Contents:
- Medical Video: Dr. Chris DeStephano Discusses Abnormal Uterine Bleeding
- Brown menstrual blood, is it normal?
- When is brown menstrual blood categorized as abnormal?
- Other causes of brown menstrual blood
- Side effects of family planning
- Pregnancy
- Perimenopause
- PCOS
- Widening of the uterus
- Endometriosis and adenomyosis
Medical Video: Dr. Chris DeStephano Discusses Abnormal Uterine Bleeding
Despite the name blood, menstrual blood is not always bright red. The color of menstrual blood for each woman can vary depending on the level of thickness or volume of blood. However, many women complain that their blood is brown. When this happens, the main question that usually arises is whether the color of brown menstrual blood is normal?
Brown menstrual blood, is it normal?
In most cases, brown menstrual blood is normal. Brown indicates blood has been in the uterus for a long time so the color is no longer fresh. Brown blood usually appears at the beginning and end of the menstrual cycle.
If brown blood appears at the beginning of your menstrual day, this could be the remaining blood from the previous cycle that was released late. Whereas brown blood that appears at the end of menses indicates that blood is at the last point because the uterus's work to shed its walls has slowed down.
When is brown menstrual blood categorized as abnormal?
Brown's menstrual blood color is generally normal and harmless. However, if you experience brown bleeding accompanied by the following signs and symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor.
- Duration of more than 7 days.
- Irregular (very fast distance between two cycles or even more than 35 days).
- Not having menstruation for more than three to six months.
- Vaginal bleeding in the middle of two cycles.
- Bleeding occurs after sex.
- Bleeding occurs after menopause.
- Spots occur at any time even when not stabilizing.
- Pain in the vagina or lower abdomen.
- Fever (can indicate an infection).
- Fatigue.
- Brown bleeding occurs after using contraception.
- Brown bleeding when using tamoxifen, a drug for breast cancer.
Other causes of brown menstrual blood
Apart from the aging of blood in the womb, there are many other things that can cause brown menstrual blood. Some of them are equally normal, while others may need to be consulted by a doctor.
The following are some of the causes of brown menstrual blood:
Side effects of family planning
The color of menstrual blood that is dark brownish red usually indicates excessive estrogen levels, causing the lining of the uterine wall to become very thick. So when menses, your menstrual blood volume will be more and more concentrated in color.
Well, birth control pills contain artificial estrogen, so that the effects in the body can disrupt natural estrogen and progesterone levels. Side effects of using birth control pills can make your menstrual blood turn brown for at least the first 3 months. Implant KB such as nexplanon also causes brown menstrual blood to appear.
Pregnancy
Chocolate spots after you feel late can be an early symptom of pregnancy. This blood spot is known as implantation bleeding. You might see only 1-2 drops of blood, and usually only lasts for a few hours (maximum 1-2 days).
If after a pregnancy test, red or brown bleeding continues for more than 5 or 7 days, which is not normal. This can be a sign of miscarriage, especially if accompanied by:
- Abdominal pain and cramps
- Shoulder pain
- Feeling dizzy and weak
- Not experiencing nausea or other symptoms of normal pregnancy
Perimenopause
Perimopause is the phase before menopause. In this phase, you will find brown menstrual blood color. As long as there are no other abnormal symptoms, the release of brown menstrual blood before the age of menopause is safe.
If after menopause you still experience brown bleeding from the vagina, this may indicate swelling in the lining of the vagina, non-cancerous polyps in the cervix, or other problems in your uterus, including cancer.
If you have menopause but are still bleeding, then immediately consult a doctor to find out the cause.
PCOS
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormone disorder that can cause menstrual blood to brown. In addition, PCOS is also characterized by symptoms such as:
- Irregular menstrual cycle
- Abnormal hair growth in the body and face
- Obesity
- Acne
- Ovarian cysts
- Fertility problems
If the color of your brown menstrual blood is accompanied by these symptoms, then immediately consult a doctor. If left unchecked, PCOS can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, infertility, and cardiovascular disease.
Widening of the uterus
Women who experience widening the uterus after giving birth are at risk of experiencing brown blood during the next menstrual cycle.
This often happens because the uterus that enlarges and widens after giving birth sometimes does not return to its original size. Widened uterus requires more time to collect and clot blood before it is released.
As a result, blood flow during menstruation is more rapid than usual with a fairly thick texture and dark blood, both red and dark brown.
Endometriosis and adenomyosis
Endometriosis and adenomyosis is a condition of abnormal tissue growth in a place that is not supposed to. Endometriosis occurs when tissue forms outside the uterus and usually occurs after menopause. Meanwhile, ademiosis occurs when the uterine wall tissue grows inside the uterine muscle wall.
Both of these conditions can cause your menstruation to run for a long time because the uterus needs time to collect and clot blood before it is released. This menstrual blood clogging will be accompanied by large brown menstrual blood clots and pain.
