What is the Cause of Water Retention Before Menstruation?

What Causes Water Retention Before Menstruation?

Water retention before menstruation can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'needs attention'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose water retention before menstruation, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "water retention before menstruation" as a symptom. Here are two possibilities:

Vitamin B6 Need
Low Progesterone

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

elevated estrogen levels

possibly jaundiced skin

major joint pain/swelling/stiffness

high refined white flour consumption

history of B6 deficiency

pear-shaped body when overweight

pre/menstrual depression

cysts in breasts

history of birth control pill use

severe leg cramps caused by walking

high sensitivity to bright light

temple-based headaches

... and more than 20 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of water retention before menstruation:

Cause	Probability	Status
Vitamin B6 Need	97%	Confirm
Low Progesterone	66%	Possible

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate being premenopausal or being perimenopausal, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

Water retention (edema) - do your ankles swell before menstruation?

Possible responses:

→ No / don't know
→ Occasionally / moderately
→ Often / severely

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate water retention before menstruation, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Progesterone Low or Estrogen Dominance

Vitamin B6 Requirement

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™