Women's health is fraught with many secrets and uncertainties. Throughout life, any woman faces a number of gynecological problems, which can be easily resolved troubles or carry the preconditions for the development of serious diseases. The first signs of a malfunction in an established system of the body are nonspecific discharge.
Often the ailments relate to menstruation - the monthly discharge of blood from the vagina. They contain a vaginal secretion and a torn away mucous layer of the uterus, formed as a result of rupture of an unfertilized egg. Normal menstruation lasts from 3 to 5 days, about 50 ml of discharge is released per day. A woman of reproductive age only rests from menstruation during pregnancy.
Often the structure of secretions, their duration and nature can vary. If you find dark discharge instead of or during menstruation , there may be many reasons for this. We will clarify the prerequisites and see how this threatens in this article.
When not to worry
In some cases, scanty dark discharge instead of menstruation can be justified. There is no reason to panic when:
- After a couple of days after the discharge, menstruation began.
- Dark spots on linen appeared immediately after menstruation and quickly ended.
- You recently said goodbye to virginity. Allocations after the first sexual intercourse are considered the norm.
- Allocations were preceded by active long sex. In this case, damage to the vaginal mucosa is possible, which is why discharge appeared.
- You are protected by hormonal birth control, including patches, coils, or pills . Then minor discharge can be disturbing during the menstrual cycle .
- Lactation period. Dark discharge instead of menstruation may indicate that the body has not yet come into shape after childbirth.
When to sound the alarm?
If you do not belong to any of the items in the above list, then you must sign up to the gynecologist. Serious consequences are indicated by discharge when:
- Dark spots on underwear occur in the middle of the cycle, but you do not take hormonal drugs.
- They are accompanied by itching, burning and dryness in the vagina, pain in the lower abdomen and during sexual intercourse.
- Body temperature rises.
- It is likely that you are expecting a baby. Then the discharge can signal a threat of miscarriage.
- Allocations appear after each sexual contact with the spouse.
- Your age is from 45 years, and menstruation was not more than a year.
- Allocations leave in clots and are accompanied by an unpleasant odor.
Causes of occurrence
So, what causes dark discharge instead of menstruation ? The reasons can be different, the most common of them are surgical interventions shortly before the appearance of discharge, pregnancy (including ectopic), the period of breastfeeding or the age of a woman.
The appearance of spots on underwear is also provoked by external factors, such as:
- Improper diet or starvation diets.
- Moving to another climate zone or going on vacation.
- Taking medications or hormones.
- Intense physical activity.
- Infectious diseases.
- Stress or lifestyle change.
- Failure in the metabolic system.
- Poisoning and intoxication of the body.
Thick discharge, which is accompanied by clots and veins, can talk about the aging of endometrial cells. During menstruation, obsolete exfoliated cells come out with secretions. If not all cells have departed during menstruation, then the remaining already darkened cells may be rejected in the middle of the menstrual cycle . They can be brown or black.
Such cases often occur with women at the beginning of menopause. At this time, a well-established long-term cycle is broken, menstruation is less intense, and obsolete cells do not come out completely. This is the norm, but if the menstruation ended about a year ago, and the discharge again makes itself felt, you need to contact a gynecologist .
Light brown discharge
Do not worry if light brown spots have visited you after your period. Allocations within a couple of days are considered normal. If they last longer than three days after menstruation, you need to see a doctor. Another thing is if the spots on the underwear caught you suddenly in the middle of the cycle. Then the following diseases may be to blame:
- Cancer or cervical erosion if you notice discharge after each sexual intercourse.
- Inflammation due to a sexually transmitted infection. Allocations are accompanied by itching, burning, discomfort during urination and during sexual intercourse .
- Ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage.
- Endometritis, which is accompanied by aching pain in the ovary.
Discharge can be a consequence of vaginal microtrauma that occurs as a result of douching, sexual intercourse, or gynecological examination. The main thing is to ensure that the injured area does not become a site for the development of infection.
Dark brown or black highlight
Most often, the shade of discharge does not affect the diagnosis. Their color is affected by the amount of blood being rejected. Darker discharge may signal the occurrence of the following diseases:
- Endometriosis
- Ovarian cyst .
Dark brown discharge instead of menstruation can be triggered by surgical intervention in the pelvic organs. For example :
- Curettage in the diagnosis of diseases .
- Surgery for ectopic pregnancy.
- Laparoscopy for cyst removal.
- Removal of polyps in the uterus.
- Surgical abortion.
In these circumstances, dark brown discharge instead of menstruation without pain serves as a kind of body cleaner from the effects of surgery. The color of the highlight can reach black, and the term can be up to 10 days. If the discharge has turned red and an unpleasant odor has appeared, this indicates an infection, and it is urgent to make an appointment with the doctor.
Discharge during sexual activity
With an active sex life in a woman who neglects contraception , dark spotting instead of menstruation can be caused by pregnancy , an ectopic pregnancy, or a miscarriage that begins. There are cases when the sexual life is regular, the couple is not protected, and the woman has a delay in critical days. Then she notices dark discharge , which can be of different intensities. Allocations pass, and their place is taken by ordinary menstruation. This process indicates a temporary hormonal failure in the body of a woman.
