Brown discharge instead of menstruation is a sign of pregnancy

For the female body, discharge is a healthy and normal phenomenon. Thanks to them, the body removes bacteria and dead cells and protects the vagina from infections.

Progesterone and estrogen, the hormones responsible for female fertility, have the greatest impact on the female body. They are the ones who change the color and amount of discharge in the menstrual cycle. When pregnancy occurs, menstruation stops, but the discharge does not always disappear. By correctly determining the patient’s diagnosis, analyzing the color, consistency and amount of fluid released, you can not only assess the woman’s health, but also notice a dangerous disease in time.

• How to distinguish regular periods from discharge
  False periods during pregnancy
• Causes of brown discharge in pregnant women

What should a normal period look like?

The menstrual cycle is a physiological process that begins on the first day of bleeding.

In case of pregnancy, menstruation stops and resumes only at the end of active breastfeeding. If the egg is not fertilized, then the level of hormones decreases sharply and the endometrium is rejected and released.

A woman's period in a healthy body will have the following characteristics:

1. They usually begin between the ages of 11 and 14 years.
2. Duration is 3–6 days with a cycle of 25–31 days.
3. Quantity 40–70 ml. You can track the volume by eye by the fullness of the pad or tampon. One pad should last for 3 hours during peak discharge.
4. Color and consistency: normally there should be a homogeneous substance of a dim red color. In the first and last days of the follicular phase, spotting brown discharge on the pad with small clots is possible.
5. Soreness should be absent or insignificant. However, this factor also depends on the pain threshold and the individual characteristics of the woman.

A pregnant woman should not have menstruation or similar discharge.

If the nature of menstrual bleeding suddenly changes and brown discharge with clots appears, you need to understand the possible causes of this process.

To the question why dark-colored periods come with clots, several answers can be given, depending on the factors causing this problem.

Normal cycle

Menstruation is present in a woman of reproductive age, the duration of “critical days” is on average 3-5 days. During pregnancy, monthly bleeding stops. The first menstruation in girls occurs at the age of 12-14, but it is possible either earlier or later onset, it all depends on the puberty of a particular teenager. They end at 49-55 years.

Even with a normal cycle, a woman may notice dark brown discharge. However, in some cases this is not a cause for concern. Sometimes such stains on underwear form a couple of days before the start of menstruation. You should not panic in a number of cases:

1. The discharge is homogeneous and has a small volume.
2. Color - brown or red.
3. Free from unpleasant odor.
4. There is no itching or burning sensation.
5. Not observed in every cycle.

All this signals a normal process, so there is no cause for concern. However, if in doubt, it is better to visit a gynecologist.

Physiological causes of menstruation with clots

The reproductive gland system constantly produces secretions. This helps maintain the vaginal microflora, get rid of foreign bacteria and remove dead cells in a timely manner. Brown periods with mucus are often the result of the physiological work of the female body in the following situations:

1. In adolescence after the onset of the first menstruation. Brown discharge may appear at different times, since when menstruation begins, the hormonal background is not yet stable.
2. At the beginning and end of the first phase of the cycle. The detachment and release of the endometrium does not occur abruptly, so at the beginning of menstruation, dark discharge and brown clots may appear, and then normal bleeding will begin.
3. Bend of the uterus. This feature of the body can provoke brown spotting and blood clots during menstruation that look like jelly, since they take more time to come out, and the blood has time to coagulate and darken.
4. During the period of ovulation. Sometimes it happens that when a follicle ruptures, small capillaries are damaged and blood is released.
5. Intrauterine device. Promotes a slight delay in discharge, resulting in the formation of lumps and a darkened color.
6. Implantation of fertilized egg. During this process, a small vessel may be damaged. Such discharge often looks like several darkish droplets or like a clot.
7. Postpartum period. At this time, the uterus bleeds heavily. By the time the lochia ends, the bleeding becomes less and less, and they turn brown on their way out of the uterus.
8. After a cold or flu. When you are sick, the body experiences a lot of stress. Follicles are deliberately delayed in maturation until normal conditions occur. Less endometrial tissue grows. You get a small brown discharge.
9. At the first sexual contact.
10. After an abortion. For several months, the cycle may begin with brown bleeding, until the body recovers from the stress it has endured.
11. Climate change. With a sharp change in temperature, atmospheric pressure and other weather conditions, minor temporary disruptions may occur, which also affects discharge.
12. Body mass. Often, with sudden weight loss or weight gain, the nature of menstruation may change for some time. The beginning of menopause. During this period, periods become scanty and may change color and consistency.

Pathological causes

Why are periods dark in color with clots and mucus when physiological reasons are not suitable? There are various pathologies that are often accompanied by pain and discomfort.

Infections

When infected with chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes, trichomoniasis and other diseases, the first sign of the disease may be profuse brown discharge. There is itching and pain in the lower abdomen. Opportunistic microorganisms (candida, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus) are also often the cause.

Ectopic pregnancy

As the fertilized egg enlarges, pressure on the walls increases and the fallopian tube ruptures. The result is dark bleeding with many clots.

