Scarlet blood during menstruation, liquid or light discharge, other deviations in color and consistency

Part of the menstrual cycle is menstruation. The endometrial layer is shed monthly, which is accompanied by bleeding. Only during pregnancy, and sometimes breastfeeding, menstruation may be absent. Menstrual blood does not clot and is darker in color than in the vessels due to the presence of enzymes in it. But why do light periods sometimes come? What is considered normal and what is pathology?

It is a menstrual blood test that can tell us a lot, including the presence of genital tuberculosis.

Reasons for color change

The color of blood during menstruation is an indicator of a girl’s health. The one that comes out of the vagina does not coagulate. Therefore, it is much darker than the one that flows through the veins. Its color varies from pink-red to almost black.

Blood can change its color as a result of various situations: changes in hormonal levels, use of antibiotics, severe stress, sudden weight loss. Typically, as a result of the above reasons, the color may change for a maximum of two cycles. Then everything returns to normal.

Every shade of red during the menstrual cycle indicates some problem. This is a kind of signal for a woman. There are a number of factors that are responsible for the appearance of a particular blood color.

What should a normal period be like?

During the menstrual cycle, an egg matures in one of the ovaries. After 1-2 weeks, the reproductive cell leaves the follicles and moves along the fallopian tube, waiting to meet the sperm. If they meet, fertilization occurs. Otherwise, the egg dies and leaves the female body.

Together with the reproductive cell, the woman’s body also leaves the endometrium - a layer of loose tissue that thickens during the menstrual cycle. The endometrium creates favorable conditions for fertilization and the life of the zygote.

Your period signals the start of a new menstrual cycle.

There are no deviations from the norm if:

• menstruation lasts from three to seven days;
• 50 to 100 ml of blood is released;
• the stomach hurts only for the first 2-3 days;
• small clots come out along with the blood;
• menstruation is cherry color, or any shade of red;
• you change the pad up to 5 times a day.

At the very beginning, your period will be dark in color and with clots. This is the endometrium with the egg coming out. Later they lighten up. Thus, periods are brown at first and then red, and this is normal.

There is no need to panic if you notice burgundy blood during your period. The blood clots and oxidizes, and then leaves the vagina when you change the position.

Scarlet blood

During menstruation, scarlet blood is considered normal if it lasts two days. This suggests that the woman has no health problems. Bright blood during menstruation has the smell of iron. It can also be observed when you cut your finger or bite your lip.

If your period continues on the third day, then you should pay attention to it. This situation signals to a young girl that she has established a cycle of menstrual periods. And for women over 50 years old, bright scarlet blood during menstruation indicates the onset of menopause. Red blood in the second half of menstruation means that the woman may be using contraceptives frequently or has an IUD installed. The reason for the presence of bright scarlet blood during menstruation for more than two days may be:

• pathological pregnancy;
• using birth control pills or having an IUD;
• complications after surgery;
• polyps in the uterus;
• infection;
• recent abortion.

As you can see, there are many reasons for the manifestation of such a deviation, and you cannot find out which one you have on your own. Therefore, you should not diagnose yourself, but rather see a doctor and get examined.

Symptoms that require immediate hospitalization

In most cases, you should consult a doctor without delaying the visit for a week or two. So, you should act as quickly as possible in the following situations:

• If a woman suspects pregnancy or its possibility cannot be excluded.
• When there is pain in the lower abdomen, if any other symptoms of the disease appear (weakness, malaise, increased body temperature, etc.).
• If the discharge has a strong, unpleasant odor.
• In case this occurs after childbirth, but more than 42 days have passed since it.
• When discharge appears during persistent menopause.
• If this is contact minor bleeding, this is one of the possible symptoms of an oncological process of the genital organs.
• In the case when a woman is undergoing treatment for some gynecological disease, and the doctor did not warn about such discharge.

Light brown discharge on the days of expected menstruation or at any other time of the cycle most often indicates some kind of pathological process that can be completely asymptomatic for a woman. Therefore, in any case, you should, if not immediately, then routinely undergo an examination by a doctor who will determine the true cause and prescribe the most adequate treatment for the condition.

