The female body is arranged in such a way that every month we receive a reminder of whether we will become a mother this time or not. This difficult period proceeds differently for girls and adult ladies. Allocations normally go on for several days. Abundant at first, then thicken and become scarce. The color changes from red with dark spots to brown, almost black at the end of the period.

Thick dark discharge throughout the entire menstrual cycle is alarming, and often frightening, for women. Their suspicions of physiological disturbances lead to panic, but inner fear, even at this time, does not convince them to visit a gynecologist.

Black blood: the norm or a serious problem?

Gynecologists reassure - very dark discharge, basically, is not a deviation from the norm. It all depends on the density of the secretions. Women whose lifestyle has little to do with physical work are more likely to observe menstruation in black.

All other symptoms disappear in them, as in many:

• General malaise, fatigue;
• Nervousness, excitability;
• Feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen before menstruation.

Changes in blood density, as a result of which the type of discharge changes, is not a consequence of serious disorders in the body if the woman does not experience other negative symptoms. This is close to normal when the age steps over the 30-year mark. Menstruation becomes more viscous and dark.

Taking certain drugs changes the density of the blood. Affects the appearance and position of the cervix, bending, for example, in this case, the discharge becomes thick. Changes in the size of the uterus can contribute to thickening of the blood and change the structure of menstruation.

With a sharp change in body weight in one direction or another, malaise during all menstrual days, a sharp change in the consistency and color of the blood should alert the woman.

Sudden changes in the hormonal background are possible, there are enough reasons for this:

• Stress associated with emotional experiences;
• Excessive ultraviolet radiation received during sunburn;
• Changes in the functioning of the endocrine glands;
• Missed or untreated infectious disease;
• Failure in the endocrine system.

Fortunately, modern medicine is able to detect abnormalities and, with the help of medications, restore hormonal changes or eliminate the cause of the imbalance, if possible.

Blood can clot with certain physiological interferences for its free passage. So they can restrain the outflow of blood, the formed benign polyps, timely measures taken to eliminate them will change the situation. Narrowing of the cervical canal at the beginning of menopause gives the same result.

Dark brown periods can be observed after the removal of the spiral (IUD) due to the scarcity of secretions.

When should you be concerned?

A modern self-respecting lady should not look indifferently at menstruation that has changed in density and color if she has endometrial inflammation or adenomyosis at a mandatory annual examination. These diseases do not cause concern if a woman is observed by a doctor.

But their insidiousness is that for a long time they do not give symptoms that would make you run to the doctor. It is bad when the trip to the gynecologist is irregular. Then serious health problems can not be avoided. First of all, you need to change your attitude towards yourself.

Attention! Hurry up for an appointment if dark periods are accompanied by:

• Irregular cycles;
• A sharp change in the thick component to bright and abundant blood;
• Ejection of large blood clots;
• Constant spotting outside the cycle;
• Stringy pain sensations;
• An increase in days more than 7;
• Weakness and sudden weight loss;
• Pain in the bladder area;
• Severe pain in the lumbar region;
• Aching pain in the region of the ovaries;
• Unpleasant smell, different from normal menstruation;
• Persistent cough for no reason.

Such symptoms can be serious manifestations of gynecological diseases and require an urgent visit to the clinic for a complete examination. Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and organs adjacent to the genitourinary system in this case is shown to be done as early as possible.

Thick periods of a dark red color sometimes come from banal reasons and are characteristic of healthy women. Hard work, dehydration can affect the composition of menstrual flow. Cold weather slightly changes their structure.

Don't Panic: What Should You Do?

Medicine successfully treats many women's diseases. The main rules that a woman must follow in order to maintain health:

1. Be attentive to yourself and 2 times a year to be observed by a doctor, once a year to be examined by ultrasound.
2. Do not allow unprotected intimacy with a casual partner, but it is better to avoid such options.
3. Be educated in the field of women's health and do not act as advisers and consultants to girlfriends.
4. Do not trust charlatans and always turn to specialists if you have any questions related to women's health.

