Unexpected vaginal bleeding always causes anxiety in women at any age. Blood loss that is not associated with regular menstruation can be a sign of an extremely serious malfunction in the body. To describe the abundant and prolonged discharge of blood from the vagina during the period of the main cycle in medicine, there is a special term "menorrhagia". In turn, metrorrhagia refers to irregular bleeding from the uterus, usually between expected periods of menstruation. Menometrorrhagia refers to excessive bleeding during the normal cycle. The ICD code for vaginal bleeding is N93.9.
Description of the disease
Vaginal bleeding is the secretion of blood from the uterus. Most often, it is a very serious symptom of pathologies of the female body. Any uterine discharge in the form of blood should be diagnosed in time, and medical assistance should be provided to the woman. Ignoring such symptoms leads to very dangerous consequences, the onset of death is not ruled out. It is important to know that only menstruation, the duration of which is five days, with stable interruptions, the length of which is about twenty-eight days, is considered normal vaginal bleeding. Any other bleeding is considered a pathology and requires mandatory medical supervision. Now we find out what are the causes of this phenomenon.
What are the causes of pathology?
Vaginal bleeding that is not associated with the menstrual cycle is called dysfunctional. This pathology often leads to unexpected blood loss in women of childbearing age. Up to ten percent of the fair sex suffer from time to time due to dysfunctional uterine blood loss. African-American women suffer from this problem much more often.
What are the causes of bleeding from the uterus with clots, the doctor should determine.
In case of failure of hormonal reactions during menstruation, the levels of progesterone and estrogen change, which leads to this phenomenon. Such a violation is caused by a temporary imbalance of hormones and is not associated with diseases. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding is diagnosed when any other causes of excretion from the genital tract (including injuries, tumors, specific diseases) are excluded.
In adolescence, as well as in adulthood, various causes can lead to this pathology. Dysfunctional vaginal bleeding is associated with the anovulatory cycle, against the background of which there is no release of the egg. In some examples, this phenomenon occurs with ovulation.
Even if a woman does not secrete eggs, hormonal uterine stimulation by estrogen persists. Progesterone, which is produced by a growing egg, is absent. In this regard, in this case, the inner walls of the uterus become unusually thick and enlarged. Irregular rejection of the uterine mucosa often leads to significant bleeding.
The most common cause of vaginal bleeding in adolescents is anovulation. In the first two years after the establishment of regular menstrual flow, approximately eighty-five percent of the cycles occur without the release of an egg. As an adolescent girl grows up, the number of anovulatory cycles turns out to be less, and regular menstrual periods appear more often. Six years after the appearance of regular cycles, only twenty percent of their number are anovulatory.
Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
In women of childbearing age, the cause of abnormal blood loss may be pregnancy along with complications of this condition, for example, against the background of ectopia (with ectopic egg implantation) or miscarriage. Anovulation can also cause this phenomenon in women of this age group, but such a pathology occurs no more than in twenty percent of cases. That is why it is necessary to exclude any possible causes, inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs, and uterine fibroids as well.
Menopause
Menopause can be another cause of uterine bleeding after menstruation.
Women who have reached menopause may suffer from dysfunctional blood loss due to hormonal imbalance in the body.
Possible diseases
Possible diseases that can cause vaginal bleeding before menstruation include the following pathologies:
- Benign (i.e. non-cancerous) neoplasms of the reproductive organs.
- The presence of cancer of the vagina or cervix, as well as the ovaries, can manifest itself as bloody discharge.
- Such phenomena as an ovarian cyst, inflammation of the cervix, endometritis, fibroids, vaginal infection, can also cause bleeding.
- Vaginal bleeding in patients older than fifty years (after menopause) can cause serious concern because of the high likelihood of developing cancer. In addition, the vaginal mucosa is capable of thinning due to estrogen deficiency, which leads to bleeding during and after intercourse.
How to distinguish vaginal bleeding from menstruation?
Doctors call bleeding profuse discharge in patients. It will be possible to determine them if you count the number of replaceable gaskets during the day. When you have to do this every hour, then a uterine bleeding will be confirmed by a gynecologist.
Treatment
Treatment of uterine bleeding depends largely on its causes and the patient's age. Teens are often prescribed uterine-reducing drugs along with blood-stopping and vascular wall strengthening products. They also recommend taking vitamins along with herbal medicine, less often hormonal agents that regulate the menstrual cycle. Hormonal drugs are prescribed for women of reproductive age, sometimes surgical operations are performed (in the presence of fibromyoma, uterine endometriosis, etc.).
After menopause, signs of vaginal bleeding mainly indicate an oncological pathology of the uterus and ovaries, therefore, therapy is required mainly of a surgical nature, including the removal of the uterus with its appendages. As part of treatment, it is most important to diagnose the cause of the bleeding on time, so patients should immediately seek medical help.
Bleeding with clots: description
Women face various diseases of the genitourinary system. A common pathology is bleeding from the uterine cavity, which may be accompanied by the release of clots. Gynecologists call this term profuse discharge, in which there are blood clots. This condition is very dangerous, and in serious cases leads to the death of the patient. Therefore, it is extremely important to determine the cause and therapy of uterine bleeding, which is accompanied by clots.
Exfoliated endometrial cells may come out of the blood. If the process goes without pathologies, then the discharge will be homogeneous. If bleeding occurs with clots, we can conclude that the endometrium is unevenly detached and the disease appears. When mucus leaves during this period, uterine bleeding is diagnosed, accompanied by clots.
Let's figure out how to stop vaginal bleeding.
