The female body is full of secrets and mysteries. Within one month, big changes take place with him. Hormonal changes contribute to a slight malfunction in the work of all other organs and systems. Often, the weaker sex is concerned about diarrhea during menstruation. Why it arises and how to cope with this phenomenon - today's article will tell you.
Diarrhea and its types
Before you find out why diarrhea occurs during your period, you need to learn something about this process. Diarrhea can have two forms: acute and chronic. In the first case, it starts abruptly, proceeds heavily and ends quickly. Chronic diarrhea can torment the patient for a long time (more than a month), but it becomes dangerous to health.
Diarrhea is classified as follows:
- hypokinetic (occurs when slowing down the passage of feces through the intestines, the discharge has an unpleasant odor and a mushy consistency);
- hypersecretory (occurs due to a decrease in the absorption of salts and water from the intestine, liquid feces are noted);
- hyperkinetic (characterized by frequent urges, the cause of which is increased peristalsis);
- hyperexudative (fluid seeps into the inflamed intestine and causes soft, non-abundant stools);
- osmolar (characterized by a violation of the digestion of food, food debris can be seen in the abundantly excreted feces).
Individual treatment is selected depending on the type of diarrhea and its causes. But only a specialist can determine the diagnosis with reliable accuracy. If you are concerned about the question of why, during menstruation, diarrhea, contact your doctor for a diagnosis.
Physiological features: normal
About 30 out of 100 women experience diarrhea during menstruation. Why is this happening? Let's try to understand in more detail.
In most situations, this symptom is not particularly dangerous. It occurs due to a change in the hormonal background. Before menstruation, progesterone is produced in large volumes. This substance is intended to relax the uterus and prepare it for pregnancy. Progesterone also acts on other smooth muscles, including the intestines. As a result, the body relaxes, which leads to diarrhea. If the reason for the increased urge to defecate is a change in the hormonal background, then this is the absolute norm. Nothing wrong with that. It should be noted that this is not always the case. A woman may have diarrhea in one cycle and constipation in the next. Do not worry, on the 3-4th day of menstruation, the disturbing symptoms will disappear on their own. Special treatment is not provided here. If severe cramps bother you, take 1-2 No-Shpa tablets.
Diet change
At the end of the cycle, the woman's appetite changes, which is why during menstruation diarrhea. If on the eve of the bleeding you ate something unusual and unusual for your stomach or consumed incompatible foods, then expect diarrhea. Such a symptom disappears on its own in 2-3 days, subject to a normal diet. The treatment is dieting. Avoid relaxing bowel foods: exotic fruits, sour-milk drinks, sweets and soda. Eliminate fatty and fried foods. Eat soups and cereals to calm the rampant intestines. Oat and rice cereals will help you cope with diarrhea, but they should be cooked without adding milk.
Please note that menstruation is not the right time for experimentation. Therefore, if you want to taste overseas dishes or try the soup of bats, put it aside until the middle of the cycle. Imodium and Loperamide preparations will help you instantly cope with diarrhea. They inhibit peristalsis.
Intestinal infection or virus
Why with menstruation, diarrhea, vomiting and vomiting? If this condition is not a normal reaction to bleeding for you, then you should be wary. Most likely, you have caught the virus - intestinal flu. Diarrhea and nausea are its first symptoms. Also, the temperature may rise, a general malaise appears. This condition can be dangerous, especially when combined with menstruation. What to do?
If you have experience in treating such a disease, then you can try to cope with it yourself. Be sure to use sorbents to cleanse the body: Polysorb, Enterosgel. To restore the water-salt balance, drink more fluids and, if necessary, use Regidron. You can cope with the infection with the help of antiviral immunomodulators: Cycloferon, Ergoferon, Kipferon. Deal with having to stay home for a few days. Treatment of intestinal infection "on the feet" (especially with menstruation) is almost impossible.
Enterocolitis, appendicitis and other pathologies
Why before menstruation diarrhea? Often this symptom is the first bell from diseases such as inflammation of the intestine, stomach ulcer, appendicitis and so on. All of them are accompanied by abdominal pain, sometimes the temperature rises.
It is worth saying right away that such pathologies are not amenable to self-medication. Be sure to consult a doctor for diagnostics and recommendations. Statistics show that only 1% of women (with diarrhea during menstruation) had the opportunity to encounter such diseases.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome : Psychological Causes
Surely a representative of the weaker sex knows why stomach pains during menstruation. Diarrhea that occurs at this time, only enhances the discomfort. Often, the pathology is caused by psychological reasons. In this case, we are talking about irritable bowel syndrome. It sounds scary, but not everything is so dangerous.
To treat this disease, drugs like Duspatalin or Mebeverin are used. You can also use "Drotaverin", "Papaverine." It is possible that medications based on loperamide can be taken. If irritable bowel syndrome is caused by psychological reasons, then a woman is prescribed sedatives. They calm the raging nervous system and tidy up the body.
Intestinal dysbiosis
For what reason does diarrhea begin during menstruation? Why does diarrhea accompany bleeding? The answer to these questions may be hiding in the diagnosis of "dysbiosis". If the intestinal microflora is disturbed, the number of pathogenic microorganisms prevails over the beneficial ones, then diarrhea is an understandable consequence. How to get rid of it in this case?
To begin with, pathogenic bacteria should be eliminated. For this, intestinal antiseptics are used: Enterofuril, Ecofuril, Stopdiar. They are taken for about 3-5 days, after which a course of probiotics is prescribed: Linex, Bifiform, and so on. Be sure to pay attention to the condition of the vaginal microflora. If it is broken, then it is necessary to restore it.
How to treat diarrhea with menstruation?
- Why this symptom arises, you already know. The first thing to do to correct your well-being is to consume more fluid. During menstruation, a woman loses it naturally, and when diarrhea joins, there is a deficit of water and salts.
- The next step in treating diarrhea will be nutritional correction. Pay attention to what you eat. Perhaps some of the products provokes frequent stools. Eat more often, but in smaller portions. Eat only fresh foods. Animal food must be subjected to heat treatment, and fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed.
- If, after following the first two recommendations, diarrhea does not go away, then you should resort to medications. What preparations to use and in what dosages - the specialist will tell you. Pay attention to contraindications.
Why before menstruation diarrhea?
If diarrhea began a few days before the alleged bleeding, then its cause may be hiding in a new position. Almost every woman in the early stages of pregnancy notes a violation of the stool. If menstruation does not start on the set day, then it is worth using a test. It is possible that he will show a positive result.
If you are not pregnant, and you are wondering why on the first day of menstruation diarrhea, then consult a doctor. Only a professional will be able to understand the problem and determine the tactics for its elimination. Have a good health!