Menstruation and diarrhea: any link?

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Menstruation and diarrhea are often linked due to the excess production of prostaglandin by the uterus during a woman’s monthly cycle. This compound causes muscle relaxation and contractions, leading to both the expulsion of the uterine lining and premature bowel movements. Symptoms can be alleviated by increasing the levels of lilyc and linoleic acid in the body, eating healthy, exercising, using a heating pad, and avoiding certain foods.

Many women experience the symptoms of menstruation and diarrhea together during their monthly cycle. This is believed to be the result of an excess amount of a compound known as a prostaglandin which the uterus produces in larger quantities during the menstrual cycle. Prostaglandins cause both muscle relaxation and contractions that help collect and move the uterine lining out of the uterus. If too much of the compound is made, it can travel through the rest of the body, including the colon, where it can cause diarrhea.

The process that causes the connection between menstruation and diarrhea begins just before the start of a woman’s monthly period, when the cells in the uterus start making more prostaglandins. Once menstruation begins, the compounds cause an increase in the number of contractions in the uterus, thus allowing the lining to be expelled effectively. The problems associated with making too many prostaglandins start in the uterus, where high levels of the compound can cause more forceful and painful contractions.

When the excess prostaglandins start traveling through the bloodstream, the reaction responsible for the direct connection between menstruation and diarrhea begins. Once the blood has carried the compound to the large intestine, which is lined with smooth muscle similar to that of the uterus, it causes it to contract faster and harder than usual and then causes the intestine to expel its contents prematurely. High prostaglandin levels are also usually the cause of the vomiting, headache and nausea that many women experience during menstruation.

Since prostaglandin causes muscles to relax and contract, adverse symptoms resulting from excessive amounts of the compound may be reduced if the elements in it that cause muscles to relax are increased. This can be helped by increasing the levels of lilyc and linoleic acid in the body. These acids are most commonly found in fish and vegetables.

Symptoms of both menstruation and diarrhea that appear during a monthly cycle can be relieved in a number of ways. Eating healthy and getting adequate exercise can help symptoms by improving overall health. Relaxing with a heating pad on your lower abdomen or back can directly address the pain. An over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen can reduce bloating associated with both diarrhea and menstruation. Overall cramping can also be reduced by avoiding caffeine, refined sugars, red meat, and foods with a high fat content.




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