Menstruation is a normal physiological phenomenon that occurs in women during their childbearing years. At this time, blood with a small amount of clots is released for 2-7 days, which may be accompanied by pain in the abdominal area, poor health, and fatigue. Normally, the duration of the cycle is 21-36 days, bleeding before or after menstruation is not observed.
If there are malfunctions in the female body or certain diseases, the cycle is disrupted, and small or heavy discharge may be observed. They may be accompanied by symptoms such as severe pain, an unpleasant smell of discharge or an uncharacteristic color of secretion, and an increase in body temperature. In this case, you shouldn’t expect everything to go away on its own; it’s better to immediately contact a supervising doctor, who will determine what it might be.
A visit to the doctor is necessary if brown or bright scarlet discharge appears in the middle of the cycle, immediately or after menstruation. At the same time, there is a burning or itching in the genital area, an unpleasant smell of discharge, the appearance of brown and even black clots, severe pain in the lower back and abdominal area.
Normal discharge
Before menstruation there may be scanty or heavy discharge, it all depends on the characteristics of the body. But the cycle remains unchanged, the blood does not flow for more than 7 days and has a natural color without black clots or brown smudges. To determine when discharge is normal and in what situations it is pathological, the following factors must be taken into account:
- is there any discharge, how much bleeding is there;
- total duration and frequency of discharge;
- color of secretion, presence of clots,
- Is there an unpleasant odor, severe pain in the lumbar and lower abdomen:
- Are there any symptoms of anemia, including dizziness, pale skin, fatigue.
It should be taken into account that a week before the onset of menstruation, scanty discharge of a normal color may appear. This is not a pathology or a sign of illness, but it is still recommended to see a doctor for examination. Shortly before menstruation, scanty discharge may appear immediately after sexual intercourse, which is also normal. Smearing marks are observed with hormonal disorders, if you suddenly stop taking birth control pills.
Brown blood a week before your period can also be a sign of ovulation. This means that the reproductive system is ready for conception, and the egg has begun to move through the fallopian tube.
Normal phenomena at different periods
During ovulation, the wall of the mature follicle ruptures and the egg is released. The process of rupture of the follicle wall is accompanied by damage to small blood vessels and the occurrence of scanty bleeding, the result of which is visible on the panty liner in the form of slight spotting.
To know for sure that the cause of such discharge was ovulation, you need to know that ovulation occurs in the middle of the cycle, 14–16 days after the start of menstruation (the beginning of menstruation is considered the beginning of a new menstrual cycle). In this case, short-term nagging pain in the lower abdomen may occur, which lasts no more than 1–2 days.
Implantation of the fertilized egg into the wall of the uterus is also accompanied by damage to the small vessels of the inner lining of the uterus. As a result, scanty bleeding occurs, which the hemostatic system copes with very quickly and it stops. The spilled blood may be visible on the woman's underwear. The implantation process may also be accompanied by discomfort in the lower abdomen, which can be very worrying for the expectant mother if she has already detected the nascent life using a pregnancy test. If spotting was detected once, quickly stopped and did not recur in the future, then there is no cause for concern.
Age-related hormonal changes are also often manifested by the occurrence of bleeding before menstruation. In teenage girls during puberty, the phenomenon of spotting before menstruation is very common. The fact is that hormonal regulation undergoes significant changes. A teenage girl's menstrual cycles can be either ovulatory or anovulatory (lack of ovulation). Menstrual bleeding does not come regularly; spotting often occurs before menstruation.
For teenage girls, this phenomenon is considered normal for 1 year; if, after this period, spotting continues to occur periodically before menstruation, then you should be examined by a specialist.
In women of menopausal age, hormonal decline can also be manifested by spotting before menstruation.
In case of deviations from these criteria, you should consult a gynecologist managing the pregnancy.
https://youtu.be/FWw1bQRALpI
Main reasons
The main reasons why bleeding may occur are:
- diseases of the reproductive organs, uterus;
- the presence of benign and malignant neoplasms;
- use of uterine devices;
- hormonal imbalances.
Possible causes of cycle disruption may also include disorders of the central nervous system or thyroid gland, overwork, stressful situations, or VSD. Only a specialist can determine the exact cause after a series of studies, including ultrasound, laboratory tests, and examination on a chair.