First aid
Not all women have experienced such symptoms. Therefore, suddenly appearing blood can scare. It is logical that in this situation not everyone knows how to stop the release of blood with clots. But it is very important to do this as quickly as possible. Prolonged bleeding, which is accompanied by intense discharge, can lead to significant blood loss. A woman may experience anemia. In more serious situations, a coma is observed along with a fatal outcome.
Therefore, it is so important to know how to stop bleeding from the uterus with clots.
First aid must include several steps:
- A woman needs to lie on the bed, applying a heating pad with ice along with a cold compress to the lower abdomen.
- The legs are bent at the knees and slightly lifted.
- It is forbidden motor activity with bending and lifting weights.
- In the case of increasing bleeding or lack of positive dynamics, you must call an ambulance.
How can bleeding be stopped?
This can be done through the use of medications alone. Alternative medicine also offers several recipes that help get rid of dangerous symptoms. To stop bleeding accompanied by clots, drugs such as Ethamsylate, Vikasol, Dicinon or Tranexam are usually taken.
How to stop vaginal bleeding, every woman should know.
Additionally, with a pathological condition, medications are used, leading to a decrease in the muscles of the uterus. Among them stands out “Pituitrin” with “Gifotocin”. Such drugs can not stop the bleeding completely, but significantly reduce the volume of discharge from the uterine cavity. The action of the pills occurs already half an hour after administration. In the event that acute hemorrhage is observed, oral preparations are replaced by injection means. They quickly lead to the desired result.
Preparations
The doctor may prescribe various medications that will stop the bleeding. They are taken orally or in the form of injections. Inside, you can use aminocaproic acid up to five times a day. It is also allowed to enter it into a vein in the form of droppers. It inhibits the process of thinning the blood in the human body. Due to the ability to increase coagulability, the drug is not used for DIC.
Intramuscularly, Dicinon can be administered. It is also available in the form of pills taken four times a day. The drug contains sodium ethamylate, which quickly stops bleeding. The tool increases the level of platelets with their activity. You can use it for a long time, since it does not lead to increased coagulability.
In the event that profuse bleeding is observed , Tranexam is prescribed three times for four days. It has a pronounced hemostatic effect, as well as anti-inflammatory, antihistamine and antitumor properties. In the case of simultaneous use with other similar drugs, there are risks of blood clots. Orally or intramuscularly, you can take "Vikasol" for three days.
Inside, for a week they take Ascorutin, which normalizes the state of the vascular walls. To increase the uterine tone, Oxytocin is used. The drug is administered intramuscularly or in the form of droppers for a week. The hormonal agent is made from the pituitary gland of cattle. The drug stimulates the contraction of the uterus, the vessels narrow. It is forbidden to use it with high blood pressure, against the background of thrombophlebitis and myocardial pathology. Categorically it is impossible to apply "Oxytocin" in the presence of uterine fibroids.
Vaginal suppositories for bleeding are not used.
Surgery
Eliminate bleeding in difficult situations can only be done surgically. For women, curettage of the cervical canal and uterine cavity can be performed. This allows you to quickly stop bleeding. The method is used both for patients in reproductive age and for menopause.
During therapy, liquid nitrogen may be used. During cryodestruction, the upper uterine layer is destroyed by the action of cold. The procedure is effective and is allowed for patients of all ages. As part of endometrial ablation, the upper layer of the uterus is removed. The procedure is carried out using a laser, loops, electromagnetic energy and a ball-shaped electrode. As a result of different effects, evaporation of the endometrium is carried out. It is worth remembering that such treatment is prohibited for nulliparous women.
Bleeding before menstruation
Vaginal bleeding can be a manifestation of various conditions (both serious and not posing any threat to health). Everything largely depends on the time of bleeding (for example, discharge after sexual intercourse and before menstruation - these are completely different things that may have nothing to do with each other).
The beginning of the menstrual cycle, as a rule, coincides with a decrease in the level of female hormones (estrogen and progesterone), as a result of which the mucous membrane of the uterine body (endometrium) begins to be rejected, which leads to bleeding. The process of such rejection itself begins even a couple of days before menstruation, which may be accompanied by bloody minor secretions. Blood at the same time has a lighter shade than menstrual. Diseases leading to bleeding before menstruation:
- The presence of metabolic syndrome.
- The appearance of cervical polyps.
- The development of cervical cancer.
Thus, bloody minor discharge three days before the start of the cycle can be considered a normal option. But when bleeding lasts more than four days, you should definitely consult a gynecologist. You must monitor any changes in your health and be vigilant.
Why does bleeding occur after menstruation?
The causes of such bleeding are very different. This can be a hormonal failure, various pathologies, and not only gynecological ones. It is necessary to take into account the age of the woman, that is, the difference in physiology at different periods of life. At each age, there are reasons for the appearance of spotting after menstruation. Among the main ones are the following:
- Diseases of the genital organs, characterized by an inflammatory nature.
- Acceptance or withdrawal of oral contraceptives.
- The presence of endometriosis.
- The appearance of cervical disease.
- The occurrence of benign, as well as malignant genital tumors.
- The use of an intrauterine device.
- Impaired ovarian function.
- Gynecological operations.
- Decreased thyroid function.
- Exposure to stress.
Now you know the information about vaginal bleeding. Most often, these are a fairly serious symptom of pathologies in the female body. Any uterine spotting should be diagnosed in time, and medical assistance should be provided to the woman. Self-medication and the expectation that everything will pass by itself are unacceptable.
We examined the causes of vaginal bleeding and treatment.