Estrogen and progesterone are the two primary female sex hormones, and these levels fluctuate as you enter into menopause, which may cause some adverse reactions within your body. “Too little, or too much progesterone can definitely cause a woman to feel bloated,” explains functional medicine doctor Wendie Trubow, M.D. “Typically, as a woman is transitioning into menopause, it’s from too little progesterone, so we recommend checking the levels.”
These shifts in hormones can directly affect your well-being. “Initially, the reduction and cessation of ovulation leads to a reduction of progesterone, accompanied by fluctuations in estrogen levels and eventually a reduction of estrogen below the threshold necessary for menstruation,” notes holistic gynecologist Eden Fromberg, Ph.D. “Menopause is, by definition, the cessation of menstruation for a full year accompanied by these hormonal shifts.”
During this time, the body may retain more fluid than usual, resulting in what is known as menopause bloating. Therefore, in order to ease these changes within your body, it can be useful to target fluid retention, in particular.