Disorders in the postpartum period

In the first days after the birth of a child, when the uterus contracts weakly, the lochia do not come out well, black or brown clots appear.

Inappropriate hormonal contraceptives

When taking OCs, malfunctions of the ovaries occur, and the first signal of this may be brown periods, as well as bleeding in the middle of the cycle with clots.

Tendency to thrombosis

Blood stagnation occurs as a result of the accelerated clotting process.

Endometriosis

Dark brown discharge may be accompanied by endometrial hyperplasia. As a result of this disease, the outflow of secretions becomes difficult and blood clots form. With endometriosis, there is a strong unpleasant odor of the discharge.

Discharge during pregnancy

When there is a threat of miscarriage, placental abruption, a sharp drop in hormones, or rupture of blood vessels during pregnancy, brown discharge appears, sometimes with clots. Similar discharge may also occur when the plug comes out before childbirth.

Tumors benign and malignant

They can cause a reaction in the form of a change in the color of menstruation to brown.

Hypothermia

When exposed to the cold for a long time, severe abdominal pain and often brown menstrual blood occur.

Excessive load

This includes both physical overexertion and all kinds of stress and neuroses. This causes hormonal imbalance.

Severe exhaustion

The body does not receive enough energy, vitamins and other elements. Menstruation disappears, and in its place comes pale discharge, sometimes with clots.

Complications after abortion

Bleeding may stop prematurely, leaving a faintly colored discharge. This is a signal that there are clots left in the uterus and cleaning is required.

Anemia

With severe iron deficiency, the discharge first turns brown and then may disappear completely.

Injuries in the genital area

Depending on the location of the injury, bleeding of varying degrees of color may occur. Clots coming out in pieces indicate tissue damage and blood stagnation near the site of injury.

ethnoscience

Among the numerous recipes of traditional medicine, we will consider ways to eliminate irregularities in the menstrual cycle. It is worth noting that it is advisable to use such treatment only when spotting is caused by natural physiological changes in the woman’s body. In case of serious pathologies or infections, the cause of the disorders must be eliminated with medication or surgery. Traditional medicine recipes can be used as a supplement to the main treatment.

• Before going to bed, you need to drink a glass of warm milk. First add a few pinches of dried saffron flowers to it.
• Drink a decoction of carrot seeds, 2 tablespoons twice a day, every day until the usual bleeding occurs during menstruation. To prepare the product, infuse 1 teaspoon of seeds in a glass of boiling water for several hours.
• Aloe juice is recommended to drink 3 tablespoons twice a day. This method will help regulate the menstrual cycle. Aloe can be replaced with pineapple juice. Consume the same volumes daily.
• Douching with decoctions of medicinal herbs. To prepare the product, dried St. John's wort or nettle is suitable. Brew 2 tablespoons of the product in a liter of water, infuse and filter. The procedure is performed before bed every day.

Traditional healers suggest increasing the amount of onions, green onions, and garlic in your diet. Often, dysfunction is caused by a lack of vitamins in a woman’s body.

Diagnostics

To identify the causes of menstruation failure, you need to carry out all the necessary diagnostic procedures.

If there are brown clots instead of menstruation, the diagnosis is based on the following plan:

1. Appointment with a gynecologist. The doctor will collect anamnesis and prescribe preliminary examinations.
2. Examination in a gynecological chair. The vagina and cervix are examined. With this method you can see endometriosis, erosion, ruptures, as well as the nature of the internal mucus.
3. Colposcopy. A colposcope device is used, with which the area of ​​the vagina and cervix is ​​examined under magnification. Malignant and benign formations are differentiated, the appearance of tissues is studied, and if necessary, a biopsy is taken.
4. A smear to examine the vaginal microflora. A smear allows you to detect the presence of dangerous bacteria, inflammation in the form of a large number of leukocytes and squamous epithelium, dysbacteriosis with a violation of the number of lactobacilli, fungi in the form of pseudomycelium, and a large amount of mucus. You can also see gonococci, which cause gonorrhea, separately.
5. Bacterial culture for microflora. If a bacterial infection is suspected, bacterial susceptibility testing is prescribed. The result is released after a week.
6. Blood test for hormones. To clarify the cause of hormonal imbalance.
7. Tests for infections. PCR studies will show the presence of the pathogen in the discharge. The ELISA test allows you to see antibodies in the blood to pathogenic microorganisms, the presence of which indicates the presence of infection.
8. Detailed blood test. They look at the number of leukocytes and the ratio of other blood cells. In the presence of anemia, the indicator of red blood cells and hemoglobin is determined.
9. Ultrasound. Allows you to see various formations - cysts, fibroids, endometriosis and other changes.
10. CT, MRI. To confirm the nature of the tumors, tomography is necessary.

Does taking medications affect

The symptom may indicate changes caused by the drugs used. The disorder may be a consequence of taking antibiotics. Medicines do not affect hormonal levels, but the microflora of the vagina. If used incorrectly, vaginal dysbiosis develops.

The menstrual cycle is affected by medications prescribed to treat ulcers. In this case, your period may come earlier or later than expected, and also change in appearance.

The discharge may darken after taking hormonal contraceptives.

