Menopause, Constipation And Stress: Is There A Link Between The Three?

Menopause is a natural biological stage that women go through. It essentially marks the end of the menstrual cycle and women’s ability to create life. Normally, menopause is supposed to hit when women are in their 40s. For some women it may be 40 and for others it may be 50. This transition is usually accompanied with a number of uncomfortable symptoms for instance, hot flashes, mood swings, depressive state, stress or anxiety.

A new study published in the Journal Menopause revealed that certain symptoms of poor gut health could aggravate the symptoms of menopause. It states that there may be a link between stool consistency and frequency and the symptoms of menopause. In simple words, gastrointestinal issues could exacerbate some symptoms. Let us understand how.

What Did The Research Find?

Researchers found that women who had bowel movements twice a week or less were more likely to report their menopause symptoms as bothersome or severe. The study also found a connection between stool consistency and hot flashes.

If any woman has a pre-existing problem with bowel movement are apparently at risk. Experts reveal that women who have bowel movements twice a week or even less than that are the ones at high risk of facing severe symptoms. There is also a string link between hot flashes and stool consistency. Research states that if the consistency is less, the symptoms may be more and vice versa.

Link Between Gut Health, Stress And Menopause

Here are some of the other research findings from the study:

1. Experts not only found a link between gut health and menopause but also between stress, gut health, menopause and physical activity.
2. Women who faced high amounts of stress were also said to face issues with both gut health and menopause symptoms. However, more research is required in this subject.
3. Lack of activity also could cause severe symptoms of menopause.
4. Research also found that women who were facing issues with both stress and constipation, may face more severe menopause symptoms. Basically, the three are interlinked with each other.
5. There is a link between stool consistency and vasomotor symptoms, which causes hot flashes or night sweats.

Further research on this is awaited, keep following TheHealthsite.com for more updates.