Light bleeding during periods

Vaginal bleeding can be said to be a normal physiological phenomenon that occurs in the female body, because if a woman has vaginal bleeding, it is menstruation caused by the regular shedding of the endometrium. Therefore, vaginal bleeding during menstruation is a normal phenomenon, but if you find a small amount of blood in your lower body when you are not menstruating, you should pay attention. A large number of medical practice studies have shown that the main causes of minor bleeding during periods are as follows.

It is normal for women to have vaginal bleeding during each menstrual cycle, but some women experience vaginal bleeding outside of their menstrual period. Non-menstrual vaginal bleeding may be a warning of disease. Women should learn to observe the timing, duration, amount, color of bleeding, and whether there are other accompanying symptoms. Common non-menstrual vaginal bleeding includes the following:

1. Ovulation bleeding, this term people often hear. Western medicine calls it ovulation bleeding, while traditional Chinese medicine calls it "intermenstrual bleeding." This is due to a temporary drop in estrogen levels, which causes the endometrium to lose hormonal support and partially shed, causing regular vaginal bleeding. The amount of this bleeding is not much. Some people only have a small amount of brown secretion. It usually lasts for half a day or 2-3 days, and no more than 7 days at most. It may be accompanied by mild ovulation pain and back pain. If someone is measuring their basal body temperature, they will notice that this bleeding usually occurs during the transition from low body temperature to high body temperature. If the symptoms are mild, no treatment is required, but if the symptoms are obvious and may affect fertility, treatment should be given.

2. Functional uterine bleeding is abbreviated as functional uterine bleeding. This disease is very common in clinical practice, mainly caused by abnormal neuroendocrine function regulating reproduction. Its manifestations are usually irregular menstrual cycles, excessive menstrual flow, prolonged menstruation or irregular bleeding. The principle of treatment is to stop bleeding quickly, adjust and establish a normal menstrual cycle after stopping bleeding, and prevent recurrence. Due to long-term bleeding, some people also have varying degrees of anemia, so correcting anemia is also very important.

3. If menstruation is delayed for 7-10 days before bleeding occurs, do not assume that it is definitely late. You should pay attention to whether the amount, color, and duration of bleeding are the same as normal menstruation. If the menstrual blood is sometimes more and sometimes less, and is continuous, and is accompanied by abdominal pain, you should be careful about the possibility of ectopic pregnancy or threatened abortion; if the bleeding is more than usual, lasts longer, and dysmenorrhea is obvious, it is more common in uterine fibroids or endometriosis. It is necessary to seek medical treatment promptly.

4. The phenomenon of vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse is called contact bleeding, which is often related to gynecological diseases such as vaginitis, cervical erosion, cervical polyps, early cervical cancer, submucosal myoma, etc. The only option is to see a gynecologist as soon as possible.

5. Some women may experience vaginal bleeding after having unprotected sex because they take emergency contraceptive pills. The impact of emergency contraceptive pills on menstruation is mainly manifested in changes in the menstrual cycle, which may be early or delayed. Especially for repeated users, it can cause menstrual disorders, bleeding, and continuous spotting. Therefore, it can only be used as a remedial measure and cannot replace normal contraceptive methods. It should also be noted here that some women may also have their menstruation affected due to the abuse of "health products" and "breast enhancement medicines and creams" containing hormones.

6. Generally, vaginal bleeding will stop about 3-7 days after an abortion or miscarriage. In very few people, bleeding may be prolonged due to physical weakness, fatigue, etc., but this needs to be judged by a doctor. If there are no special circumstances and vaginal bleeding lasts longer, after excluding intraoperative injuries, cervical inflammation and the like, it is very likely that there are residual tumors in the uterus. The doctor will then decide whether to use medication or uterine curettage after examination. Otherwise, after a period of time, the residual fetal membrane tissue may turn into choriocarcinoma.

7. If a woman who has had a hydatidiform mole experiences persistent vaginal bleeding again within two years after regular treatment, it may be an early symptom of a malignant hydatidiform mole and she should see a doctor immediately.

8. There are two possibilities for vaginal bleeding in menopausal women, especially after the age of 60. For some women who still have sex, due to endocrine changes after menopause, the vagina becomes dry. If some lubricants are not used, it is easy to cause mechanical damage to the vagina and bleeding. Unexplained vaginal bleeding after menopause is usually not a good thing, because with age, the risk of cervical cancer and uterine cancer will increase.

Warm reminder: Non-menstrual bleeding is mostly pathological, and since many people cannot distinguish whether the bleeding is physiological or pathological, for safety reasons, it is best to go to the hospital to consult a doctor to avoid missing the opportunity for early diagnosis and treatment.