You Are Taking Certain Drugs Such As Anticoagulants
Anticoagulants are drugs that help prevent your blood from clotting or prevent existing clots from growing. These drugs help keep clots from forming in your heart, veins, or arteries. These drugs should only be taken if advised by your doctor. While anticoagulants help with clotting, one side effect is spotting before your period or bleeding more than normal on your period.
Also medications like phenothiazides, which are antipsychotic tranquilizers and tricyclic antidepressants which affect serotonin uptake can as well result to spotting. Spotting is also common in women who are taking corticosteroids medications. Taking blood thinning medications like Heparin, Warfarin or Aspirin also result to spotting.
What Is The Source Of Spotting
Spotting can come from your upper reproductive tract or your lower reproductive tract . Spotting is different from your period, which is the cyclical shedding of your uterine lining, your endometrium. Heavier spotting is most often from the uterus, while lighter spotting can come from the upper or lower tract .
Im Spotting In The Week Before My Period Or Im Spotting When I Get Stressed
This is the most common type of spotting and can also be very normal. If you are noticing some light spotting one day before your period begins, this may not be cause for concern. However, spotting for longer than a day before your period begins , you may be experiencing low progesterone levels, or progesterone deficiency.
The key role of progesterone is to hold tightly onto the lining of your uterus to prepare for a possible embryo implantation. In a healthy cycle where you dont fall pregnant, after around 10-15 days your progesterone levels plummet, triggering the lining of your uterus to shed in the form of your period.
When progesterone levels are too low, small parts of the lining of your uterus can start to break away before your period officially begins. This is seen in the form of light spotting before your period, and usually occurs within 7-10 days of your period.
The number one contributor to low progesterone levels is S.T.R.E.S.S. To find out more about the connection between period problems, stress and low progesterone, check out my blog here.
Stress impacts our cycles in many ways, but one common scenario is for stress to delay or halt ovulation. This happens because your body decides that now is not a great time for you to fall pregnant due to your relentless stress, so shuts down ovulation. Because your uterine lining has already begun to develop by this point, it can become too thick causing small parts of the lining to be shed in the form of spotting.
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Youre Experiencing Delayed Ovulation
If you are a woman who ovulates later in your cycle, it may lead to mittelschmerz. Mittelschmerz is one-sided, lower abdominal pain that is associated with ovulation in the middle of your menstrual cycle, usually about fourteen days before your next period. The pain lasts from a few minutes to hours, but can continue on-and-off for a few days. It usually is on the side of the ovary that is releasing an egg. Aside from mild pain, mittelschmerz can cause mild vaginal bleeding, or spotting. Delayed ovulation can also mean you have a small cyst on the surface of your ovary, which leads to the egg breaking through, causing vaginal spotting.
What Causes Abnormal Uterine Bleeding
Most of the time, AUB happens because of changes in the body’s hormone levels.
For teen girls, one of the most common causes of hormone changes is when the body doesn’t release an egg from one of the ovaries. This is called .
The release of an egg is part of the menstrual cycle. If a girl’s body doesn’t release an egg, the hormone changes can lead to less frequent or heavy periods.
Anovulation is most likely to happen after a girl first starts getting her period. That’s because the signals from the brain to the ovaries aren’t fully developed yet. It can last for several years until a girl’s periods become regular.
Other things can lead a girl to develop AUB. Some illnesses can mess with the body’s hormones. Problems like compulsive exercise, not eating healthy foods, or too much stress can cause hormone changes. Some severe cases of AUB are caused by bleeding disorders such as von Willebrand disease.
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Diagnosis Of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding
To discover why you are spotting, your medical personnel may conduct a number of tests which includes the following:
- General examination
- Examination of your medical history
- Examination of your menstrual history
- Physical examination
- Carrying out Pap test and blood tests
- Vaginal ultrasound
- Endometrial biopsy.
Learn More About What Happens When You Ovulate
The best way to understand whether your bleeding may correspond with ovulation is to track your cycle using an app or diary.
If youre experiencing vagina or uterine bleeding outside of ovulation, there are many other possible causes. Tracking when spotting occurs is important, so you can share these details with your doctor if necessary.