Hormonal contraceptives, which the woman started using recently, lead to black spotting. The menstrual cycle will adapt to the required conditions. Hormonal levels will change. It will take several months for the condition to normalize.

Hemostatic medications and antidepressants lead to the appearance of black discharge. There is a strong impact on the menstrual cycle.

Any medications should be taken only after prior consultation with a doctor. This is the only way to prevent possible complications.

Treatment of menstruation with clots

After diagnosing the causes of brown discharge, you again need to consult a doctor to decide on treatment methods. In most situations, medication is treated; in more complex cases, surgical intervention is necessary. Also, traditional medicine is not ignored for additional effect even after traditional treatment.

Drug treatment

1. For dark bleeding in the middle of the cycle, hemostatic drugs in injections and tablets can be prescribed.
2. For infectious diseases, antibacterial and antimicrobial drugs are prescribed.
3. If there is delayed discharge in the uterus, oxytocin and antibiotics are prescribed. Sometimes injections of calcium gluconate or calcium chloride are used to stimulate contraction. After a delay, your period comes out with clots, and you need to watch carefully so that they do not remain on the walls of the uterus.
4. In case of failures in the hormonal system, medications that include hormones are prescribed. Among them, oral contraceptives are often prescribed.

Surgery

1. Erosion of the cervix is ​​removed with a laser, radio wave exposure, or cauterized with liquid nitrogen. Such methods are also used when removing papillomas.
2. Endometriosis is treated by removing the overgrown epithelium through laparoscopic surgery.
3. For various neoplasms, it may be necessary to remove the uterus or part of the reproductive organs. After removal of the malignant tumor, chemotherapy or radiation therapy is then prescribed.
4. In case of injuries to the vulvar mucosa during childbirth or violent sexual intercourse, the tears are sutured. After healing, vaginoplasty can be performed.
5. Diagnostic curettage of the epithelium is carried out during menopause or constant intermenstrual bleeding.

Folk remedies

1. Tincture of yarrow, knotweed, and hogweed. Contains phytoestrogens, stabilize hormonal levels.
2. Decoctions and infusions of nettle, shepherd's purse, onion peel to stop intermenstrual bleeding.
3. Kalina. Dried berries, flowers and bark are brewed. Restores the menstrual cycle, reduces the growth of fibroids.
4. Horsetail. The decoction reduces pain from brown discharge.

Diseases manifested by brown discharge

Brown discharge is usually harmless, but it can also be a sign of serious illness. Please note if you have satellites such as:

• Severe itching;
• Unpleasant odor from discharge;
• Tingling;
• Swelling or pain in the vagina;
• Painful sensations during sex.

You need to immediately contact a gynecologist. These may be sexually transmitted diseases, which are usually treated with antibiotics; uterine polyps - they can be treated with hormonal drugs (or in case of complications - with surgery to remove the uterus); cervical cancer.

Also, spotting may be a response to inflammation. The easiest way to get inflammation of the mucous membrane is to stay at a low temperature for a long time. The appendages, uterus, and cervix are at risk.

In addition, brown discharge instead of menstruation may be a signal of menopause or atrophic vaginitis (hormone deficiency that accompanies menopause). Menopause cannot be cured, but the symptoms of age-related changes in the body can be stopped.

Prevention of the condition

Modern medicine has achieved great success in the treatment of female problems, but to prevent the appearance of brown discharge, preventive measures should be followed:

1. Safe sex. Barrier contraception will help you avoid getting infections. It is better to get tested with a regular partner.
2. A healthy lifestyle that includes light foods and moderate exercise.
3. Do not bring yourself to neurosis and depression. It is better to contact a specialist in time.
4. Avoid sudden temperature changes. Spending a long time in the heat and severe hypothermia undermines the body, which also affects the reproductive system.
5. Regularly conduct examinations and routine tests with a gynecologist. If nothing worries you - once every 6 months.

A woman’s attentive attitude to her health allows her to respond in time to changes such as brown discharge with clots. Seeing a doctor at the very beginning of the disease guarantees a complete recovery.

Opinion of gynecologists

If irregular bleeding is associated with pathology, it is necessary to pay attention to the problem in time. To do this, it is important to know how to distinguish menstruation from implantation bleeding, what signs indicate abnormal discharge. A gynecologist will tell you about this, and you need to visit him several times a year and consult about any problems that have arisen. Only timely detection of violations will help avoid illness.

If discharge appears during pregnancy, you should call an ambulance, as this may pose a risk of miscarriage. Copious blood loss of a profuse nature also cannot be ignored. To avoid blood loss during uterine bleeding, doctors recommend lying down, applying a cold heating pad to your stomach (this must be done very carefully, no longer than 15 minutes, so as not to catch a cold), and drinking a lot of water.

To prevent heavy bleeding during menstruation, you should avoid intense physical activity, visiting a sauna, taking a hot bath, spend more time in the fresh air, balance your diet, give up bad habits and strong coffee, and in case of any deviations, seek the help of a doctor. Only a specialist can prescribe the correct treatment for uterine bleeding; independent actions and ignoring the problem can harm your health.