One of the indicators of women's health is menstruation. If it arrives on time, is painless, there is no spotting before or after menstruation, and the secretion does not have an unpleasant odor, this means that there are no problems with the gynecological organs.
If they smear outside the cycle, but they don’t start, women begin to worry, what’s going on? Particularly annoying is the change in color of natural secretion to brown - this clearly indicates an admixture of blood. Why can I smear brown before my period, and does this condition require treatment?
Physiological causes of brown secretion before menstruation
The systematic appearance of brown secretion before the onset of critical days may be an individual feature of the functioning of a woman’s reproductive system.
Bloody discharge before menstruation of a dirty brown hue can be an individual manifestation of the following processes:
Ovulation and hormonal changes during the premenstrual period
The onset of ovulation and fluctuations in the level of progesterone and estrogen are accompanied by scanty secretion of a viscous, spotting nature. There is no lymph or blood clots in the discharge. Brown secretion appears during the process of the fertilized egg leaving the body. Bloody oozing leucorrhoea is formed due to injury to the capillaries that “envelop” the cervix. In this case, the secretion looks like mucus. It does not have a pungent odor, rich color, and its rejection is not aggravated by malaise throughout the body. Obstetricians-gynecologists say that this type of secretion is observed for no more than three days and smoothly flows into critical days. The appearance of a brown spot in this case should not be a cause for concern.
Course intake of infusions from medicinal plants
Brown discharge that appears before menstruation may be a consequence of treatment or strengthening the immune system with the help of herbal preparations used in herbal medicine.
Some herbs and their combinations can not only “pause” menstruation, but also provoke their early onset. Herbalists say that the return of the cycle to normal begins after the cessation of herbal medicine.
Brown discharge when taking OCs during the adaptation period (3 months) is the absolute norm.
Beginning of menstruation
Premenstrual rejection of the endometrium from the uterine cavity is also accompanied by brown mucus before the calendar onset of menstruation. It can begin one or two days before the onset of critical days. What is rejected are small smears of blood substance. There are no clots or inclusions of yellow or green color. The presence of foreign inclusions means the presence of a progressive infection in the organs of the reproductive system.
Brown blood during menstruation on the first day is normal.
Restoring the calendar cyclicity of menstruation
The appearance of brown discharge the day before menstruation may also be due to the restoration of the menstrual cycle after childbirth. Stopping breastfeeding can have a similar effect. Depending on the characteristics of the body, restoration of the menstrual cycle after childbirth can take from a month to six months.
The presence of light brown discharge before menstruation indicates a hormonal imbalance, which is caused by taking oral contraceptives or installing an IUD.
There is no need to worry if light secretion is observed during two menstrual cycles from the moment the new oral contraceptives are introduced. This is explained by the body’s adaptation to a new “operating mode”. An alarming sign is the constant appearance before menstruation of white secretion, similar to clots of mucus.
If discharge appears from cycle to cycle, you should immediately contact a gynecologist to select a different method or means of contraception. Prolonged ignorance of contraceptive incompatibility can cause significant damage to health.
One of the reasons for the appearance of a light viscous liquid before menstruation may be the start of using tampons or an allergic reaction to fragrances used in panty liners.
Light spots on underwear can also be caused by microcracks in the lining of the uterus. A girl can receive them during intense sexual intercourse or a gynecological examination. If infection does not get into the microcracks, the discharge will stop by the beginning of the next menstruation.
Physiological reasons for the appearance of blood secretion before menstruation also include:
- sudden weight loss;
- increased mental stress;
- following a strict diet;
- increased physical activity;
- change of time zones and climatic conditions;
- prolonged or severe stressful situations;
- taking hormonal medications;
- initiation of antibiotic therapy;
- first sexual intercourse;
- formation of the menstrual cycle in girls;
- the onset of menopause.
Read about the early symptoms and signs of menopause in women aged 40 and after 45 years on our website by following the link.
Brown secretion in diseases
So should you be worried if you notice brown discharge 4 or 5 days before your period? Gynecologists unanimously say that leucorrhoea, “burdened” with concomitant symptoms, indicates disturbances in the functioning of not only the reproductive system, but also the entire body.
Manifestations of diseases of the genitourinary system that accompany discharge before the calendar start of menstruation include:
- Pain syndrome radiating to the coccyx and groin area.
- Menstruation with blood clots and mucus.
- Discomfort in the groin area.
- The presence of a putrid or pungent odor in the discharge.
- The presence of brown mucus before menstruation with a green and yellow tint.
- Presence of blood clots in the smear.
- An increase in leukocytes in a standard urine test and a urine test according to Nechiporenko.
- Consolidation and heaviness in the lower abdomen.
- Difficulty while urinating.
- Redness of the labia.
- Instability of the emotional background.
- Menstruation is irregular and intermittent.
Dark discharge before menstruation is characteristic of serious pathologies in a woman’s genitourinary system. First of all, when making a diagnosis, gynecologists are guided by the timing of the appearance of these leucorrhoea.
If a girl notices intense, deep red discharge a week before the onset of her period, a specialist may suspect the presence of an infection in the genitourinary system.
Secretion caused by infection does not have an unpleasant odor. In addition to the time interval, a distinctive feature of such discharge is the abundance and richness of blood pigment.
Among the infectious lesions that manifest themselves through secreted substances are:
- inflammation of the ovaries;
- benign formations;
- inflammation of the inner layer of the uterus;
- infection of the fallopian tubes;
- infection of the cervix;
- endometriosis.
