Period symptoms can be distressing for many women. From headaches to cramps and moodiness, when your time of the month rolls round, it normally brings with out some physical strains.

Bloating on your period is one of the most uncomfortable symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Bloating can often be painful and cause low self esteem if you don’t feel your best self or as confident in your clothes.

Dr Karan Rajan is an NHS surgeon and TikTok doctor. He boasts over 10 million followers across his social media platforms with his medical myth-busting and health advice videos.

The Sunday Times bestselling author recently waded into the conversation around period bloating after stitching a video of a woman showing off her stomach, captioning it, “no guys this has to be my worst period bloating yet”.

Dr Karan may have come to the rescue, though. The podcaster explained how getting more of one overlooked food group can help excessive bloating, and ease the discomfort that an expanded belly brings.

Stomach or belly pain with detail of female hands holding her underbelly
Endometriosis is a long-term condition and symptoms can be debilitating (Image: simpleimages / Getty)

“If you get bloated during your period there’s one thing which might help that most people don’t talk about,” Dr Karan explained.

“The female pelvis is like a biological lasagne – these spaghetti like intestines wrap around the gynaecological organs so GI symptoms like bloating, pain, diarrhoea, constipation, are not uncommon.

“The most common cause of bloating during menstruation is hormonal fluctuation in oestrogen and progesterone levels… which could potentially contribute to more bloating.”

Providing a possible solution, the expert went on: “Increasing your intake of soluble dietary fibre means fibre can bind to hormones like oestrogen and progesterone in the digestive tract and reduce their reabsorption.

“This could lead to reduced bloating.”

However, Dr Karan importantly mentioned if you experience severe bloating, pain and cramps, you should seek a medical opinion to get things like fibroids, adenomyosis and endometriosis ruled out.

“It’s very common for endometriosis to grow in the space between the rectum and uterus and they’re basically squished next to each other touching.”

He further warned: “You can get symptoms like pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhoea because of a gynaecological condition.”

Endometriosis is a long-term condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb is found elsewhere in the body. The symptoms can be debilitating.

More than 100,000 women are living with endometriosis in Scotland, according to Endometriosis UK.

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