What does brown vaginal Discharge mean?
Brown discharge means your vaginal discharge is mixed with blood. This could happen before, during and after your Period. It is very normal for women to have a vaginal discharge as part of their menstrual cycle. But when the discharge is brown, yellow or green it could be an infection or a more serious gynaecological condition.
Brown spotting and cramping a few days before a period, is a sign of pregnancy. It occurs during implantation.
A brown discharge could be dark in color, light, thick or watery depending on what the cause is.
Let's now dive into what the common reasons for a bloody discharge is.
18 Causes of Brown Spotting or Discharge before Period
1. Implantation Bleeding or spotting
Implantation spotting occurs when the fertilised egg attaches itself to the lining of the walls of the uterus to grow and develop.
Implantation happens at the very early stages of pregnancy. It involves the fertilised egg digging and burrowing through the endometrium (uterus lining).
The process causes some blood to be shed. Implantation bleeding is mostly light pink or brown in color. It is very scanty and usually stops within 2hours -48 hours.
Light Spotting of blood a week or less before period starts is one of the very first pregnancy symptoms.
Wait until you have a missed period to test for pregnancy.
2. Birth control pills
One of the side effects of using birth controls or contraceptive is that it disrupts the female sex hormones: estrogen and progesterone.
Hormonal contraceptives helps to prevent pregnancy but at the same time messes with a woman's menstrual cycle and hormones.
Contraceptives can be inform of oral pills, inter uterine devices(IUD), Injections and patches.
Other side effects of using contraceptives are: weight gain, sore breast, irregular periods, spotting between periods, mood swings, acne, nausea and low libido.
Side effects of birth controls should stop within 3 months as your body adjusts to it.
If your side effects continues after 3 months, see you healthcare provider.
3. Stress
Stress affects a woman's menstrual cycle in a negative way. Emotional or physical stress causes a stress hormone known as cortisol to be released.
The release of stress hormones, lessens the release of estrogen and progesterone hormone. This process disrupts the normal function of the menstrual cycle.
Exercise and eating nutritious food can help reduce stress. Also taking some time off to relax and take care of your health is highly recommended.
4. Ovulation bleeding
It is possible to experience light spotting during ovulation.
Ovulation spotting is a light bleeding that occurs during ovulation. Ovulation is the release of a matured egg from the ovary around 12-14 day of your menstrual cycle.
Not all women experience light bleeding as a sign of ovulation. Most women don't.
The shedding of blood during ovulation is caused by the rupture of the follicle to release its egg into the fallopian tube. You may also feel light abdominal cramping.
5. Sexually Transmitted Infections (sti)
Unusual vaginal discharge is also a sign of infection. Especially if the discharge is itchy, smell or causes pain during intercourse.
Sexually transmitted disease (std) such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea causes a smelly and itchy abnormal vaginal discharge.
The discharge caused by STD can be brown, yellow or green in color.
6. Uterine Fibroids
Uterine fibroid are benign(non-cancerous) tumours that develops on the walls of the uterus(womb).
Symptoms of uterine fibroids are: abnormal uterine bleeding, heavy periods, painful periods and pelvic pain.
7. Polyps
Cervical polyps or Uterine polyps are small elongated tumours that grow on the cervix or lining of the womb.
Polyps can cause irregular bleeding, bleeding between periods, spotting after menopause and bloody discharge before period.
8. Thyroid Problems
The thyroid is responsible for producing hormones that regulate metabolism and a person development.
Problems with the thyroid such as hypothyroidism(under active thyroid) can causes slow metabolism, weight gain, depression, spotting between period and tiredness.
9. Perimenopausal
Perimenopause is the several years before a woman reaches menopause( menstrual period stops).
Perimenopause usually starts around the age of 40 but for some women it starts as early as mid 30's.
Light pink or brownish bleeding before a period is a sign and symptoms of perimenopause stage.