Ovulation and pregnancy
Bleeding that appears before menstruation can become one of the signs of pregnancy, that is, ovulation just a couple of days before the start of menstruation. These are minor discharges, which are called implantation, they are not accompanied by pain, they rather resemble a simple meager daub. After a couple of days, normal menstruation occurs, which proceeds as usual. But in order to rule out problems such as an ectopic or frozen pregnancy, it is recommended to consult a doctor for examination after the discharge stops.
Why does blood appear a week before menstruation?
The reasons why discharge begins can be different. And in order to know in which cases you should immediately contact a gynecologist, and when you should monitor your body, you need to analyze them in more detail.
Age
Often, the appearance of spotting can be affected by a woman’s age:
- In young girls during the establishment of the menstrual cycle, a small amount of blood a few days before its onset is a normal situation. This is due to the fact that the body is experiencing severe stress at this time, and hormonal changes occur.
Important! Bloody discharge should not be profuse, without severe pain.
Only in this case can we talk about the norm. If blood is released in large quantities or the girl experiences pain, you should immediately consult a doctor. In addition to the fact that hemoglobin drops due to bleeding, causing anemia, it can signal the presence of a cyst.
- A woman of reproductive age should be alerted to blood a week or more before menstruation, if there have been no disruptions in the cycle before. The only harmless cause of this phenomenon is considered to be hormonal drugs that the woman takes during this period. In this case, a change in the background occurs, and a small amount of blood is considered normal.
If a woman has regular sex life and does not use hormonal contraceptives, blood can be a symptom of cervical erosion, endometritis, tumors of various types, and polyps.
- Women who have crossed the age of 45 begin menopause. At this time, the body experiences strong hormonal fluctuations. This also affects the menstrual cycle. Therefore, discharge before menstruation at this time is not uncommon. They can be quite abundant, accompanied by discomfort in the form of dizziness, hot flashes, and profuse sweating. The symptoms will go away as soon as menopause is fully established.
Advice! If the discharge continues for a long time, you should consult a gynecologist. This may be a signal about the presence of endometrial hyperplasia, fibroids in the uterine area.
Taking hormonal medications
The appearance of discharge a few days before normal periods can be caused by taking various hormonal drugs, including the following:
- contraceptives;
- ointments or gels;
- use of intrauterine devices and vaginal rings.
A couple of days before the regulation, bloody, minor discharge is observed. Usually the cycle stabilizes on its own within a couple of months; this phenomenon does not cause any special problems or discomfort. Brown discharge is usually observed when taking emergency contraceptives, for example, Escapella or Postinora, but this phenomenon is isolated and does not recur.
Intermittent spotting bleeding may occur if contraception is not taken. If you restore the circuit, the daub disappears and the cycle returns to normal.
What is the reason for bleeding?
Various reasons can provoke the appearance of blood from the vagina outside of menstruation. The main ones include: ovulation, pregnancy, gynecological diseases and taking hormonal medications.
However, the causes of bleeding before menstruation may also be due to a number of factors:
- chronic fatigue;
- increased physical activity;
- sudden weight changes;
- lack of vitamins and minerals;
- stress;
- mechanical damage during sex.
Bleeding before menstruation can also be the result of improper douching, an abortion, or other gynecological procedures.
How a symptom may be related to ovulation and pregnancy
When there is bleeding before menstruation, a woman may be ovulating at that moment. The peak of physiological preparation of the reproductive system for conception is observed 7–14 days before the date of menstruation. During ovulation, the egg reaches a state of maturation, the follicles move towards the uterus - these processes are often accompanied by injury to small capillaries, which causes spotting.
Note! There are times when ovulation occurs repeatedly. The minor bleeding caused may stop as soon as the regulation begins.
Pregnancy can also cause spotting. Bleeding is caused by a violation of the integrity of the blood vessels when the egg attaches to the uterine cavity. The appearance of blood clots before menstruation is a pathological symptom during pregnancy. Heavy discharge with clots may be a sign of self-abortion.
If you bleed in the premenstrual period during ovulation or due to conception, you need to pay attention to your general condition. There should be no accompanying pathological symptoms. Otherwise, it is advisable not to delay visiting a gynecologist.
Minor discharge is acceptable during ovulation
Could the blood be the result of using hormonal drugs?
If a few days before menstruation a woman detects drops of blood on her underwear, the cause may well be the effect of hormonal medications.