Any situation that worries and haunts should be discussed with the attending physician.

Thick periods ideally should appear in the last days of menstrual bleeding. A change in their consistency and color may indicate the course of the pathological process, but not always. Therefore, when a woman notices that the nature of her monthly bleeding has changed, and especially when supplemented by other symptoms, she needs to seek the advice of a specialist.

Norm of the menstrual cycle

Due to the fact that each woman is individual, her menstrual cycle is also special. Duration, volume of blood loss, color and consistency - all this is purely individual.

When a woman goes through puberty, menstruation appears. Inside the female body, the egg matures, and if fertilization does not occur, then it comes out. The process of ovulation is accompanied by bloody discharge from the vagina, which is called menstruation.

If a woman does not have any pathologies, then her menstrual cycle must comply with the following standards:

1. Cycle duration. This indicator is characterized by the period during which the full maturation of the egg occurs, that is, the number of days between two menstruation. A classic cycle is considered when it lasts 28 days, but it can be longer, up to 35 days. The duration of the menstruation itself does not affect the calculation of the cycle.
2. Each menstruation should come on time, according to the established cycle.
3. The duration of menstrual bleeding should be at least 2 days, but not more than 7 days.
4. Menstrual flow, unlike bleeding, has a darker color.
5. The amount of blood loss during menstruation is different for everyone and can vary between 10-150 ml for the entire period.
6. During menstruation, a woman should not experience pain or other discomfort.

If a woman is completely healthy, but she does not have another menstruation, then this is a symptom of the onset of pregnancy.

Monthly dark color from their first to last day, as well as a change in their consistency and the appearance of large clots should alert and force you to see a doctor. It should be understood that there are a fairly large number of diseases that are not sexually transmitted diseases, but they can affect a woman's menstrual cycle.

When there is no reason to worry

Any disruptions in the menstrual cycle should alert the woman and become a reason for contacting a specialist.

There are some factors that can affect the nature of monthly menstrual flow, which do not carry a pathological basis. According to numerous studies, in women who lead a sedentary lifestyle, in contrast to the active representatives of the weaker sex, the discharge during menstruation is darker in color and may be somewhat thicker. No other abnormalities should be observed. All other symptoms characteristic of a woman during menstruation remain the same.

The following reasons can affect the consistency and color of menstruation:

1. The color of spotting and its density can be influenced by some medications. As a rule, these are hormones (including hormonal contraception) and drugs for weight loss. When using hormonal contraception, the color and consistency of menstruation may change in the first month, and then everything should return to normal.
2. Rapid weight gain or loss. In addition to changing the nature of bleeding, a woman may experience a malfunction in the menstrual cycle. Such changes can also be triggered by emotional factors (psychological trauma, stress, nervous breakdown, etc.).
3. Hard physical labor.
4. Long exposure to direct sunlight.
5. Hypothermia of the body.

The pathology of the reproductive organs may be absent, but at the same time, the menstrual cycle and its nature can change due to hormonal disorders. Therefore, if a woman complains that her menstrual cycle has changed, the gynecologist may recommend visiting the endocrinologist's office. As a rule, such disorders can be easily corrected with the help of hormonal therapy, which is prescribed by a doctor.

Causes of changes in menstruation

Discharge from a woman can change due to the development of the following pathological processes in the body:

• hormonal imbalance caused by termination of pregnancy, regardless of whether a miscarriage occurred or a medical abortion was performed;
• ectopic pregnancy;
• benign or malignant tumors in the uterus or ovaries;
• the first weeks of pregnancy;
• diseases of the body that affect blood clotting;
• avitaminosis;
• body poisoning;
• inflammatory process in the uterus and appendages;
• bending of the uterus;
• endometriosis;
• adenomyosis.

