Many women have a healthy digestive system most of the time, but they get diarrhea during their period, which is really distressing.
Traditional Chinese medicine considers diarrhea during menstruation to fall under the category of "menstrual disorders," and there's a specific term for it in TCM—"menstrual diarrhea." So, what exactly causes diarrhea during menstruation?
What causes diarrhea during menstruation?
Endocrine disorders
Before menstruation, a woman's uterus secretes a large amount of prostaglandins to prepare for the upcoming period.
Prostaglandins work by causing the uterus to contract and stop bleeding during menstruation. However, prostaglandins not only help the uterus clot blood, but they also affect the gastrointestinal tract, increasing intestinal motility and potentially causing diarrhea.
But then someone asked, "Why didn't I have this problem before? Why did it suddenly start happening recently?"
Actually, this is related to the body's resistance. If a person has a weak constitution, and women's resistance is also weaker during menstruation, their digestive system is more easily affected, leading to diarrhea.
Gastrointestinal dysfunction
During menstruation, the digestive system is more sensitive than at other times. Even slight irritation, such as getting chilled or eating cold or raw foods, can easily cause diarrhea. Therefore, women need to pay attention to their diet and keep warm during menstruation to prevent diarrhea.
Qi and blood deficiency
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that diarrhea during menstruation in most women is caused by insufficient qi and blood.
Women with insufficient Qi and blood may experience symptoms such as cold hands and feet, a cold constitution, and weakness. During menstruation, these women concentrate their limited Qi and blood to cope with menstruation, leading to insufficient Qi and blood supply to other organs such as the stomach and intestines, which can cause diarrhea.
Diarrhea during menstruation can have a significant impact on a woman's body. In addition, menstruation is a special physiological period for women, so having diarrhea during this time can be very distressing.
How to prevent diarrhea during menstruation?
Replenish Qi and Blood
Women with sufficient Qi and blood not only have a rosy and radiant complexion, but can also prevent diarrhea during menstruation.
Women can eat more foods that nourish qi and blood and warm the uterus, such as red dates and longan, to replenish qi and blood, nourish blood and calm the mind, and regulate symptoms of qi and blood deficiency and spleen deficiency.
If diarrhea has already occurred during menstruation, you can drink some brown sugar ginger tea to regulate your stomach and intestines, warm your uterus, and relieve diarrhea symptoms.
Keep your body warm.
Some fashion-conscious women like to expose their navels, ankles, or legs when they dress, which makes it easy for cold air to invade the body and cause uterine coldness, leading to dysmenorrhea and diarrhea.
Women should pay particular attention to keeping warm, especially their abdomen and feet. Only when the body is warm can blood circulation throughout the body be accelerated.
Soaking feet before bed
The feet have many acupoints, and soaking your feet before bed can promote blood circulation. While soaking your feet, you can also massage the soles, which can improve your constitution, delay aging, and alleviate menstrual diarrhea.
Don't stay up late.
Women should go to bed earlier during their menstrual period, as the harm of staying up late during this time is greater than at other times. Developing good sleep habits can prevent diarrhea during menstruation.