Vaginal bleeding appears when using drugs:
- having the effect of emergency contraception;
- contraceptive action.
Vaginal creams and ointments containing hormones, the vaginal ring and the intrauterine device also have a negative effect. Side effects from this group of drugs often occur in the first three months or with improper use of contraceptives and gynecology.
What diseases can be
Particular attention should be paid to bleeding, which is accompanied by pathological symptoms. In such cases, diagnostics may reveal the development of gynecological diseases.
Possible pathologies leading to vaginal bleeding:
- infectious or inflammatory processes;
- endometritis or endometriosis;
- erosion of the uterine cervix;
The cause may be an inflammatory process in the reproductive system
- venereal diseases;
- presence of neoplasms;
- atrophic vaginitis.
In addition to vaginal bleeding, blood may occur before menstruation in the stool or urine. This sign does not always indicate serious violations. Thus, blood before menstruation from the anus appears with hemorrhoids, which often worsens during the premenstrual period.
Blood in the urine before menstruation is often a consequence of cystitis, urethritis or kidney pathology, which worsens during menstruation due to hormonal imbalance.
Signs of pathological discharge
It is not possible to make a diagnosis on your own; this can only be done by a specialist using certain laboratory and other examination methods. But the following signs may indicate that you need to see a doctor:
- menstruation takes too long;
- severe pain is felt during sex;
- general health is poor, headaches and fatigue appear;
- body temperature rises;
- copious discharge streaked with blood appears;
- the discharge becomes too abundant;
- an unpleasant odor appears;
- discharge is accompanied by pain in the perineum, lower back or abdomen;
- The discharge is too thick or watery.
If any of these signs appear, it is recommended to undergo an ultrasound and general examination, and undergo laboratory tests prescribed by a gynecologist.
Causes
The appearance of blood streaks in vaginal secretion is one of the pathological phenomena. This is an indicator of inflammatory and infectious processes, hormonal imbalance or mechanical damage to the tissues of the genital tract. Gynecologists identify the following reasons for the appearance of vaginal mucous secretion before menstruation.
Taking hormonal contraceptives
Causes an imbalance of progesterone and estrogen. This happens due to uncontrolled use of hormonal drugs. This includes using medications not prescribed by a doctor, as well as exceeding the prescribed dosage.
Damage to tissue of the urogenital tract
They arise as a result of excesses during sexual intercourse. The woman finds out about the damage immediately (due to acute pain), or after a certain time. For example, before menstruation - visualizing mucous discharge streaked with blood and feeling urinary distress (discomfort, burning).
Cervical erosion
Immediately a week before menstruation, the cervix softens. This process allows menstrual blood to be released painlessly. As the tissue softens, the tone of the ulcerations located on the cervical uterus weakens. This leads to the appearance of blood-streaked discharge shortly before the usual days of menstruation.
Endometriosis
It is an uncontrolled growth of the inner layer of the uterus beyond the boundaries of this reproductive organ. The etiology of the pathology in question has not been reliably established. Experts identify only a group of predisposing factors - frequent abortions, a history of difficult labor. Other causative aspects are hormonal imbalance, irregular or overly active sex life, hereditary predisposition.
Spontaneously terminated pregnancy (miscarriage)
A woman may not always know about her situation, so she strains herself physically and psychologically. This can lead to rejection of the fertilized egg and subsequent bleeding. Other predisposing factors are Rh conflict between mother and fetus, damage to the abdominal cavity (falls, blows).
Polyp of the cervical canal
The reasons for the formation of a benign growth have not been established. Predisposing factors are damage to the vaginal mucosa, infectious and inflammatory processes. Gynecologists associate the formation of polyps with carelessly performed diagnostic or therapeutic manipulations on the genitals. During intimacy, damage to the growth occurs, which leads to minor hemorrhage.
A woman may not be aware that she has 90% of the listed pathologies. A complete diagnosis helps identify these diseases. Some of the diseases require careful differentiation. The doctor must accurately establish a diagnosis and determine the degree of risk to the patient’s health. The reason is the high probability of transition of 70% of these pathologies into a malignant tumor.
Possible pathologies
Blood before menstruation can be a sign of various diseases and pathologies. Among the reasons is the installation of a spiral, which causes injury to the uterine mucosa. If the discharge does not go away for a long time and signs of an inflammatory process appear, you should definitely contact a specialist to remove the coil and treat it.