Along with the color of menstrual bleeding and its consistency, a woman is advised to pay attention to the clots that are necessarily present in it. Clots in menstrual blood are pieces of the endometrium. The thickness of the endometrium during the cycle increases, as the woman's body each time prepares for the fact that conception will occur. If the egg is not fertilized, then the functional endometrium begins to be rejected as unnecessary. As a rule, small dark clots leave the body in the first 2 days of menstruation.

In those situations when a woman has large clots and they accompany the woman throughout her menstruation, this is an indicator that some kind of failure has occurred in the body that requires diagnostic measures.

Thick brown discharge

During puberty, when the menstrual cycle is just being established, girls may experience brown discharge instead of menstrual bleeding. As a rule, their number is small. Approximately after a year, the hormonal background of the girl will return to normal and menstruation will become regular and comply with existing standards (provided there is no pathology).

During menopause, brown discharge is also acceptable, as is the appearance of scanty and thick dark red discharge. Menopause is a natural process in the female body, in which there is a decrease in the functionality of the ovaries and the loss of the ability to conceive.

Brown thick discharge may appear on the first and last day of a planned period.

Such changes are most often characteristic of those girls who have a small amount of menstrual flow.

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The appearance of brown discharge in the middle of the cycle or instead of the usual menstruation indicates that the body has failed. In this situation, it is recommended to consult a doctor, since the cause of such changes can be not only an inflammatory or other pathological process, but also pregnancy.

In order to maintain her health for a long time, a woman is advised not to neglect planned gynecological examinations and, when the first alarming symptoms appear, not to self-medicate, but to seek qualified help from a specialist.

What's in the article:

Almost all diseases of the female reproductive system are manifested by various changes in the menstrual cycle. Therefore, a woman needs to pay attention to any deviations associated with a change in the color of the discharge, their abundance, various failures, additional discharge, and so on. And very thick periods are one of those symptoms that you should pay attention to, because it can signal a malfunction in the body.

Why does blood density change during menstruation? What else is worth paying attention to?

Causes of changes in secretions

Do not worry at the first detection of changes in menstruation. There are many reasons why this happens, and not always these are any diseases. Perhaps the appearance of thick periods due to physiological reasons.

• Taking certain medications. Usually these are medicines that affect blood clotting, and before prescribing them, the doctor must warn about this feature and prescribe the use of an increased amount of fluid.
• Hormonal contraceptives. Basically, such drugs inhibit ovarian function, which leads to a significant change in hormonal levels. Therefore, while the body gets used to the new conditions, a change in the nature of the discharge is possible, including heavy or thickened periods.
• Getting rid of the intrauterine device. In this case, the menstrual cycle is disturbed, a delay may occur or menstruation will begin earlier. The discharge becomes thickened and the color darkens, sometimes reaching brown. After about 3 months, everything should stabilize.
• Ectopic pregnancy. In this condition, there is a delay in menstruation and thick discharge of a dark shade is possible, which last for a short time.
• After an abortion. Such an intervention is stressful for the female body, so very often there are various failures in the first menstrual cycle. The discharge may be scarlet or brown.
• Avitaminosis and lack of other nutrients. With improper or inadequate nutrition, the body does not receive the entire set of important substances, which affects its work. One of the manifestations of such a shortage can be thick blood during menstruation of a dark color.
• Physiological changes. Thickened secretions often appear during the formation of the cycle and at its end; in this case, they do not last long, only a few cycles. And in general, the discharge becomes thicker after 30 years.
• Hypothermia or prolonged exposure to the sun can cause changes in menstruation. But in this case, in the next cycle, the selection should be normal.
• Stress or strong psycho-emotional stress.
• Rapid weight loss or no less rapid weight gain.
• Great physical activity.

In addition to physiological causes that cause changes in secretions, there are diseases that are accompanied by a similar symptom. Therefore, if you do not have the above reasons, then you should consult a gynecologist, because very thick and dark periods can indicate the following pathologies.