When instead of menstruation there is dark discharge , and menstruation does not come after them, it is recommended to take a pregnancy test and do an analysis of hCG . This may indicate the beginning of pregnancy, when a fetal egg is formed and some blood is rejected. If the test is positive, the discharge is dangerous and serves as a sign of pathology - they say that the woman’s body does not have enough hormones for the healthy development of pregnancy. For the fetus of a pregnant woman, those periods when menstruation previously happened are very dangerous and can provoke the detachment of the endometrial layer.
The cause of the discharge can also be an ectopic pregnancy. The test will be positive, but only ultrasound can detect abnormal development. Therefore, it is important, having done the test at home, consult a gynecologist for a subsequent examination. With severe hypothermia, a woman can notice scanty dark brown discharge instead of menstruation and a subsequent cycle failure . This is a clear sign of inflammation of the cervix or appendages .
After sexual contact without a condom with a doubtful partner, thick dark discharge may appear instead of menstruation , which are accompanied by:
- Burning and itching of the vagina (inside and out).
- Pain during urination.
- Pain in the lower abdomen.
- Cutting during sexual contact.
The presence of two or more symptoms from the list indicates the appearance of sexually transmitted diseases . It can be syphilis, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia and other diseases. It is urgent to contact a gynecologist who will write out a referral for tests .
If the test is negative
If, at suspicion of pregnancy, the test at home shows a negative result, you should not relax . In an ectopic pregnancy, the test may show one strip. Her early stages may be accompanied by cyclical pains in the lower abdomen , often the girl experiences something similar to toxicosis . The body responds to a nonspecific pregnancy by producing hormones necessary for the development of the fetus, but with an ectopic course, the embryo is not fixed in the uterus, but in the fallopian tube.
The fallopian tubes are not prone to stretching, and the fetus continues to grow. Therefore, the walls of the fallopian tube are damaged, and the blood comes out in the form of dark (almost black) secretions. They can occur during planned menstruation and after it. An ectopic pregnancy is dangerous not only for health, but also for a woman’s life, and its occurrence can be detected only by ultrasound and when passing an analysis of hCG. You need to take this very seriously.
Discharge after pregnancy
After birth, women develop dark discharge that lasts about 14 days. They are called lochia, can be brown in color and contain clots. This is a normal process in the body that prepares a woman for the normalization of the menstrual cycle. If a woman is breastfeeding and the baby is only breastfed without feeding, there should be no menstruation.
The cycle normalization process is also accompanied by dark discharge. If unprotected sexual intercourse occurred during this period, a pregnancy test should be done . In women who have given birth, ovulation occurs before the onset of the first menstruation, and a new pregnancy is likely . If the test is negative, but dark discharge instead of menstruation does not stop for several cycles and becomes thick, this is an occasion to visit a doctor.
Discharge in the absence of sexual activity
If a woman who has dark brown discharge instead of menstruation does not have a sex life, options with pregnancy and sexual infections are discarded. In any case, a rather extensive list of reasons remains:
- Dramatic weight loss and starvation diets.
- Overwork or stress.
- Anemia.
- Low in vitamins nutrition.
- Hormonal disruptions.
- Endometritis.
- Endometriosis
- Ovarian cyst.
- Inflammation of the appendages.
- Excessive physical exertion.
Perhaps the worst thing that the discharge may indicate is malignant tumors . Cervical cancer can be accompanied not only by dark spots on underwear before menstruation, but also by almost constant discharge. It must be remembered that most pathologies associated with gynecology cause dark brown discharge .
Age-related changes
Girls who are just entering puberty, dark discharge instead of menstruation is a common occurrence. The menstrual cycle is only being established, ovulation may or may not occur. In the first year after the onset of menstruation, you do not need to worry about such secretions. But if the discharge lasts longer than a year and has already become a habit, this is an occasion to consult a gynecologist.
Poor dark discharge instead of menstruation in women after 40 years may indicate the extinction of ovarian function and a change in hormonal levels. Recently, doctors have noted a decrease in the age of menopause - if earlier it appeared in women after 45 years, now the first signs of menopause are already apparent in 38-40 years.
Medicines and contraceptives
Girls who have just started taking oral contraceptives are wondering - why are there dark discharge instead of menstruation? Pills can provoke a hormonal failure, which is why discharge appears. Also, when taking contraceptives, the function of the ovaries often worsens in girls and the development of endometrial atrophy.
Dark spots on the linen may appear due to the use of unsuitable drugs if the woman herself prescribed the drug or the doctor prescribed the wrong pills. Failure in the menstrual cycle or discharge can also provoke an irregular intake of contraceptives. In addition, the activity of secretions may depend on the use of other anti-inflammatory drugs or antibiotics. Diet pills also often cause a menstrual cycle or dark discharge.
If 3-4 periods in a row menstruation goes irregularly or brown discharge appears instead of them, you need to go to the gynecologist and ask for other tablets to be prescribed. Dark discharge instead of menstruation can also appear as a result of any imbalance of hormones in the body of a woman. In diabetes mellitus, thyroid hormone deficiency, and decreased prolactin levels, spotting often appears .
If instead of menstruation there are dark discharge, but none of the above points apply to you, try to wait a couple of days - maybe you just have a slight delay, and the discharge serves as a harbinger of menstruation. Otherwise, be sure to consult a doctor. Health is what a woman should pay attention to first. A gynecologist should be visited at least once a year, even in the absence of any discomfort. It is much easier to identify the disease at an early stage and suppress it at the root than to treat it continuously and painfully.