The regularity of the onset and the usual color of menstruation is a sign of the full functioning of the female reproductive system. Changes in color and abundance of discharge are a compelling argument for visiting a gynecologist and conducting additional examinations.
Often, a change in the shade of menstruation is provoked by stress, psychological experiences and excessively sudden physical activity. Only a doctor will be able to determine the cause of the pathology, excluding or confirming the development of more serious diseases, for example, uterine bleeding.
Is orange discharge normal?
90% of monthly discharge consists of blood, which determines its color.
Ideal period blood should be dark red in color. It is clear that there can be no talk about the normality of menstruation without meeting the criteria of consistency, duration, abundance and smell. In this situation, we are interested in the color of the discharge, because orange blood during menstruation raises many more questions than other indicators.
If your period comes on time, lasts the prescribed 3-7 days, has no unpleasant odor and is not scanty or heavy, then there is a little less cause for concern.
In a situation where a girl started menstruating less than a year ago, an unstable cycle is normal. At this time, not only may your periods be scanty, but their color may also be non-standard, for example, orange. While the body adapts and matures, and the hormonal background is not yet fully formed, some deviations from the norm are allowed.
If your periods have an orange tint for several cycles in a row, then this is a reason to contact a gynecologist. If the discharge is also scanty, then this may indicate a pathology of the menstrual cycle.
Orange discharge is possible due to hormonal changes in both girls and mature women. Orange periods may appear just before menopause. In this case, the woman is already under 50 and should not panic because of such discharge.
Dark blood
Initially, a significant amount of blood accumulates in a woman’s body before the regulation, which cannot be released. When it comes into contact with oxygen, it acquires a dark tint. In general, dark color is normal on the third or fourth day after the start of menstruation.
But what to do if dark blood appears for the first time in a few days - is this color of menstruation dangerous and why? The cause of such discharge is polyps, which retain blood in the body for some time, but they are considered a benign tumor, so there is no point in being afraid of such a diagnosis.
There is a list of diseases that dark blood during regulation may indicate:
- Endocrine disorders.
- The presence of a benign tumor, as mentioned above.
- Endometriosis.
- Stretching of the uterus after childbirth.
- Narrowing of the cervical canal (occurs during menopause).
But it’s not worth talking about the presence of any disease with 100% probability, because you need to know certain accompanying symptoms. For example, dizziness, increased fatigue, decreased blood pressure, nausea indicate the presence of pathology in the body. If you experience these symptoms, you should consult a specialist.
Reasons for orange discharge
- Often, due to taking antibiotics, periods turn orange. Therefore, if you recently took antibiotics, you should not be too alarmed because your periods are of an unusual color.
- Unsuccessful scraping can cause a lighter shade of menstruation.
- The IUD may also cause your menstrual blood to appear orange.
- Hormonal imbalance can lead to various consequences, including a change in the color of the discharge. Typically, orange periods occur due to excess estrogen.
- Infection of the genital organs. To check the relationship between orange blood and infection, you need to undergo appropriate tests.
What are periods?
Every month, changes occur in a woman’s body that prepare her for motherhood. The follicle develops, an egg is released from it and moves along the fallopian tube to the uterus.
At the same time, the uterus prepares to receive a fertilized egg. Under the influence of hormones, the endometrium lining it thickens and becomes loose, so that the embryo can easily attach to it.
When fertilization does not occur, the outer - functional - layer of the endometrium peels off and comes out along with menstrual bleeding. The bleeding itself is formed by burst capillaries, which are present in large numbers in the endometrium.
Discharge before and after menstruation
Sometimes orange discharge occurs before menstruation, which causes some confusion. It's difficult to understand what it is here. First you need to decide whether there is a failure in the cycle. Perhaps your period started earlier than usual. This may well be the case with hormonal imbalance.
The situation is approximately the same with orange discharge after menstruation. Here you need to look at how many days have passed since the beginning of the cycle. But you shouldn’t guess with the tea leaves, because no one can identify the problem better than a gynecologist.
Pink colour
Pink periods can be caused by:
- ovulation during menstruation;
- unsuitable intrauterine device;
- problems with the thyroid gland;
- an inflammatory process in the pelvic organs, in this situation other symptoms of inflammation appear - pain, high temperature;
- malignant tumor.
Small pink discharge during menstruation may be associated with so-called false menstruation. This can happen in the early stages of pregnancy if fertilization has occurred. Such discharge is normal and does not threaten pregnancy.
When to contact a gynecologist
Faced with problematic periods, girls do not know what to do. Some people are embarrassed to go to the gynecologist these days, others think that this is the first time, which means it will pass. Others believe that since this is one of the first or one of the last menstruation periods, then the hormonal levels should only be adjusted and there is nothing to worry about. We will not convince anyone of anything, but any oddities with discharge should be discussed with a gynecologist.