Other symptoms of perimenopause are: hot flushes, night sweats, fatigue, anxiety, decreased libido, vaginal dryness.
10. Estrogen decline
Hormonal imbalances especially a decline in estrogen levels can lead to irregular spotting and bleeding before, during or after a woman's menstruation.
11. Cervical Erosion
Cervical erosion also known as cervical ectropion is a condition that occurs when the cells that are inside the cervical canal are found on the outside surface of the cervix.
Most women find they have cervical erosion when they go for a smear test or a cervical screening test.
The cells on the outside surface of the cervix can cause bleeding or spotting from time to time.
12. POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME (PCOS)
PCOS is a condition that affects the way a woman's ovaries functions.
It happens when a woman's sex hormones estrogen and progesterone are imbalanced.
It is a leading cause of infertility in women causing abnormal bleeding and disruption to the menstrual cycle.
13. Ovarian Cysts
Ovarian cysts is a sac filled with fluid that grows on the ovaries.
The symptoms of ovarian cysts are: pelvic pain, pain during sex, irregular periods, heavy periods and spotting between periods.
14. Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition in which the tissues in the lining of the uterus is found outside the uterus. The tissues can be found in the pelvic cavity, fallopian tubes and ovaries
Endometriosis causes pain in the lower abdomen and infertility.
The symptoms are: painful bowel movement, painful urination, bleeding in between period, painful sex, fatigue and irregular or heavy bleeding.
15. Adenomyosis
Adenomyosis is a medical condition in women in which the inner lining of the uterus breaks through the muscular walls of the uterus.
It is also referred to as uterine endometriosis.
The symptoms are: prolonged menstrual cramps, heavy periods, spotting between periods, blood clots during menstruation, pain during sexual intercourse.
16. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Pelvic inflammatory disease(PID) is an infection of the female reproductive organs( uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries).
PID is caused by bacteria that moved from the vagina into the cervix.
Symptoms of PID are: painful periods, heavy periods, pelvic pain, painful urination and bleeding after sex or between period.
17. Ectopic Pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy happens when the fertilised egg implants itself outside the uterus in the wrong place. Ectopic pregnancy usually happens in the fallopian tube.
Common symptoms of ectopic pregnancy are: vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain and lack of menstrual periods.
18. Urethral Prolapse
Urethral prolapse occurs when the tube that drains urine from the bladder sticks out to the vulva.
Vaginal bleeding is a common symptom of urethral prolapse.
When to worry
See your health care provider if you have a vaginal discharge that is:
- Brownish, greenish or yellowish
- Has a strong odor or bad smell
- Is itchy
- You have vaginal irritation
- Pain during intercourse
- Pain while peeing
Spotting a day before period what does it mean
Spotting a day before period starts could mean you are pregnant and you are experiencing implantation bleeding.
It could also mean you're experiencing premenstrual bleeding.
SPOTTING 3 DAYS BEFORE PERIOD WHAT DOES IT MEAN
Spotting 3 days before period could be a sign that implantation is taking place.
Spotting a few days before period occurs in the early stages of pregnancy around 6-7 days after conception.
BROWN SPOTTING AND CRAMPING BEFORE PERIOD...WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
Spotting and cramping before menstrual period is a pregnancy symptom. But it could also be a PMS symptom.
If you have unprotected sexual intercourse around ovulation then you may be pregnant.
BROWN WATERY DISCHARGE BEFORE PERIOD
A brown watery discharge before or after menstruation starts is normal as long as it is not itchy or smelly.
It could mean the uterus is trying to get rid of left over blood.
Miscarriage is also a common cause of dark and watery brownish discharge.
If you have severe cramping that is unbearable or very painful, see your health care provider immediately.
I hope this article has answered your concerns on the causes of brown discharge before period.
The post Brown Discharge Before Periods- Is It Normal? appeared first on Conceive Success.
This post first appeared on Preconception & Postnatal Guidance On Health, Exercise, Baby Care And Sex, please read the originial post: here
