For most women, menstruation begins between ages 12 and 13. Do you know your Period can tell you a lot about your health? In fact, the color of the period can be considered as a vital sign just like pulse, pressure, and temperature. Anything from the length of your cycle to the textures and colors of the period blood may indicate something important about your health as it offers key insights into your hormone health.  And it is your hormones that keep everything from your brain to your reproductive system running smoothly.

You may encounter with changes in the color of the blood during different stages of the period. The colors may vary from black to bright red and brown to orange. Even though most colors are quite normal, others may indicate a serious underlying issue.

What does a brown period blood mean?

Typically, brown color indicates old blood.  Usually, this color appears in the morning after the sleep. This is associated with:

Beginning or end of menstruation

When the blood flow during your period is slow, the period blood may take more time to exit your body. When blood stays in the uterus longer, it may become brown in color. Also, the brown blood can be left over from your last period!

Pregnancy

If the spotting during pregnancy turns out to be brown, it indicates the active bleed has stopped.

Missed miscarriage

Miscarriage is usually associated with bright red bleeding. However, it is not the case of a “missed miscarriage”. With this type of pregnancy loss, the fetus stops developing, yet, will not pass from the uterus for at least 4 weeks. In such cases, instead of developing heavy bleeding or clots, women develop dark brown spotting or bleeding.

What does a pink period blood indicate?

The period blood tends to appear pink in color at the beginning or end of your period, particularly during spotting. This lighter shade indicates the blood has mixed with cervical fluid, thereby, diluting its color.

Pink blood is associated with:

Low estrogen level

Estrogen is the hormone that helps to stabilize the uterine lining. Low level of this hormone leads to the shedding of the uterine lining throughout the cycle. This can turn period blood pink in color.

Mid-cycle spotting

Some women experience spotting during ovulation. This mix of cervical fluid and result in pink color spotting.

Miscarriage

A gush of clear or pink fluid from the vagina is more likely a sign of miscarriage. It is usually associated with cramping and other loss of pregnancy symptoms.

What does bright red period blood mean?

The bright red bleeding indicates the blood is fresh and it is flowing quickly. It may, however, can darken as the flow slows down.

Red blood is usually associated with low progesterone levels and high estrogen levels. This type of period indicates :

Infection

Some infections, like Chlamydia and gonorrhea, can lead to bleeding amid the periods. Therefore, If you bleed way before the due periods it is better to consult your doctor.

Polyps or fibroids

These are noncancerous growths in the uterus and it can bring about heavy red color flow during your periods.

What does dark red period blood mean?

You may notice dark red blood when you wake up in the morning or after you’ve been lying down for a while. The deep color may simply mean that the blood has enough time to stop inside and darken itself, however, hasn’t oxidized to the point of turning brown.

The dark red period is usually associated with:

Middle or end of Period

During this time the pace of the blood flow decreases giving period blood more time to stop inside the uterus.

What does orange period blood mean?

When the period blood mixes with cervical fluid it may also appear orange as in the case of pink discharge. However, it is not as common as pink one and falls under unusual discharge group. It can mean more than the simple explanation of “mixing with cervical fluid”.

The orange blood during periods is associated with:

Infection

It can be an indication of bacterial infection or sexually transmitted infection.

What does grey period blood mean?

If you notice gray or off-white discharge during the period, it is definitely a reason to seek medical attention.

The grey period blood is associated with:

Infection

Gray period indicates higher chances of having a bacterial infection like bacterial vaginosis. Fever, itching, pain and foul smell usually accompany in most of the cases.