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What Causes Light Bleeding After Period
If you notice a light bleeding after your period, it is due to
- Removal of old tissues not expelled during menstruation
- Uterine fibroids
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Birth control pills
Light bleeding after period may be a sign of miscarriage. Did you have an early period that was light with cramps? Do you currently feel the signs of pregnancy? Not sure about your symptoms, you should inform your doctor.
What Does It Mean A Week After
There should be worry if vaginal discharge that occurs a week after menstruation is accompanied by fatigue, fever, dizziness or other symptoms.
Unless that happens, the pink blood is normal. Most women get stressed when experiencing inter-menstrual bleeding. Here are four common causes of pink spotting a week after your period:
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Not Sure What To Do Next
If you are still concerned about bleeding between periods, check your symptoms with healthdirect’s online Symptom Checker to get advice on when to seek medical attention.
The Symptom checker guides you to the next appropriate healthcare steps, whether its self-care, talking to a health professional, going to a hospital or calling triple zero .
When Should You See A Doctor About Abnormal Bleeding
“You need to see a doctor if you dont have a monthly period or have more than one period per month. Feeling lightheaded or dizzy when you stand is also concerning,” says Dr. Schrop. She also urges women to see a doctor if they experience bleeding after going through menopause, or if they experience bleeding while pregnant.
Finally, Dr. Schrop says to see a gynecologist if you are experiencing any of the following:
- Bleeding that requires more than one tampon or sanitary pad in an hour, for several hours in a row
- Bleeding or spotting between periods
- Bleeding after having sex
- Nipple discharge
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You Have A Slow Thyroid Or Low Thyroid Levels
Hormonal imbalances are one of the primary reasons for vaginal spotting before your period. One of the reasons a woman might be producing too much estrogen is due to a thyroid issue. A slow thyroid can create changes and imbalances in your metabolism, sense of body temperature, and period, but is rarely life threatening. Low thyroid hormones can cause other scarier symptoms such as constant fatigue, irregular body temperature, significant weight gain, hair loss, and neck pain. A doctor should address these symptoms as soon as possible. But rest assured, they are normal and usually treatable with medicine.
End Of Period Or Something Else
If youre bleeding *right* after your period, it might simply be one of the lighter days at the end of your cycle and not necessarily a health concern.
The light days at the beginning and end can manifest more as spotting. This can be confusing: Has your period begun? Is it ending? Or is there something else happening? The blood at the beginning and the end of a period is most often a brown color .
But, if your period has ended and you start bleeding, a good first step is to understand if youre bleeding or spotting.
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Use Of Hormonal Contraception
Bleeding between periods often happens when you start to take hormonal contraceptives. This is because your hormone levels drop. It is also called breakthrough bleeding, and usually happens about 2 weeks after your last period.
Breakthrough bleeding should stop after 1 or 2 months. Your periods will usually become more regular within 6 months. Bleeding between periods can also happen if you forget to take one of your oral contraceptive pills.
However, if bleeding occurs at other points during your menstrual cycle, you should consult your doctor in order to rule out the possibility of other conditions.
Other hormonal contraceptives such as hormone containing intra-uterine devices contraceptive injections or rods can also cause breakthrough bleeding or irregular periods. Sometimes this may be because the device isnt inserted properly, especially if its also painful. Check with your doctor as they may be able to give you medicine to control the bleeding and rule out other causes, like an infection.
You Have A Cervical Polyp
The are polyps found in the cervix usually caused by high estrogen level or inflammation. If you have a cervical polyp, then these are some of the symptoms you may have
- Bleeding after period has ended
- Vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse
- Thick white vaginal discharge
- Black period blood if there is an obstruction of the cervix outflow
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Why Did I Get My Period Twice In One Month
An underactive or overactive thyroid gland can cause your period to come twice in one month. The thyroid gland is regulated by hormones produced and regulated in the same area of the brain the pituitary and hypothalamus as the hormones that control menstruation and ovulation, explains Dr Dweck.
Spotting Due To Bacterial Infections Or An Std
If you think you may have an infection that is causing your spotting, visit your doctor as soon as possible for further testing to confirm what is going on. Your doctor will also be able to provide you with treatment options to manage the infection. If an infection is confirmed, your partner should also be tested and treated to prevent reinfection.
