fast food, fatty, spicy, salty, smoked foods. The diet should include foods that contain potassium. Among them: bananas, fish, spinach, oatmeal.

A great addition would be the use of fresh berries, fruits and vegetables. It is advisable to exclude red meat, it helps to increase the level of progesterone in the blood.

It's time to apply traditional medicine

Many women are interested in the question: “Why can’t swelling before menstruation be removed forever?”. To deal with the problem, you need to find out what causes it. If it is a matter of individual characteristics, you will have to accept and do everything to reduce swelling. In this case, herbs will come to the rescue. For example, blueberry leaves will help remove excess water from the body. This will improve the condition of the skin. Contraindications - taking drugs for blood thinning.

Another natural remedy that has a diuretic effect is common dandelion. It should be taken according to the instructions detailed on the package. From edema, light massage and contrast showers, as well as compresses, can also help.

For many women, things don't go as smoothly as we would like. Very often they are tormented by swelling before menstruation. The reason may lie in the violation of hormonal balance. In any case, consultation with a doctor is necessary.

Water retention before a period can be uncomfortable and annoying, but lifestyle changes, medications, and dietary supplements can help relieve this common premenstrual symptom.

Water retention is a classic symptom of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). For most women, water retention is just a monthly concern, but in some cases it can be severe enough to interfere with your daily activities.

Why Water Retention Occurs

Premenstrual water retention causes bloating, a feeling of heaviness for a week or two before menstruation begins. What leads to water retention and other PMS symptoms is not clear, but hormonal changes seem to play an important role. Heredity can also be a factor. Dietary habits - lack of certain vitamins or too much salt - can also contribute to water retention.

Lifestyle changes

Good health care can help reduce water retention.

Incorporate physical activity into your daily life. Women who make time for regular physical activity report fewer PMS symptoms overall.
less salt. Limiting the amount of salt in the diet can prevent water retention. Don't add extra salt to your food at the table or during cooking, and eat less processed food. Also look out for hidden sources of salt, such as soy sauce, canned vegetables, soups, and deli meats.
Eat healthy food. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Avoid caffeine and alcohol.

Consider drugs

If you can't control premenstrual water retention with lifestyle changes, various medications can help. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your desire to conceive, and other factors, options for getting rid of excess water may include:

Diuretics. These drugs, also called diuretics, are available by prescription to help reduce fluid buildup. Be aware that taking ibuprofen or other NSAIDs and diuretics at the same time can damage your kidneys.
Birth control pills. Some research suggests that oral contraceptives that prevent ovulation may help reduce the physical symptoms of PMS.

Choose Your Supplements Carefully

Calcium.
Magnesium.
B vitamins such as thiamine and riboflavin.
Vitamin E.

Check with your doctor before taking dietary supplements or herbal remedies. Taking too many of these products, or taking them with other medicines, can harm you. For example, too much vitamin E can be problematic for women who have diabetes or heart disease.

Menstruation, or menstruation, is a physiological process that is observed in every woman. It is the stage of the cycle during which the outer layer of the uterus, the endometrium, is shed. The main function of menstruation is to prepare the female body for pregnancy. Before the onset of menstruation and in the first days of the cycle, a woman has various symptoms. Some of them lead to disability. One of these is swelling of the legs before menstruation. Further about what this symptom is connected with, and for what reasons it spreads to other parts of the body.

Causes

The work of the female body directly depends on hormones, the indicators of which change throughout the entire menstrual cycle. So, during the luteal phase - the period of time between ovulation and the onset of menstrual bleeding - the corpus luteum of the ovary begins to rapidly produce progesterone, estradiol, androgens. These hormones lead to poor health before menstruation, including the formation of edema.

The main reason is fluid retention in the body. With increased production of hormones in the premenstrual period, the water-salt balance is disturbed. As a result, fluid and salts are retained in the tissues.

Why does swelling before menstruation bother a woman, what hormones affect it?

- female sex hormones, formed by ovarian follicles - the main culprits for the appearance of edema before the onset of menstruation. It is believed that they retain sodium and fluid in the cells, which leads to their concentration in tissues.

