Menopause and constipation
Digestive problems are so common in perimenopause and menopause, and as I explained with my colleague Ali last week, constipation is a common problem that can worsen at this time. But you may be surprised to learn that constipation itself can impact your other menopause symptoms too!
So, today I am going to look at why constipation can impact or worsen other menopause symptoms, and what you can do to help ease constipation during perimenopause and menopause.
Falling oestrogen is known to slow down transit time in the gut, so the waste products from your digestion are sitting in your digestive tract for a lot longer, causing stools to end up getting harder and more difficult to pass.
Constipation is defined as:
- Only going to the toilet about three times a week
- Having to strain dreadfully to pass anything
- Stools that are hard, small, and lumpy.
There's a really interesting guide that you can look at called the Bristol Stool Scale (see image below), and that will give you a good indication as to whether you are suffering from constipation or not. If your stool resembles type 1 and 2, then this is a sign that you are experiencing constipation.
The problem is that when you're constipated, all that debris from your digestive tract is going to sit there for longer, and the longer it sits there without being eliminated, the more problems will arise.
Elimination is about eliminating toxins and waste products from your body. These are things that your body doesn't need. So, if these are sitting in your digestive tract for days at a time, then water, toxins, and excess hormones end up being reabsorbed into the body. And this is what causes the problem. You end up having all of these things whizzing around the body again and that will put extra strain on everything.
Menopause symptoms impacted by constipation
Being constipated once in a while is fine, but having it more than occasionally can cause other problems and impact other symptoms during menopause such as:
1. Pelvic floor problems
When you're constipated, that mass of waste means that more weight and strain are pressing down on your pelvic floor muscles, which are often already impacted by menopause.
If you've got a big mass of waste sitting in there, it can squash your bladder tremendously so you end up with weak bladder function, possibly incontinence, and you will find that you have to run to the toilet regularly because your bladder can only hold a small amount of urine at a time.
If your pelvic floor muscles get weaker due to ongoing constipation, this can then lead to things like a prolapse of the bowel, bladder and vagina, because it reduces the structural support for those organs.
Constipation can also cause haemorrhoids. If you're straining regularly, then you can end up with haemorrhoids. So, this is a really horrible situation to be in.
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2. Bloating
A lot of bloating can be caused by constipation. If waste is sitting around for a long time, it's going to produce a lot of fermentation and gas. So, you're going to get swelling up and down daily. You are possibly going to be passing a lot of wind, probably some of it not very nice smelling as well. So again, bloating and lots of smelly wind, these are good indications of constipation.
3. Joint pain
Joint pain is one of the most common and worst symptoms of menopause, but constipation can impact your joints even more! All the uneliminated toxins whizzing back around the body can cause more joint inflammation and pain.
4. Headaches
The toxins zipping around can also cause or worsen headaches, another common perimenopause and menopause symptom. This is quite interesting because a lot of women find that their headaches get worse just before they go and empty their bowels. And then once they've been to the toilet, suddenly the headaches are gone. So again, that's a good indication that your bowels are not working particularly well.
5. Fatigue
Fatigue during perimenopause and menopause is a common issue, and constipation can also make this symptom worse. All the toxins in your system are going to cause fatigue and your poor liver is going to be dealing with these toxins two or three times over.
I've looked at how important liver function is during menopause before, but one reason is that it helps to make and store energy. So, if your liver is struggling and impacted by constipation, it can make your fatigue worse.
If your liver is totally overwhelmed due to constant constipation, then that won't help with hormonal balance, which in itself can have a big impact on your oestrogen and progesterone levels.
6. Skin problems
Skin problems are a common issue during menopause, and constipation can cause many of these skin issues to worsen, including causing more spots and rashes. If your body can't eliminate toxins through the bowel, it needs to get rid of them some other way. And the skin is a huge detoxification organ, so a lot of toxins will be pushed out through the skin.
7. Mood swings & irritability
Your mood can be greatly impacted during menopause and cause symptoms such as mood swings and irritability. Constipation can also cause you to feel low and irritable, compounding mood issues even more. Again, a lot of women find once they've been to the toilet, their mood just seems to lift quite dramatically.
What can help ease constipation during perimenopause and menopause?
So, what do you do here to help yourself and to ease the impact that constipation is having on your other perimenopause or menopause symptoms? Here's what I recommend:
Drink plenty of water: This is really important for constipation to keep everything moving.
Eat a diet rich in high-fibre foods: So that's loads of veg, plenty of fruit, whole grains as well. I know, for me, the thing that keeps me most regular is a portion of salad twice a day. So regardless of what I'm eating for my lunch, I'll have a small bowlful of salad leaves and I will also have the same thing in the evening, as well as all the other vegetables and things that I'm eating. And I find that that really keeps me regular, ongoing.
Try some prunes: You can look at things like prunes and prune juice. It's an old-fashioned remedy but boy, this one works really well.
Organic Prune Juice from Biotta
- 100% organic & natural
- Traditionally used to help support healthy digestion
- Dietary fibres in a drink
- Suitable for vegans
Eat fewer processed foods: Make sure that you're not eating a lot of highly processed, high-salt and sugar foods.
Walk more: When walking, your whole digestive tract is going to be massaged by the action of walking, so this is a great one for dealing with constipation. A 10-minute brisk walk a day can really help with this situation.
Look at natural laxatives if you need some extra help: Don't rely on these, though, because they can make your bowel really lazy. So just now and again, if you're really stuck, natural laxatives such as linseed and senna can help. You could also look at a good, daily probiotic to help improve your digestive health.
So, I hope you found this one helpful. It's really interesting how one symptom can impact so several other menopause symptoms. So hopefully, this will help you. If any of you have suffered from constipation and have found something that's helped you, please share. We would love to hear about it.
Until next week, take care.
You may also find these blogs helpful:
Why does digestion get worse in perimenopause and menopause?