If you discover you are suffering from bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections or other non-sexually transmitted diseases, consider addressing your gut health. An imbalanced gut microflora has a direct impact on bacterial imbalances in your vagina. Consider a high strength probiotic to improve microflora balance. Speak to your doctor or natural health care practitioner for advice on specific strains that can positively influence the vaginal microbiome.
When it comes to improving progesterone levels and addressing other underlying causes of spotting, remember that it takes on average 100 days for your ovarian follicles to develop from immature eggs all the way to being released at ovulation. This means it takes 100 days of being fully nourished, eating enough calories and managing stress, for the true impacts on your cycle to be seen. The period symptoms you are having now are likely the result of changes you experienced several months ago. Dont expect changes over night, or even by your next cycle. Be patient and remember you are in this for the long haul! Youve got this.
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Don’t Ignore Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding Or Abnormal Uterine Bleeding In These Cases
Even if you dont have any of the above symptoms, dont ever ignore abnormal vaginal bleeding or abnormal uterine bleeding in the following situations:
- If you think youre pregnant: You should always see a doctor as soon as you think you may be pregnant to be administered a pregnancy test.
- When it happens inconsistently: If spotting seems to happen frequently and randomly, you should look into it.
- It begins after unprotected sex: Unprotected sex can put you at risk for STIs and other kinds of infection. If you notice spotting after unprotected sex, its wise to visit a doctor or qualified health professional.
- If you are on medication that may also cause abnormal uterine bleeding: If spotting can be a side-effect of any medication you are on, you should seek out professional help.
- Spotting occurs postmenopause: It is never considered normal for anybody postmenopause to experience spotting or vaginal bleeding.
Types Of Bleeding Between Periods
Here are the different types of bleeding that can occur between your periods.
- Spotting: This is when there’s just a red tinge on the toilet paper or a drop or two of blood in your underwear. Medically, it’s only considered spotting if it’s not during your period and doesn’t require you to use a pad or tampon.
- Light bleeding: This type of bleeding occurs just before or after your period and isn’t technically spottingit’s considered part of your period.
- Breakthrough bleeding: Breakthrough bleeding is when bleeding occurs between your periods if you are taking oral contraceptives. It’s usually caused by low estrogen levels.
- Abnormal bleeding: This describes any heavy bleeding outside of your cycle that isn’t due to hormonal birth control pills. It is often called abnormal uterine bleeding or abnormal vaginal bleeding.
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What Should You Know About Bleeding After Period
- Spotting lightly after your period does not always mean you are pregnant. Most women thought its implantation spotting but its not. In fact, implantation spotting does not occur after your period, it happens a week before your menstruation.
- Women can positively conceive a baby only after ovulation and successful fertilization. The process occurs ten days after their menstrual cycle. Thus, the possibility of getting pregnant right after you have your monthly period is too low.
- Spotting a week after your period cannot be linked to early miscarriage. Unlike spotting, miscarriage is always accompanied with excessive bleeding and cramps.
You Have Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is an infection in a womans reproductive organs. It is often caused by infections such as STDs, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, and use of IUDs and douches. You are more likely to get PID if you have an STD and do not get treated, have more than one sex partner, have had PID before, douche, or use an IUD. PID is a serious health concern that can affect the fertility in women. In fact, one out of eight women with PID have difficulties getting pregnant. There are no tests for PID, and it might be hard to detect as symptoms are mild. Symptoms include pain in lower abdomen, fever, unusual discharge and bad odor from your vagina, spotting between periods, bleeding during sex, and burning sensation when you urinate. See a doctor immediately if you have any of these symptoms. It is also important to get tested every year for STDs to be sure you have all the information you need to prevent this. PID is curable, if found early. However, treatments wont undo any damage that has already happened to your reproductive system. The longer you wait for treatment, the more damage that can ultimately occur. Antibiotics are a cure for PID, but only if you finish your entire dosage. Detection is key. Leaving PID untreated can lead to formation of scar tissue inside and outside the fallopian tubes leading to tubal blockage, ectopic pregnancy, infertility, and long-term pelvic/abdominal pain.
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