Sometimes the period can be accompanied by diarrhea or more liquid and frequent stools. The specific reason has not yet been determined, but they already point to some causes that could have a lot to do with it.
An inflammatory process
La Dra. Núria Parera, gynecologist at the center Dexeus Women notes that one of the possible causes may be an inflammatory process. Due to the changes in the menstrual cycle and the arrival of the period at the end of it, an inflammatory reaction occurs in the internal genital organs. This inflammation can also affect the adjacent organs such as the rectum that is located behind the uterus. This inflammation is what can cause diarrhea (either because you go to the bathroom more often than usual or with a more liquid consistency).
- Possible endometriosis. In most cases, this diarrhea is usually mild but, sometimes, it can be more intense and make the woman suffering from it uncomfortable. And in some extreme cases it could be related to endometriosis (existence of endometrial tissue outside the endometrium). Discover here symptoms that may indicate that you have endometriosis and what you can do or how to treat it.
Contraction of the uterus
Apart from this inflammatory process, there could be another explanation that would have prostaglandins as the main protagonists. These are substances that cause the uterus to contract. After ovulation, the walls of the uterus are filled with prostaglandins, in such a way that these help it to contract so that the endometrium is detached and expelled, leading to menstruation.
- How they act. If the prostaglandins reach the bloodstream they can reach the intestine and, similar to the uterus, send the message to "contract" and as a consequence, diarrhea occur.
Hormonal issues
There are also those who emphasize the role that progesterone can play. This hormone prevents contractions of the uterus and reduces intestinal motility. Just before the period comes, its levels drop considerably, which favors that the contents of both the uterus and the gastrointestinal tract move more easily and therefore, diarrhea can occur.