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Burgundy shade

After the end of the cycle, the blood may change its color and become much darker. And this is not considered a deviation from the norm if the woman does not experience the following symptoms:

• discomfort in the vagina;
• specific aroma;
• redness;
• itching

Burgundy-colored blood appears as a result of clots formed. They, in turn, appear due to changes in hormonal levels. This may be due to severe emotional distress. This problem is often faced by women who are on diets, give up meat, or, conversely, have rapidly gained weight in a short period of time.

Representatives of the fair sex who engage in heavy physical labor also encounter burgundy-colored clots. Such periods are accompanied by headache, malaise, fatigue, rapid mood swings, emotionality and heaviness in the lower abdomen.

Discharge with burgundy-colored clots is possible due to the incorrect position of the cervix - uterine inflexion.

If burgundy critical days are accompanied by a pungent odor, this indicates the presence of one of the diseases such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, inflammatory and infectious pathologies, polyps.

Please note that the appearance of dark discharge as a “spot” may indicate pregnancy, and the baby is in danger. Possible miscarriage!

How to bring menstrual flow back to normal?

Normalization of menstrual flow depends on the reason that caused the malfunction in the body. Only a gynecologist can make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment; sometimes a consultation with an endocrinologist is required. Therapeutic tactics:

• for inflammatory and infectious diseases, including STIs, antibiotics are prescribed;
• with heavy, prolonged bleeding, a woman may develop anemia, so doctors prescribe iron-containing drugs;
• hormonal imbalance is brought back to normal with the help of hormonal drugs; conventional oral contraceptives often help;
• endometriosis is treated with OCs, and large endometriotic tumors are removed surgically.

If the color, consistency or smell of menstrual blood changes, a woman should pay special attention to personal hygiene. Hot baths are prohibited; you need to wash yourself in the shower and dry yourself with a separate towel for the intimate area. During this period, you need to reduce physical activity and eat more iron-containing foods.

Obstetrician-gynecologist, reproductive specialist, lactation consultant, graduated from ChSU named after. Ulyanova with a specialization in gynecology, mammology Read more »

Light discharge

The norm for menstruation is red discharge. But there are cases when a woman of reproductive age has her critical days, like water with small red spots. In this case, after their completion, you must consult a doctor and undergo a series of examinations.

It is normal for girls who have their period for the first year and women going through menopause to . A doctor's consultation is encouraged to rule out all possible diseases.

Light red discharge may occur two to three weeks after your period as a result of ovulation. Normally, even light periods should be heavy. The light discharge is light, odorless and lasts from a couple of hours to several days. Often women confuse such discharge with menstrual periods.

If you have light periods and you feel great on “these” days, then there is no reason to worry. This may be due to hormonal imbalance or psychological stress. It is necessary to pay attention to discharge if the following factors are present:

• menstruation began earlier than three weeks, or later than 35 days;
• heavy or scanty periods that last longer than seven days;
• large blood clots are present;
• constant cycle failures;
• light shade of blood throughout the entire cycle;
• unpleasant smell of rotten fish;
• itching and dryness;
• increased body temperature;
• any pain in the genitourinary tract;
• light discharge that increases over time and is not going to end;
• bleeding every few days.

If you have at least one of the above points, you must undergo an examination and examination by a doctor. All these factors and light blood can be provoked by criminal abortion, miscarriage, sexually acquired infection, damaged mucous membrane in the vagina, incorrect hormonal drugs, low hemoglobin levels.

Women need to take care of their health. Regularly undergo examination by a gynecologist and, if you have the slightest problems or questions, seek advice from a doctor, and do not self-medicate.

After all, a changed color of menstruation can indicate not only a problem with the genitourinary system, but also with the thyroid gland, nervous system, gastrointestinal tract and others. Be carefull!