Progesterone. The level of this hormone (produced by the corpus luteum of the ovary and having many useful functions, the main of which are: a woman's ability to conceive, endometrial renewal, providing a diuretic effect, removing excess sodium from the body) increases a few days before the onset of menstruation. A significant reduction in its performance occurs during menstruation. At this time, the woman's health returns to normal.

The hormone responsible for the production of breast milk in the postpartum period, stimulation and development of the mammary glands. leads to sodium stagnation in the body.

pituitary hormone (ACTH). Influences the production of progesterone and estrogen. Against the background of stressful situations and emotional overload, it is produced in greater quantities. This causes a disruption in the interconnection of brain regions and increased reabsorption of fluid in the kidneys.

Vasopressin. During the premenstrual period, vasopressin, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, is also intensively synthesized. Its increased production leads to an antidiuretic effect, which helps to reduce the frequency of urination. This causes fluid retention in the body.

Leads to edema in all parts of the body lack of vitamins and minerals, as well as the presence of toxic substances in the body of a woman.

The premenstrual period is almost always accompanied by increased appetite. A woman begins to abuse fried, spicy, salty foods, which leads to fluid retention in the body. The most dangerous provocateur of edema is salt. This product literally attracts water and prevents it from escaping naturally.

At the same time, the desire to move also disappears. I want to lie down all the time, apathy, fatigue, weakness appear. A decrease in activity and a prolonged stay in one position leads to fluid retention in the tissues. Hence the swelling on the body. And this happens only in order to protect a woman from possible dehydration, serious blood loss with heavy bleeding during menstruation.

Causes of leg swelling

Swelling of the legs, as well as other parts of the body, at the end of the second cycle occur due to hormonal imbalance. But there are a number of other factors that provoke the appearance of a symptom in this area.

Big load on the legs. A few days before menstruation, a woman prone to swelling in her legs needs to reduce the load on her lower limbs. It will help in combating the problem of compression stockings, taking a foot bath at night, massage, the location of the legs during rest above the plane of the body.

Fatigue.

Large amount of fluid taken at night.

Flat feet, varicose veins.

Overweight.

Narrow, poor quality, improperly selected shoes.

Uncontrolled drug intake.

Lack of magnesium, vitamin B6.

Determining swelling in the legs is easy. It is enough to press on the caviar. A hole will appear there, which will not disappear for a long time. As soon as the menstruation is over, the puffiness will disappear.

Causes of swelling of the face, hands, body

Girls with cardiac, vascular, endocrine, infectious diseases, pathologies of the kidneys, liver, metabolic disorders in the body, beriberi, hypertension, and obesity are at risk. Why does the body, hands, face swell before menstruation? Influence it:

wrong way of life;

lack of sleep;

drinking large amounts of fluid at night;

fatigue, physical and mental overwork;

bad habits;

poor circulation, blockage of blood vessels;

hormonal disbalance.

Another contributing factor is overweight and obesity.

Is it dangerous

Doctors say that swelling before menstruation is quite normal. As soon as menstruation ends, the hormonal background will be restored, the symptom will immediately disappear. But this does not happen to all women. The symptom continues to disturb even after it ends. It occurs in girls with:

overweight - estrogens tend to concentrate in adipose tissue;

irregular cycle;

diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys in a chronic form;

diseases of the genital organs - endometriosis, the presence of cysts, polyps in the ovaries;

cardiac pathologies.

The likelihood of edema is increased in adolescent girls, women over 40 who are waiting for menopause, and also in those who take hormonal drugs for a long time.

Improper and irrational nutrition, sedentary lifestyle, constant stress, physical overload, the presence of addictions also cause swelling of the body.

How does it manifest

Before the onset of menstruation, both the whole body and its individual parts can swell - the face, arms, legs, abdomen, the area under the eyes, and the mammary glands.

In the evening, the symptom becomes more pronounced. If the whole body is swollen, then the woman notices a noticeable unrelated weight gain - by 2-3 kg. At the same time, the feeling of heaviness does not leave. After the end of menstruation, the weight returns to its original values.