There are situations when you do not need to wait a few more cycles, but should immediately consult a doctor:
- the appearance of orange color in menstruation is systematic (observed over two or more cycles);
- there are other signs of menstrual irregularities (unpleasant odor, mucus, irregularity, scarcity or profuseness, ends quickly or lasts a long time, etc.);
- discomfort appeared or health worsened, which did not happen before.
In these cases, you need to visit a gynecologist as soon as possible. In all other situations, a doctor’s advice will not be superfluous, but it is not so urgent. Understanding the cause of strange discharge is necessary not only for the sake of your health, but also to calm your nerves.
Brown color
This color would be normal for teenage girls. The reasons for brown periods in a woman of reproductive age can be either pathological or completely innocent.
The latter include:
- inappropriate hormonal contraception;
- following a strict diet and sudden weight changes;
- breastfeeding period;
- depressive states;
- hard physical work, excessive sports training.
But you should not ignore brown discharge, especially if it is accompanied by abdominal pain, itching and burning in the genitals, an unpleasant smell of discharge and other signs of trouble - the reason may not be so harmless:
- ectopic pregnancy;
- inflammatory process in the pelvic organs as a consequence of abortion or inflammation of the appendages;
- sexually transmitted diseases, in particular syphilis and gonorrhea;
- complications after genital surgery;
- disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system.
Change in color of menstrual blood during menstruation
The color of menstrual blood can change from month to month and even within one period due to the influence of diet, lifestyle, age and environment.
Depending on the intensity of menstrual bleeding, the color of the blood can vary from bright red to dark brown. Infections, pregnancy, and in rare cases, cervical cancer can affect the color and regularity of bleeding.
Women who experience unusually long or heavy bleeding may need medical evaluation.
Mucus and clots
A small number of blood clots in the last days of menstruation, especially if menstruation is heavy, is normal if their release is not accompanied by pain, discomfort, or an unpleasant odor.
Clots can also be observed:
- with an intrauterine device;
- features of the anatomy of the uterus (curvature, septum, atypical shape);
- after childbirth and abortion;
- due to hormonal imbalances.
Dangerous signs are large clots, more than 4 cm, and accompanying symptoms: pain, foul odor, burning, itching, intermenstrual discharge.
Pathological clots and mucus are observed with endometriosis and sexually transmitted infections.
Brown or dark red blood
Like black, brown or dark red is a sign of stale blood. Such blood can occur both at the beginning of menstruation and at the end. Brown or dark red menstrual blood does not oxidize long enough to turn black. Such blood can have many different shades.
Pregnancy
Brown blood can sometimes be a sign of early pregnancy. In medical practice, the discharge of such blood is usually called implantation bleeding.
Brown discharge during pregnancy may indicate a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy, which is a medical condition in which an egg implants in the fallopian tubes instead of the uterus.
It is important for women who experience bleeding or spotting from the vagina during pregnancy to talk to their doctor about such problems.
Blood clots during menstruation
Women should see a doctor if the intensity of their menstrual bleeding forces them to change tampons or pads more than once every two hours.
Even women who do not have health problems may shed noticeable particles from the lining of the uterus or endometrium during menstruation. Such clots should not be a cause for concern.
However, very heavy menstrual bleeding or large blood clots can be a symptom of menorrhagia. The term “menorrhagia” in medical practice usually refers to menstrual bleeding that is regularly of high intensity or lasts longer than 7 days.
Doctors recommend that women go to the hospital with the following symptoms:
- menstrual bleeding, in which tampons or pads have to be changed more often than once every two hours;
- menstrual bleeding, including blood clots larger than 25 mm.
Causes of menorrhagia may include the following:
- neoplasms in the uterus, such as polyps or fibroids;
- hormonal imbalance;
- pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID);
- use of intrauterine devices (IUDs);
- blood diseases such as von Willebrand-Diana disease;
- taking certain medications, such as aspirin or anticoagulants;
- cancer of the uterus or cervix.
Without treatment, menorrhagia can lead to complications such as anemia or chronic fatigue.
Discharge due to pathology
In the life of every woman, it happens that the discharge has lost its characteristic properties and an unusual color, smell, and consistency are added to it.
If a woman has had a delay in her period, and after some time a bloody secretion is released from the vagina and there is pain on the right or left side, it makes sense to suspect an ectopic pregnancy. Its most common location is tubal, but it can also be in another anatomical area:
- cervical;
- ovarian;
- interstitial;
- isthmic;
- abdominal, etc.
If an ectopic pregnancy is suspected, hospitalization is indicated, since if the tube ruptures, bleeding will begin and the situation will become dangerous.
Sometimes a woman describes the discharge as a liquid with an unpleasant fishy odor. We are talking about bacterial vaginosis or vaginal dysbiosis. This disease is not considered infectious-inflammatory, but often requires antibiotic therapy. With this pathology, gardnerella bacteria multiply excessively, which look like pale cocci under a microscope.