Diseases and brown menstruation

The cause of dark brown periods is diseases.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis occurs when the endometrium grows and becomes established not only in the uterus, but also in the fallopian tubes, ovaries and other organs. The provocateur of the disease is hormonal imbalance, which is caused by various factors: frequent stress, constant physical strain, taking oral contraceptives. The disease can also be inherited from your mother or grandmother.

Along with menstruation, which is smeared brown, the following symptoms are observed:

• pain when urinating and defecating;
• discomfort during sexual intercourse;
• severe abdominal pain, especially during menstruation.

If left untreated, endometriosis can cause infertility.

Endometritis

Endometritis is inflammation of the endometrium. The disease appears after cesarean section and curettage, if parts of the placenta remain. They rot and spread infection throughout the body. As a result, the endometrium is affected, then the uterus, then the pelvic organs. Sometimes endometritis develops in a woman after natural childbirth, because during pregnancy the body is very weak and cannot fight diseases due to low immunity.

Brown discharge is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• abdominal pain, including during sexual intercourse;
• temperature increase;
• During menstruation there is brown discharge along with pus.

Anemia

Iron is involved in the process of respiration and metabolism.

Breath. The element is part of hemoglobin - this is the protein that makes up red blood cells. Iron captures oxygen, which red blood cells carry throughout organs and tissues. On the way back from the body, red blood cells “pick up” carbon dioxide with the help of iron. It is removed when you exhale.

Metabolism. Iron is found in enzymes and proteins that break down toxins and convert calories into energy.

Along with dark menstruation, the following symptoms appear:

• nails break;
• hair splits;
• the skin turns pale;
• Cracks appear on the hands and feet.

To eliminate iron deficiency anemia, eat foods rich in iron:

• nuts;
• meat;
• fish;
• liver;
• cottage cheese;
• cheese;
• eggs.

Plant foods also contain a lot of iron. But if 15% of iron is absorbed from animal foods, then only 5% is absorbed from plant foods.

Vaginitis

Vaginitis is an inflammation of the vaginal mucosa. The disease occurs against the background of various factors: STDs, hormonal imbalances, metabolic disorders, active sex life, allergies to shower gel, and poor personal hygiene.

Vaginitis is accompanied by white-green discharge with an unpleasant odor in women, the genitals itch or a burning sensation occurs. And during menstruation, brown discharge with a specific odor is observed.

Endometrial hyperplasia

This is a thickening of the inner lining of the uterus. The cause of the disease is a hormonal imbalance, in which the hormone estrogen begins to produce excess endometrium.

Symptoms of hyperplasia:

• menstruation more often than once a month;
• menstruation with heavy brown discharge;
• stomach ache;
• bleeding during menopause.

Be careful: sometimes the disease does not manifest itself.

Cystitis

Cystitis is an inflammation of the lining of the bladder. Women have a wider and shorter urethra, so it is easier for them to catch the disease than for men. Bacteria enter the bladder and begin to destroy the lining of the organ. The causes of the disease are frequent changes of sexual partners, E. coli, weak immunity.

Along with brown discharge, the following symptoms are observed:

• lower back and stomach pain;
• body temperature rises;
• frequent urination begins;
• foreign impurities appear in the urine;
• urine becomes dark in color.

If for some reason you do not move much, then the cause of cystitis is infrequent urination and an incompletely emptied bladder.

Polyps

Neoplasms in the form of balls on a stalk inside the uterus are polyps. They occur against the background of hormonal imbalance.

The disease rarely manifests itself. The disease causes infertility and miscarriage.

Cervical cancer

Dangerous malignant formation. Do not delay going to the doctor if you notice the following symptoms:

• vaginal discharge with blood;
• brown discharge with pus on menstruation days;
• painful sexual intercourse;
• prolonged menstruation.

Additional symptoms: feeling weak, dizzy, loss of appetite. If there is an overgrown formation, in an advanced stage, surgical intervention is required.

Light-colored periods: normal or pathological

Is light periods bad or why are periods not a rich color? Doctors say that the color of the discharge is not the most important thing. There are several rules that allocations must follow. And if any of these rules are violated, then you need to consult a doctor. These are the rules.