On the face, edema manifests itself in the form of swelling under the eyes, the appearance of bags. On the legs, puffiness occurs in the area of \u200b\u200bthe feet, less often - on the surface of the ankles and shins. Sensations - as if the legs are bursting from the inside, the shoes suddenly become tight.

Swelling of the mammary glands is necessarily accompanied by discomfort and bursting pain in the entire chest. Sometimes it comes to the point that it is painful for a woman to take off her bra. On the hands, the symptom most often manifests itself in the area of \u200b\u200bthe hands and fingers. You can detect swelling by hard-to-remove rings.

What to do

To begin with, a woman should consult a doctor to exclude the pathological process. If, after passing the tests, it turned out that the symptom appears for physiological reasons, the doctor will advise:

increase the volume of consumed purified liquid up to 2 liters (it is better to drink water in the morning);

reduce the amount of salt (it is better to completely abandon the product in the premenstrual period, especially for those women who are prone to edema);

take diuretic (diuretic) drugs;

review the nutritious diet and introduce diuretic products into the menu - grapes, beets, pineapple, pumpkin, cucumbers, watermelon, fennel and parsley.

It would be nice to play sports. Gymnastics and light exercises will accelerate the removal of excess fluid from the body of a woman. Taking a soothing warm bath will also help. But to arrange fasting days and go on a strict diet during this period is unnecessary. Nutrition should be balanced and correct.

Edema before menstruation is a normal physiological process that affects every second woman. To prevent their occurrence, you need to carefully monitor your health at the end of the second cycle, switch to the right diet, move more, avoid stress, excessive physical activity and drink more water.

A lot of women a few days before the onset of monthly bleeding note that the body becomes looser and swells slightly. Edema can form on the face - it becomes puffy - eyelids, legs can swell.

Very often, the breasts swell and hurt, the stomach increases slightly (and sometimes quite significantly). All this suggests that a woman suffers from an edematous form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

What are the causes of swelling of the face and how to get rid of it?

In many women, before the onset of menstruation, the face also swells. What is the reason for such a cosmetic defect?

It has already been mentioned that at the end of the monthly cycle - a few days before the onset of bleeding - the woman's body produces the maximum amount of estrogen and progesterone. It is estrogen that is able to retain salt in the body, which automatically entails the formation of edema.

So that the face does not swell on the eve of critical days, it is advisable to follow a certain diet:

from the twentieth to the thirtieth day of the menstrual cycle in the diet, it is necessary to increase the total amount of fresh vegetables and fruits;
to save the face from edema, it is worth reducing salt intake;
but if the face, nevertheless, is swollen, it is necessary to start drinking as much pure water as possible.

Why do breasts swell before menstruation?

According to statistics, every third woman, shortly before the onset of menstruation, complains that her chest hurts. The mammary glands during this period become more sensitive and can increase quite significantly in volume. In this case, the pain can be described as mild discomfort, but sometimes it is quite severe pain. With the onset of bleeding, the symptoms disappear, and the chest becomes the same.

But why does the breast hurt and increase in size just before menstruation? Everything is quite simple. Similarly, a woman's body prepares for the onset of a possible pregnancy.

The pregnancy hormone - progesterone - is actively produced just before the onset of monthly bleeding, causing an increase in the lobes of the mammary gland. In parallel with this, the ducts of the mammary glands become more branched and, as a result, a feeling of fullness and pain.

But since the conception did not take place and the woman will not breastfeed the child, the edema subsides, and the mammary glands return to their original state.

Do not forget that before menstruation, the chest can hurt for various reasons, and not just because of the banal PMS. The reasons may be:

general hormonal disorders;
pathology of the mammary glands themselves;
developing tumors;
various inflammations of glandular tissues, etc.

That is why, with complaints of breast soreness before menstruation, a woman is recommended to visit a mammologist.

Quite often, the chest hurts and swells before menstruation with mastopathy - a pathology caused by a significant growth of the ducts of the mammary gland and the formation of numerous cysts. The pains are sometimes very strong, but subside with the onset of monthly bleeding.

How can you help?