Endometritis
Brown discharge 10 days before menstruation, according to gynecologists, almost always indicates endometritis. This is a pathological process caused by an inflammatory process in the endometrium of the uterus. Infection occurs in an ascending manner. Based on the experience of practicing gynecologists, endometritis in an advanced stage can lead to infertility and even sepsis. This phenomenon can be provoked not only by childbirth, caesarean section, abortion, medical manipulation of the genitourinary system and promiscuous sexual intercourse, but also by a general infectious lesion of the body against the background of a weakened immune system. Treatment involves the use of antibiotics depending on the stage of the disease.
Erosion
With cervical erosion, creamy, dark brown discharge often occurs before menstruation. This defect of the vaginal mucosa is ulcerative in nature. It is diagnosed in almost every second woman who is bothered by rich and abundant discharge of a creamy texture before the calendar start of her period. A girl may not know for a long time about the presence of erosion on the cervix. At first, dark discharge before menstruation occurs without pain. Unlike physiological leucorrhoea, with erosion, the daub is richly pigmented and does not always flow into menstrual periods. If, during erosion, an infectious lesion of the mucous membranes of the uterus occurs, purulent inclusions appear in the discharge.
Papillomavirus
Separately, it is worth highlighting papilloma infection. This is the name of a group of viruses that infect the human body. Experts count more than a hundred varieties of bacteria that can provoke it. You can become infected with this infection only during unprotected sexual intercourse. Fourteen of the known varieties of the virus can provoke the development of cancerous tumors. Scientists trace a direct connection between papillomavirus and cancer of the cervix, vulva and vagina.
The first signs of this disease are scanty dark brown discharge.
Spotting secretion is released regularly, regardless of the phase of menstruation. As the disease progresses, the amount of discharge increases.
Sexually transmitted infections
Brown discharge 2 or 3 weeks before your period may indicate the presence of an STD. The type of sexually transmitted disease and the stage of development can be determined solely on the basis of the results of a comprehensive diagnosis of the body. Drug assistance is necessary already in the first stages of infection.
Vaginosis
Mucous yellow-brown discharge before the onset of menstruation signals an acute inflammatory process in the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
The presence of yellow secretion before menstruation is one of the main signs of bacterial vaginosis. This is the name for changes in the vaginal microflora under the influence of harmful bacteria. By the creamy secretion of a yellowish tint, the onset of the disease can be identified in the early stages. Having discovered such discharge, a woman should contact a specialist.
Bacterial vaginosis can be triggered not only by unprotected sexual intercourse, but also by a depleted immune system. Obstetricians note that it is also diagnosed during pregnancy. This is due to changes in the microflora in the vagina.
The presence of vaginosis requires immediate medical intervention. This should be done exclusively under the supervision of an obstetrician-gynecologist.
What is the menstrual cycle
Unlike the male reproductive system, which is almost always “on alert,” the female reproductive organs work cyclically. Changes concern the production of pituitary hormones, ovarian hormones, egg maturation, and the condition of the endometrium. The duration of the cycle is from 23 to 32 days, the first day is the day of the beginning of menstruation, the last is the day before the start of the next menstruation. On this day, bloody spotting may appear before menstruation - a sign that those very days will begin soon.
The appearance of brown secretion during pregnancy
Often women are interested in whether brown discharge 2-3 days before menstruation could indicate pregnancy. Pregnancy provokes serious changes in the body. The consistency, color and abundance of leucorrhoea changes. They are white in color and have a slimy texture. Changes in discharge occur at the end of the first trimester.
Brown spotting 12 days after unprotected intercourse indicates implantation bleeding. Visually, the secretion caused by implantation bleeding has brown streaks in its structure. Read one of our articles to learn how to distinguish implantation bleeding from menstruation.
Leucorrhoea with progressive intensity can also be a sign of ectopic pregnancy. In this case, the rejected substance is accompanied by nausea, acute pain in the lower abdomen and lower back. If a woman diagnoses herself with such symptoms, she should immediately consult a doctor.
Which doctor should I contact?
Pink, bad-smelling, cheesy and other types of vaginal secretion that cause discomfort to a woman are a reason to consult a doctor. To prevent the development of serious diseases, the patient should make an appointment with two specialists: a gynecologist and an infectious disease specialist.
First of all, you need to consult a gynecologist. He will conduct an examination and determine the extent of the need for further diagnostics. The help of an infectious disease specialist is sought if harmful microorganisms are detected in the female body. The first appointment with a gynecologist is usually accompanied by answers to the following questions:
- Is your sex life regular?
- What contraceptives have you used recently?
- Were there any abortions?
- What infectious diseases have been diagnosed in the near future?
Answers to the questions asked and a visual examination of the patient will enable the specialist to draw up an anamnesis and decide on further diagnostic methods.
As a rule, at the next stage the patient will have to undergo a series of tests. Each of the proposed laboratory tests is aimed at identifying a specific pathology. The main tests for unusual vaginal discharge before, during and after menstruation include:
- pregnancy test;
- test for chlamydia, papilloma and herpes;
- group of tests for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis.
In some cases, the patient is prescribed a microscopic examination and culture for pathogenic flora. If oncology is detected, they resort to colposcopy, biopsy, and ultrasound.
Diagnosis and treatment
Based on medical experience, to establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment when brown secretion appears, you must undergo the following examinations:
- Ultrasound of the reproductive system;
- general analysis of urine and blood;
- tests to determine the state of hormonal levels;
- urine test according to Nechiporenko;
- vaginal scraping to determine the presence or absence of pathogenic bacteria and fungi.
The therapy is complex and includes the use of:
- antibiotics of various spectrum of action;
- IVs;
- vaginal suppositories;
- hormonal drugs;
- physiotherapy.
The appointment must be made exclusively by a certified specialist.