1. Duration of menstruation. Normally this is 3-7 days. 2. Number of discharges. There should be from 30 to 50 grams for all days. There may be an upward deviation of approximately 10-20 grams. 3. Absence of large clots (more than 2.5 cm in diameter). Dark or light periods with clots are a sign of heavy blood loss. 4. The length of the menstrual cycle is no more than 35 and no less than 21 days. 5. There is no unpleasant odor or itching. 6. There is no severe pain or fever.

If any of these rules are violated, then even if the color of your period is normal in your opinion, you need to undergo an examination. There is nothing urgent, but there may be a problem that can lead to infertility or iron deficiency anemia.

The reasons why your periods are light may be that this. Not menstruation at all, but intermenstrual bleeding. It can happen for various reasons. But it should be suspected if the discharge appears earlier than the 21st day of the cycle. The cause may be the use of oral contraceptives. If there is none, then this may be a sign of ovulation, and sometimes implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterine cavity. Usually, light-colored periods that arise for these reasons, as women often call them, end very quickly, no more than 1-2 days are observed, they are not abundant, no more than 1 daily pad is used.

Possible causes of discharge at the beginning of the cycle

In principle, there are no conditions when it could be unambiguously said that pathological discharge appears at any specific time. But there are a number of diseases that most often behave typically. Only a doctor can finally determine the cause of brown discharge after further examination.

The first phase includes days 1 to 12 - 14, taking into account the ideal cycle. If it is shorter it decreases and if it is longer it increases.

Endometriosis

The first day should be considered the beginning of any bloody discharge in a woman, even if it is spotting. Most often, light brown discharge will bother a girl if she has endometriosis. This is an insidious disease that can be asymptomatic or with very scanty manifestations for years. As the pathology progresses, the woman begins to experience pain in the lower abdomen during, before and after menstruation, and prolonged spotting before and after menstruation. Endometriosis also often leads to infertility, undeveloped pregnancies and some other gynecological diseases.

Many doctors compare this disease to cancer. The only, but very important difference: endometriosis is a priori a non-cancerous pathology, does not cause “poisoning” of the body and does not pose a mortal threat. What these diseases have in common is the ability to metastasize.

If we talk about endometriosis, then first, endometrial particles spread through the structures of the external and internal genital organs, penetrate and grow in these foci. In more complex cases, such “islands” are found in the brain, intestines, and many other structures.

Light brown or chocolate discharge will bother a woman if endometriosis is localized in the vagina and external genitalia, on the cervix and cervical canal, and in the uterine cavity. Their intensity will depend on the number of such pathological “islands”.

We recommend reading the article about brown discharge between periods. From it you will learn about normal and pathological discharge, diseases that cause pathology.

Hormonal drugs

Taking oral contraceptives, the patch or other forms of estrogen and progestogen-containing drugs may lead to a similar clinical picture at the beginning of their use . Discharge can appear periodically over two or three cycles, it all depends on hormonal disorders in the woman’s body, as well as on her individual adaptation characteristics.

There is no need to worry about this if the spotting does not develop into heavy irregular bleeding or continues for more than 3 months. In this case, it is necessary to replace the drug with another one or even stop taking such medications for a while. All actions should be coordinated with the doctor individually.

When a symptom is normal

The blood itself should not have a light pink tint. Normal shades of menstruation include:

• scarlet;
• Dark red;
• brown.

In the first days of menstruation, the discharge is heavy. Gradually, the amount of blood decreases and its color becomes darker.

Menstruation should not be accompanied by burning and itching. Pain should be absent or moderate in severity. Blood should not be black. This symptom requires an urgent visit to the doctor.

Normally, periods come at regular intervals.

Normally, menstruation is regular and comes at the same time. The duration of critical days should not exceed 7 days. The volume of discharge is 150 ml for the entire period of menstruation.

Often, pink periods require a visit to the doctor, since they are a manifestation of an existing pathology. The physiological causes of this symptom are presented in the table.