Taking oral contraceptives helps to eliminate such unpleasant symptoms. But the gynecologist should be engaged in the selection of funds, since the appointment takes into account many features of the female body.

The cause of premenstrual breast swelling can be excessive consumption of salty foods and coffee. If you limit the amount of these products or completely refuse, then you can reduce the unpleasant manifestations of PMS, or completely avoid the development of unpleasant symptoms.

To alleviate the discomfort, it is recommended these days to wear comfortable underwear that supports the chest well. You also need to give up too fatty foods and start taking B vitamins, in particular B1 and B6. Cold compresses will help relieve severe swelling.

Swollen legs - a sign of edematous PMS

Quite often, women notice that before the onset of monthly bleeding, their legs swell. Edema can form in the feet, but can also spread to the surface of the ankle and lower leg. Swelling of the legs in this case is due to the same hormonal changes, but such edema is a physiological norm and should not cause unrest.

What can be done?

First of all, you need to consult a doctor. He must make sure that such swelling of the feet before menstruation is not a sign of any pathology. To eliminate puffiness, a specialist may advise.

Increase your daily clean water intake. It is ordinary drinking water that helps to remove accumulated salts and toxins that provoke swelling.

Reduce the use of salt especially a few days before and during menstruation. Salt is another common reason why leg swelling is formed during this period.

Wearing compression stockings. Today, medical underwear practically does not differ at all from ordinary stockings, but it solves problems with swelling of the legs perfectly.

Performing self-massage of the feet. The procedure helps to remove swelling.

Start taking diuretics. The doctor should select drugs, taking into account the characteristics of the body of each particular patient.

Change your diet. In the daily menu shortly before the onset of menstruation, you can enter products that have diuretic properties. These include - pineapple, grapes, parsley, pumpkin, beets and some others.

Alternative ways to eliminate leg swelling

If traditional methods fail to remove swelling, then you can use alternative methods and start taking herbs. But before starting treatment, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

It is important to remember that diuretic herbs should not be taken at the same time as medical diuretics. The therapeutic effect can be very bright and cause significant harm to a woman's body.

If we talk about what herbs can be used to eliminate puffiness, then these can be:

blueberry leaves, this is an excellent antioxidant that perfectly relieves swelling, the remedy cannot be combined with taking blood-thinning drugs.
grape seed extract, the product is also a good antioxidant with anti-edematous properties.
dandelion is a powerful diuretic, taking dandelion infusion cannot be combined with medical diuretics and blood-thinning drugs, the plant is forbidden to be taken even with existing gallbladder pathologies.

A safe way to eliminate swelling of the legs are a contrast shower and cool compresses from the infusion of yarrow. The main thing is the regularity of procedures

Summary

Edema before the onset of menstruation is a rather unpleasant condition that brings discomfort to many women. But it should not cause cause for concern, since such swelling is practically a physiological norm. In addition, the development of monthly puffiness can be avoided, since there are many safe methods.

Compliance with a special diet and sufficient physical activity will help improve well-being and relieve the unpleasant symptoms of edematous PMS.

The mood and well-being of a woman is completely subordinate to hormonal fluctuations, therefore, in the period before menstruation and during them, the fair sex cannot boast of good health. The thing is that a few days before menstruation, the level of progesterone in the blood is as high as possible, which provokes a number of unpleasant symptoms in a woman. This is heaviness in the lower abdomen, skin rashes, excessive appetite, drowsiness, swelling of the mammary glands and swelling. As for the last symptom, fluid retention occurs during premenstrual syndrome (hereinafter referred to as PMS) in the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity and uterus. Then the edema spreads to parts of the body containing fatty tissue (thighs, abdomen and buttocks), which is why many women find with horror that the usual size of trousers becomes tight. Puffiness also provokes a decrease in the number of urination and the volume of urine produced, because progesterone is considered an antidiuretic hormone.

During the end of the menstrual cycle in women, in most cases, the face and legs swell, which causes significant discomfort, especially in the heat. It is worth noting that edema during PMS is subject to:

overweight women;
women with vegetovascular dystonia;
women with kidney disease;
women in the premenopausal period.

