The difference between ovulation bleeding and menstruation

Many people know that menstrual bleeding occurs, but some people also experience a small amount of bleeding during ovulation due to various reasons. Sexual intercourse is not recommended during menstruation, but sex during ovulation can help with pregnancy. So what should women do if they experience vaginal bleeding during ovulation? How to effectively distinguish ovulation bleeding from menstruation? What are the differences between the two?

The difference between ovulation bleeding and normal menstruation

"Ovulation bleeding" refers to a small amount of vaginal bleeding between two menstrual periods caused by ovulation in the ovaries.

Normal menstruation for women occurs every 28 to 30 days (may also fluctuate by 3 to 5 days), and the menstrual period lasts for 3 to 5 days (may also fluctuate by 2 days). Regular ovarian ovulation is the fundamental guarantee for normal menstruation. Women have two ovaries, one on each side, located behind and below the fallopian tubes on both sides of the uterus. They produce eggs and sex hormones to maintain women's normal menstrual physiology and reproductive function. In a mature female, generally one follicle matures and releases a mature egg every month. Ovulation usually occurs in the middle of two menstrual periods, roughly about 14 days before the onset of menstruation.

A woman's menstrual cycle can be simply divided into four periods:

1. Menstrual period, which is the period from the onset of menstruation to the end of menstruation;

2. Preovulatory period, which is the period from the onset of menstruation to ovulation;

3. Ovulation period, which is the period of time when the egg is released;

4. Late ovulation is the period from the time the egg is released to the time before the next menstrual period.

During the preovulation period, the follicles gradually develop to maturity and secrete estrogen and a small amount of progesterone. Estrogen gradually repairs the endometrium during the bleeding period and stops the bleeding. As the secretion of estrogen increases, the repaired endometrium gradually thickens (called a proliferative reaction). Before ovulation, estrogen levels reach a peak. During ovulation, the mature follicle ruptures and the egg is released. The estrogen level drops rapidly, causing the endometrium, which has been proliferating due to the nourishment of estrogen, to lose support and cause a small amount of bleeding.

Under normal circumstances, this bleeding is extremely short (about 1 to 2 hours), and only red blood cells can be seen in the leucorrhea under a microscope. After ovulation, the ruptured follicle quickly collapses and closes to form a corpus luteum, which secretes progesterone and a small amount of estrogen, causing the endometrium, which is in a proliferative reaction, to continue thickening (called a secretory reaction). If there is no pregnancy, the life span of the corpus luteum is generally no more than 14 days before it atrophies and loses its function. The estrogen and progesterone levels in the body decrease at the same time, causing the secretory endometrium to lose hormonal nutrition and completely fall off and bleed (this is called menstruation). Generally speaking, brief and light ovulation bleeding does not require treatment. If the amount of bleeding is heavy, lasts for a long time, or does not heal repeatedly, it can be regarded as a phenomenon of irregular menstruation.

There are two main reasons why ovulation bleeding occurs:

1. Imbalance in sex hormone secretion causes large fluctuations in hormone levels during ovulation, resulting in obvious bleeding.

2. Chronic inflammation of the endometrium or inflammatory thickening of the ovarian surface causes significant endometrial congestion during ovulation, and bleeding is difficult to stop on its own, or the inflammatory thickened follicle surface ruptures and bleeds more than normal, and flows back into the uterine cavity with the peristalsis of the fallopian tube and is discharged from the body through the vagina.

Vaginal bleeding visible to the naked eye may last for several hours, or 3 to 5 days, but rarely for more than 7 days. In severe cases, it may continue to occur until the next menstrual period. Some women have very little bleeding, which stops with a few drops, or there is blood mixed in the vagina. Generally, it rarely reaches the amount of menstruation. Bleeding may be accompanied by distension and discomfort, dull pain or obvious pain in one side of the lower abdomen, and may even involve the waist and inner thigh. Symptoms may occur continuously every month or every other month. For some people, they occur for several months each year, while for others, they only experience this phenomenon once in their lifetime. Repeated episodes of ovulation bleeding may affect pregnancy. If this is the case, treatment must be carried out under the guidance of a physician.

What are the symptoms of ovulation?

Ovulation is a period that women of childbearing age experience once a month. So, what are the symptoms of ovulation? Women during ovulation generally feel a decrease in appetite, more energy, increased sexual desire, increased vaginal discharge, and increased body temperature. Ovulation is one of the prerequisites for conception. The specific symptoms of ovulation are:

1. Decreased appetite: Women’s appetite will decrease during their ovulation period. Studies have shown that the ovulation period is the period in the menstrual cycle when women eat the least. This is because the influence of hormones in the body causes female animals in the ovulation period to focus more on finding the opposite sex for mating and less on finding food.

2. More energy: Being energetic is another symptom of women during ovulation. This is also a natural instinct inherited from humans. In order to successfully attract the opposite sex, women will be more energetic and want to express themselves more to attract the opposite sex.

3. Increased sexual desire: The ovulation period means that ovulation occurs. At this time, the female sexual desire will appear to be stronger. The chance of pregnancy during the ovulation period is relatively high. Therefore, if a woman wants to get pregnant, the symptom of increased sexual desire is particularly obvious during the ovulation period.

4. Increased leucorrhea: Leucorrhea is the vaginal secretion of women during the ovulation period. During the ovulation period, women will have symptoms of increased leucorrhea. Generally, the leucorrhea of ​​women during ovulation has no odor under normal circumstances. It is a slightly acidic viscous substance that has the functions of moistening the vagina, excreting waste, and inhibiting the growth of pathogens. It is a normal physiological phenomenon.

5. Increased body temperature: During ovulation, women’s body temperature will be higher than usual. However, if the basal body temperature is measured, the temperature change during ovulation is not obvious, generally fluctuating around 0.5 degrees Celsius. In addition, body temperature is greatly affected by the outside world. If you do not rely on a thermometer and do not measure body temperature over a long period of time, you generally cannot detect changes in body temperature.

6. Decreased resistance: Women’s resistance will decrease during ovulation, so they should pay attention to preventing bacterial infection. During ovulation, a woman's vaginal mucus becomes thinner, allowing sperm to pass more easily and increasing the chances of successful conception. At the same time, a woman's nasal mucus also decreases, increasing the chances of bacteria invading the human circulatory system.

7. Ovulation pain: There is "menstrual pain" during menstruation and there is "ovulation pain" during ovulation. Some women will experience mild pain on one side of the lower abdomen about 14 days before the menstrual cycle. Sometimes it is just a vague discomfort, but in a very small number of women, the pain is very obvious. This pain is called "ovulation pain" and usually disappears after 1-2 days.

8. Bleeding: During ovulation, some women will experience vaginal bleeding. This is because the estrogen level in the body drops temporarily, causing the endometrium to lose hormonal support and partial shedding of the endometrium, leading to regular vaginal bleeding, also known as ovulation bleeding. If the amount of bleeding is light and lasts less than 7 days, it is a normal physiological symptom.

If you experience the above symptoms, you can preliminarily determine whether you are in your ovulation period, but you cannot determine the ovulation day. Women only ovulate one egg every month. The day of ovulation is the ovulation day, and the ovulation period is about 14 days. Having sex during the ovulation period does not necessarily lead to pregnancy, and the probability of conception on the ovulation day is much greater than the probability of conception during the ovulation period. Having sex 2 days before ovulation, the chance of conception will be relatively higher.