Operations as a source of violation

After any gynecological manipulations, even seemingly minor ones, menstrual irregularities may occur. Most often you encounter the following situations:

• Acyclic light brown discharge after curettage of the uterine cavity, including after termination of pregnancy at different stages.
• Any operations on the ovaries, for example, for apoplexy (rupture), removal of a cyst, polycystic disease, interventions for infertility, etc.
• Within 42 days after childbirth, surgical or natural, light pink “periods” may be observed, which in this case are called lochia, sometimes these are just streaks of blood in the mucus.

What pathologies may be

Most often, a light shade of blood indicates the need to visit a doctor. Often the symptom is pathological in nature. The disorder may occur when the intrauterine device grows in, if one is installed in the vagina.

Another probable reason is oncological processes. In this case, menstruation is watery and in volume exceeds the accepted norm. The discharge has an unpleasant odor.

It is also worth excluding the possibility of the presence of benign neoplasms.

The patient may be diagnosed with:

Benign formations are accompanied by copious discharge. There is obvious discomfort. There is pain during sex. After an abortion, light critical days indicate that particles of the fertilized egg still remain in the uterus. Gradually, the discharge may acquire a bright color.

For any deviations, you should visit a gynecologist

Any illness requires consulting a doctor. Ignoring any changes is strictly prohibited. Otherwise, complications will occur.

Pathology during light menstruation

There are several reasons why the discharge remains bright red, pink or lightly colored (beige), or the menstruation appears ahead of schedule. These are endocrine, gynecological and sexually transmitted diseases, spontaneous abortions in the early stages of pregnancy, vaginal bleeding, trauma to the mucous membranes with an intrauterine device, the consequence of unsuccessful curettage, and a cancerous tumor.

Symptoms of pathological abnormalities:

• less than 3 weeks or more than 35 days have passed between menstruation;
• scanty or heavy periods or they last longer than 7 days;
• there are clots larger than 2-2.5 cm;
• systematic cycle failures;
• the light color of the blood remains throughout the entire period of critical days;
• unpleasant odor reminiscent of rotten fish;
• itching, dryness;
• body temperature is higher than normal;
• cutting or other pain in the area of ​​the genitourinary organs, tracts;
• scanty discharge becomes more abundant over time, without signs of completion;
• bleeding systematically resumes every few days.

If there is at least one symptom, a diagnosis should be carried out immediately to find the cause of the deviation. A gynecological examination is required even if the color of menstruation is normal (dark red, not bright), but there are other symptoms of pathology. Early diagnosis will help avoid complications, one of which is iron deficiency anemia.

Reasons for the appearance of light-colored blood:

• criminal abortion;
• miscarriage;
• bacterial infections acquired through sexual contact (STDs);
• damage to the mucous membranes or endometrium by a medical instrument;
• incorrectly selected hormonal drugs, including contraception;
• low hemoglobin level.

With the help of a gynecologist, laboratory and hardware diagnostics, it is easier to identify the causes that provoked bleeding or eliminate factors that contribute to its reoccurrence. For example, they select adequate hormonal contraception, prescribe vitamin therapy, remove the intrauterine device, eliminate the consequences of abortion, and use other treatment methods.

Bacterial vaginosis

The vaginal microflora of women contains lactobacilli, which maintain optimal acidity of the reproductive tract and suppress pathogenic infections streptococcus, E. coli, staphylococcus and other agents. If their natural level is disturbed, a woman may develop gardnerellosis (synonyms: dysbiosis of the vaginal environment, bacterial vaginosis).

Typically, the number of lactobacilli changes due to excessive douching, the use of low-quality intimate hygiene products, after sexual intercourse (unprotected sex) or drug treatment (side effects of drugs). Pathology does not apply to venereology.

Symptoms of the disease: discharge stinks of rotten fish (the aroma intensifies after sex), light blood, a lot of mucus, itching. For diagnosis, additional smears are taken from which pathogenic microflora will be inoculated.