How to deal with swelling of the legs and face with PMS?

First of all, correction of the daily regimen will help prevent swelling in the last days before menstruation. On the eve of critical days, every woman should pay special attention to the diet. It is recommended to limit the consumption of fatty meat, dairy products, fried foods, smoked meats, semi-finished products and spices. It does not hurt to temporarily exclude drinks containing caffeine (coffee, cola, energy drinks), as they excite the nervous system and exacerbate the problem of edema. In the menu, you can enter products with a diuretic effect: peaches, plums, apricots, citrus fruits, apples, cucumbers, zucchini, watermelon and pumpkin.

From drinks, preference should be given to pure water, decoctions of herbs and natural juices. High-quality drinking and nutrition will help prevent swelling of the legs and face before menstruation.

If swelling still appears, then you can get rid of them with the help of some simple tricks:

If the face is swollen, then in the morning you can improve its appearance with the help of such a mask: a raw potato tuber is finely rubbed on a grater, and the resulting mass is evenly distributed over the eyelids. The mask is left for 15 minutes, after which it is washed off with cool water.
Soak two cotton pads in chilled green tea and apply a compress on the eyelids for 15 minutes. Green tea perfectly tones the skin and relieves puffiness.
Egg white mask perfectly eliminates bags under the eyes. To perform the procedure, it is enough to whisk the protein with a whisk and apply it under the lower eyelids for 15 minutes.
Raw protein mask perfectly eliminates puffiness under the eyes. They do it this way: beat the protein with a whisk and apply it under the lower eyelids for 15 minutes.
Whole milk is poured into a cup and two ice cubes are added. Soak two cotton pads with milk and apply them as a compress for 10 minutes to the eyelids.
One teaspoon of chopped parsley is mixed with two teaspoons of 20% fat sour cream. The mask is applied to the face and washed with cold water after 20 minutes.
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary are crushed and poured into a glass of boiling water. The decoction is infused for seven days in a dark place. In the morning, the infusion is used instead of a cleanser.
To relieve swelling of the legs during PMS, you can wipe them every evening with an ice cube made from a decoction of chamomile or strong coffee.
In order for the swelling on the legs to subside, it is recommended to prepare such a bath: a glass of salt is dissolved in 10 liters of water, and then a tablespoon of soda and a teaspoon of iodine are added. The legs are lowered into the resulting liquid for 10 minutes. The procedure can be done at any time of the day.

At home, you can also make some means for oral administration:

Three bay leaves pour a glass of boiling water. The decoction is taken in a tablespoon three times a day. Important: if there is a high probability that a woman is pregnant, then this remedy for eliminating edema should not be taken.
A tablespoon of dried and crushed rose hips is poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water and the broth is insisted all night under the lid. Take three glasses a day. Rosehip not only helps fight swelling, but also strengthens the immune system, which becomes weakened before menstruation.
Three tablespoons of unpeeled oats are poured over a liter of water and insisted overnight. In the morning, the infusion is boiled for 20 minutes. Take a remedy from oats 1/5 cup five times a day.

During the end of the cycle, a woman should rest a lot, walk in the fresh air and not worry about trifles. To avoid swelling of the legs, it is recommended to walk in comfortable shoes, avoid physical inactivity and do simple exercises for the legs. To prevent swelling of the face, you should sleep on a high pillow, do not abuse salty foods in the evening, and also limit eye strain before bedtime (reading, working at a computer).

When are medications prescribed?

For some women, the symptoms of PMS require medication. The decision to prescribe drugs is made by the gynecologist, but only if the woman has passed all the studies, in particular, a blood test for sex hormones. In most cases, with severe PMS, hormonal drugs, vitamins, potassium-sparing diuretics, vitamins, and sedatives are prescribed. Medicines are taken according to the scheme prescribed by the doctor. Edema before menstruation cannot be treated with diuretics on its own!

It is worth considering that severe swelling may not be associated with PMS. If, after the measures taken, the puffiness does not go away or worsens, then most likely it is caused by other reasons. To make an accurate diagnosis, you should consult a doctor and undergo a complete examination.