In addition, bleeding before the start of a cycle can be a dangerous condition, indicating the following pathologies:
- development of infectious lesions of the pelvic organs;
- inflammation in the fallopian tubes;
- inflammation of the ovaries;
- endometritis in acute or chronic form;
- cervical erosion;
- atrophic vaginitis;
- polyposis or polycystic disease;
- benign, malignant neoplasms.
Only a doctor can determine exactly what problem caused the bleeding during diagnosis. He will also prescribe appropriate treatment based on the test results. But it should be borne in mind that the presence of discharge is not always a sign of a serious illness. In some cases, the appearance of blood is caused by the following disorders:
- failure of the central nervous system;
- malfunction of the thyroid gland;
- inflammation of the bladder lining;
- adrenal diseases;
- dysfunction of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus.
Cycle disruptions can be of various types; after the examination, the gynecologist will schedule consultations with related specialists, who will prescribe appropriate therapy.
How to recognize the course of pathology
You should be concerned about bleeding if the symptoms are pathological.
The development of diseases can be characterized by the following symptoms:
- heavy and prolonged discharge (more than 3 days);
- frequent discharge of large clots;
- discharge that is too thin or thick;
- general temperature is constantly elevated;
- pain is felt during sexual intercourse;
- bothered by burning or constant itching;
- cramping or constant aching pain is felt in the lower abdomen;
- deterioration of general condition.
Watch the video to learn about the causes of discharge before menstruation:
https://youtu.be/7H4HNbdtACw
If there are even one or two symptoms, a woman must undergo diagnostics to determine the cause of disturbances in the functionality of the body.
Possibility of bleeding
Bleeding immediately before menstruation, having a bright scarlet tint, indicates pathological bleeding. They are accompanied by the following symptoms:
- copious discharge;
- reduced blood pressure (this phenomenon is caused by severe blood loss);
- severe dizziness appears, loss of consciousness is possible;
- pale skin;
- Nausea and vomiting appear.
Such discharge does not go away on its own; if these symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a specialist.
Hormonal disbalance
Hormonal imbalances can cause bleeding. But we must take into account that in young girls, the first two years after the start of menstruation, the cycle stabilizes. At this time, a certain hormonal change is observed in the body, that is, the release of blood between cycles is quite normal. During this period, it is recommended to visit a gynecologist once every six months in order to promptly identify problems in the development of the pelvic organs.
But intermittent bleeding may appear later in life. If discharge appears 5 days before the start of the cycle and then becomes regular, this indicates problems with the endocrine system and an increase in estrogen levels. Upon examination, it is revealed that the endometrium begins to be shed before the onset of menstruation than it should be, causing minor traces of blood.
With a lack of progesterone, scanty discharge with a brown tint may also be observed. This phenomenon indicates hormonal imbalance and improper formation of the corpus luteum, which, if left untreated, leads to infertility. The main sign of the problem is that the time from ovulation to menstruation is too short, less than 12 days. The discharge that appears resembles menstruation, but has a brownish tint, while normal discharge comes on time.
If discharge appears before planned critical days, you should definitely pay attention to this. In most cases, this phenomenon indicates a malfunction of the body and requires appropriate treatment. If nothing is done, complications such as infertility or other serious health problems may develop.
Physiological causes of discharge
The appearance of vaginal discharge is not always a sign of pathology; it can bother even a completely healthy woman. Bloody discharge before menstruation often has physiological causes - that is, those that are in no way related to diseases or pathological changes in the female body.
Important! The causes of the problem may be related to the upcoming menstruation. As a rule, spotting appears 1-2 days before menstruation and is not accompanied by itching, burning or pain.
During “critical” days, endometrial cells are rejected and spotting may be evidence of the body’s preparation for this process.
The causes of spotting from the genital tract may be associated with other physiological factors:
- Too active sexual contact.
- Poor nutrition with a minimum of vitamins and other nutrients.
- Adherence to too strict diets.
- Obesity.
- The use of oral contraception, which can lead to hormonal imbalance.
- Regular stress.
- Chronic fatigue, lack of sleep.
- Smoking and frequent drinking.
- Intense sports activities.
In some cases, the reasons for the appearance of bloody discharge are associated with the use of an intrauterine device. Installing a contraceptive often leads to menstrual irregularities and the appearance of spotting from the genital tract.