If vaginosis is confirmed, therapy is prescribed using antibacterial drugs and other drugs appropriate for the treatment of the specific stage of the disease. It is necessary to eliminate gardnerellosis to avoid inflammatory processes.

During menstruation, the blood may appear pink, bright red, or like slightly colored water (ichor). If a test confirmation of pregnancy has already been received (standard or hCG), then such menstruation is a sign of spontaneous abortion. This situation requires medical supervision with possible hormonal adjustments to save the fetus.

Could there be pregnancy?

If light blood comes instead of normal menstruation, the possibility of pregnancy should not be ruled out. Diagnostics needed to rule out:

• ectopic pregnancy;
• risk of miscarriage.

In an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg attaches outside the uterus. The condition requires urgent hospitalization. The woman is prescribed surgery. If the operation does not occur on time, the risk of death increases.

You can recognize the course of an ectopic pregnancy by the following symptoms:

• nausea;
• decreased performance;
• intense vomiting;
• sharp pain in the abdomen;

With an ectopic pregnancy, a girl may feel sharp pain in the abdomen

• bowel dysfunction;
• headache.

At first, there are no pathological symptoms. Then the condition worsens greatly. We urgently need to call an ambulance. An ectopic pregnancy, like a regular one, can be confirmed using a special test.

There is a possibility of miscarriage: light blood may indicate partial detachment of the endometrium.

Possible deviations from the norm and their causes

By changes in color, consistency, smell, abundance, duration, one can suspect the presence of pathologies, for example, infectious and inflammatory ailments of the reproductive sphere. Often a problem is indicated by a delay in regulation. Why do deviations from normal menstruation occur, and how can you tell if something is wrong with your periods?

Scarlet blood, pink, light and other colors of menstrual discharge

What determines the change in color of menstrual blood? Causes of scarlet color and other shades of menstruation:

• Scarlet menstruation. If in the first 2 days bright red blood is considered normal, then scarlet-colored periods throughout the entire menstrual period may indicate pathologies. This often indicates clotting problems. If your periods are scarlet and heavy, then it may not be menstruation, but uterine bleeding caused by endometriosis, malignant or benign formations.
• Pink periods. Pink, spotting periods are usually very scanty. This may be a sign of pregnancy when, instead of menstruation, a woman experiences implantation bleeding - the release of a small amount of light blood when the embryo is implanted into the endometrium. This blood mixes with thick cervical mucus and gives your period a pink color.
• Dark brown and black color. Such discharge indicates stagnant processes in the reproductive organs. Blood accumulates in the uterine cavity and does not immediately come out. Black discharge can be a sign of endometriosis, hormonal pathologies, polyps, tumors blocking the cervical canal.

Excessively thin or thick discharge

In the first days of menstruation, liquid discharge is normal. Too thin periods without clots indicate that they contain little menstrual blood and a lot of mucus from the cervical canal and vagina. Watery, pale periods may indicate clotting problems. Too thin and light periods indicate the presence of an inflammatory process or hormonal imbalance, characterized by increased mucus production.

Thick, dark discharge containing many clots is often a consequence of endometriosis. In addition, they may indicate a hypercoagulable state, which is observed with long-term use of oral contraceptives, poor lifestyle, and obesity.

Scanty and heavy menstruation

Scanty, spotting, pink discharge can be a symptom of pregnancy. If a woman had them for 1-2 days and then stopped, she should take a pregnancy test.

Possible causes of scanty periods:

• lack of ovulation;
• corpus luteum deficiency, too low amount of progesterone;
• exhaustion of the body - pathology is often observed with anorexia.

If there is heavy bleeding, a woman is forced to change hygiene products (pads, tampons) every 2 hours. Long-term discharge that lasts more than 9-10 days is especially dangerous. Reasons for heavy periods:

• endometriosis;
• uterine bleeding due to injuries, malignant tumors;
• hormonal disbalance;
• heavy physical activity during regulation.

Other deviations

What else should you pay attention to when there are changes in menstrual bleeding? Signs of pathology:

• Plasters of pus. Purulent, yellow-green clots during the cycle or at another period of the cycle indicate the presence of inflammatory diseases of the genital organs. This is often how sexually transmitted diseases manifest themselves - gonorrhea, chlamydia, mycoplasmosis.
• Unpleasant smell. Musty blood always has an unpleasant odor, but during menstruation this can be solved by timely replacement of hygiene products and washing. If, despite hygiene, a putrid, sweetish odor emanates from the genitals, this indicates the proliferation of bacteria and infectious processes.
• Delay of menstruation. If the pregnancy test is negative, delay may be a sign of ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, hormonal imbalance, anemia, or polycystic ovary syndrome.

When is it necessary to see a doctor?

It is necessary to carefully monitor women's health. Any alarming changes must be noticed and eliminated in a timely manner. Light menstruation requires consulting a doctor in the following cases:

• more than 35 or less than 20 days have passed between periods;
• menstruation is scanty or, on the contrary, abundant and lasts more than 7 days;
• a large number of clots are observed;
• failures in the cycle are regular;
• menstruation remains light until the end;
• the discharge smells like rotten fish;
• additionally there is itching and dryness.

The listed signs are pathological. Even one symptom is a good reason to see a doctor.

From this video you will learn what the color of blood during menstruation indicates:

Normal for light menstruation

In the absence of deviations, the color of the secreted fluid may be scarlet, dark red or brown in the first and last days (daub). It also contains inclusions of mucus, fragments of rejected endometrium

Menstruation should be without the presence of an unpleasant (fetid) odor, itching, burning, severe pain, or black color. This is considered normal if menstruation began on time, no less than 21 days from the previous critical days, the blood does not clot, the total volume of discharge on average does not exceed 80-100 ml for the entire period, and its duration is from 3 to 7 days.

If women of reproductive age have periods like water with blood throughout the entire period, then at the end of it it will be necessary to seek advice from a gynecologist. It is recommended to be examined using an ultrasound (transvaginal), video colposcope (extensive colposcopy), and donate blood to determine the level of hemoglobin and hormones.

In girls for a year or 2 years after menarche and in women during premenopause, the preservation of scarlet (light) color of menstrual blood is not a pathology. However, a doctor's examination is recommended to rule out diseases.

Light, light bleeding 2-2.5 weeks after menstruation may be due to ovulation (when the egg is released, the hormonal background changes, the follicle membrane is damaged). May be implantation bleeding, when the embryo implants into the endometrial tissue, rupturing the vessels. Normally, such red discharge lasts from several hours to 3-5 days, which is why women perceive it either as menstruation or as a deviation.

What diagnostics

The cause of the appearance of light blood during menstruation can only be determined through comprehensive diagnostics. The patient is referred to:

• Ultrasound for a general examination of the reproductive organs;
• blood test to assess hormonal levels;
• colposcopy to identify possible malignant processes;
• a vaginal smear to confirm or refute a probable infectious process;
• histology for scraping.

If necessary, other examinations may be prescribed, but only based on individual characteristics.

Light brown secretion in pathologies

There are a number of disorders that can cause blood to enter the mucous secretion. These include:

1. Uterine flexion is a pathological structure of the cervix. It is characterized by painful sensations during sexual intercourse and during menstruation, as well as delayed menstruation, abundant or scanty light brown vaginal discharge between menstrual periods, and frequent urination.
2. Cervical erosion is characterized by a defect in its mucous membrane. Basically, the pathology is asymptomatic, but sometimes it makes itself felt in the form of bleeding 2 days before menstruation.
3. Endometritis is inflammation of the surface layer of the endometrium. Light spotting bleeding occurs more often in the chronic form. In acute cases, heavy blood loss is observed.
4. Endometriosis is a pathological growth of the endometrium. Often the disease is not identified and is discovered during an examination by a gynecologist. But it is not uncommon for light brown discharge to appear more than 2 days before menstruation or last long after it. Symptoms include pain and an unpleasant odor.
5. Colpitis is an inflammation of the vaginal mucosa, expressed by spotting. It is a consequence of microflora disturbance and infection entering the body.
6. Sexually transmitted diseases are often indicated by purulent discharge with a brownish tint. They smell unpleasant and cause burning, itching, and difficulty urinating.
7. Polyps and other neoplasms. The main difference between pathological light brown discharge and normal discharge is the unpleasant odor and discomfort in the form of pain in the lower abdomen, itching and burning of the vagina, and elevated temperature, which is characteristic of severe inflammatory processes. In this case, spotting is most often observed after menstruation.

What treatment

Treatment is also chosen privately. Self-medication is prohibited. Depending on the main diagnosis, the girl may be recommended:

• hormonal medications;
• antibiotics;
• antifungal medicine;
• surgical intervention;

Treatment is often done with antibiotics

• radiation or chemical therapy.

Regardless of the reason, a girl should lead a healthy lifestyle and eat right. Any bad habits should be eliminated.

What should a normal period be like?

When assessing the nature of the regulation, attention is paid to the following parameters: duration, abundance, color, smell, presence of foreign impurities in the discharge. Knowing what menstrual bleeding should be like normally, a woman can independently monitor whether everything is in order with the organs of the reproductive system. Is red blood normal during menstruation, or should I go to the hospital?

Discharge color

The main component of menstrual flow is blood. The color of your period changes depending on the day of your cycle. On days 1-2 of menstruation, the discharge may be bright scarlet in color - this is what fresh blood that has not yet coagulated looks like. There is a slight smell of iron and dampness. You can see what a normal red period looks like in the photo above.

Starting from the 3rd day of menstruation, the discharge darkens. They become dark red, beet-colored, and brownish. This is what clotted blood normally looks like. Towards the end of the regimen, on days 5-6, the discharge darkens and acquires a brown tint.

Blood consistency

In addition to blood, menstruation includes the remains of a dead egg and endometrial tissue, which are rejected at the end of the cycle. If you figure out what menstruation is and why they appear, it will become clear that normally their consistency should not be uniform.

After ovulation, the endometrium actively grows under the influence of progesterone. If fertilization does not occur, the corpus luteum, which secretes progesterone, regresses, the endometriotic tissue dies and is rejected - this is menstruation.

Do not worry if the discharge contains dense, dark red, scarlet or burgundy clots. Firstly, these could be particles of coagulated blood, and secondly, perhaps this is endometrial tissue.

Other characteristics

Also, when assessing menstruation, the following characteristics are considered:

• Duration. Normally, menstrual bleeding lasts from 4 to 8 days.
• Abundance. There is a gradation into spotting, scanty, medium, heavy and very heavy discharge. The amount of blood is individual for each woman; it can vary and depends on external circumstances, the use of oral contraceptives, and the emotional state. On average, a woman loses 50-200 ml of blood in one cycle.
• Regularity. Menstruation should occur every menstrual cycle, the average duration of which is 28 days; individual range can be from 23 to 35 days. A delay or the onset of menstruation 3-4 days earlier is not considered a pathology by gynecologists.

What kind of prevention

As a preventive measure it is recommended:

• maintain personal hygiene;
• use contraception when having sex with an untested partner;
• Healthy food;
• avoid severe stress and hypothermia, as well as excessive physical activity;
• give up bad habits;
• take any medications only in consultation with your doctor;
• Visit a gynecologist annually for preventative care.

The recommendations listed above help to avoid many problems that lead to disturbances in the cycle and nature of discharge.

Prevention

To ensure that a woman’s normal discharge does not subsequently outgrow the disease or does not appear due to illness at all, the following preventive measures should be a necessary rule for every woman:

1. Regular visits to the gynecologist.
2. Healthy lifestyle.
3. Adequate use of hormonal drugs.
4. Protected sex.
5. Personal hygiene must be observed continuously.
6. The use of special intimate hygiene products.

If such a symptom appears, you should find out its cause. If physiological factors are excluded, then a gynecologist should get down to business and, having established the origin of the symptom, prescribe the correct treatment. Be healthy!

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