• Inflammatory processes in the organs of the reproductive system. In addition to dense and dark discharge during menstruation, pus and an unpleasant odor may be present. A woman feels a general malaise, weakness, her temperature rises and pain is present.
• Benign or malignant neoplasms in the reproductive system. The main symptomatology will become noticeable when the tumor grows to a medium size, but changes in the menstrual cycle, including thick brown blood during menstruation, will be noticeable much earlier.
• Imbalance of sex hormones. The reasons for this imbalance can be very different. And a sharp change in the amount of hormones cannot but affect the menstrual cycle in general and the nature of the discharge in particular.
• Polyposis of the endometrium. This pathology is accompanied by increased discharge during menstruation, which become thicker. In addition, the woman feels weakness, dizziness and pain in the area below the waist.
• Diseases of some internal organs. Most often, thick blood appears during menstruation, if a woman has intestinal pathology. However, diseases of other organs can provoke this symptom.

If suspicious symptoms appear in several cycles, then you should visit a gynecologist and undergo a diagnosis to find the cause.

Also, do not forget that not only diseases of the reproductive system and internal organs can be the reason why the blood during menstruation has become thicker. Be sure to check how well the endocrine system works.

White discharge before period

It is worth paying attention not only to the nature of the discharge during menstruation, but also before they begin. White thick discharge before menstruation can be a harbinger of any disturbances in the body.

In different phases of the cycle, female discharge looks different. And whites are the norm before the onset of menstruation, if they are not plentiful and do not have a sharp or unpleasant odor. Normal white discharge should have a consistency resembling liquid sour cream.

If any of these parameters differs from the norm, then this may indicate pregnancy or diseases of the reproductive system.

• During pregnancy, in addition to the delay, the release of white fluid increases. It appears about a week before menstruation and is accompanied by pulling sensations in the abdomen, an unstable emotional background, and similar symptoms.
• Various diseases caused by vaginal dysbacteriosis. The most popular of these is thrush, but others can also occur. Thick white discharge before menstruation in this case is accompanied by an unpleasant odor, itching and similar symptoms.
• Diseases not associated with dysbacteriosis. Dense white discharge before menstruation can provoke polyps, gonorrhea, cervical erosion, endometriosis and others.

In addition to white discharge, it is necessary to pay attention to accompanying symptoms, such as itching, pus, pain, and the like. This will help the doctor to make the correct diagnosis and start timely treatment.

Thick periods are found in every woman. In special cases, this is the norm, and there is no reason to worry. But often an increased density of secretions indicates the presence of pathological processes. Then there are additional symptoms, pain. Every woman knows how menstruation should look like. These are dark discharges of blood of a certain density. They may change from time to time due to various factors. In some cases, the situation does not require medical treatment, it is enough just to put in order the way of life and nutrition. In others, unusual periods are a sign of serious diseases, and not only of the reproductive system.

Causes of changes in the density of menstrual flow are normal

A normal menstrual cycle is a sign of good female health. Thick periods can appear under certain circumstances and are perceived as the norm.

If pathological menstruation appeared in the absence of the above situations, a disease occurs. And not always the disease is associated with the reproductive system.

Cause associated with disease

In addition to changing the nature of menstruation, it is necessary to analyze the state of health, general condition, and the presence of other alarming symptoms.

When alarming symptoms appear and when the situation repeats several cycles in a row, it is urgent to seek the advice of a specialist.

By the nature of the discharge during menstruation, a preliminary conclusion can be drawn about the state of the reproductive system of a woman. What matters is their color, smell, intensity, the presence of clots and mucus.

How to distinguish normal menstrual flow from pathological

Regular menstruation is the main indicator of the health of the female reproductive system. At the beginning of each new cycle, the woman's body begins to prepare for the likely conception. If it does not happen, then the inner lining of the uterus begins to renew itself, eliminating old tissues through bleeding. A similar process can be observed monthly, and most of the fair sex got used to such a cycle. However, not all women are calm about the fact that the discharge during menstruation may not always be the same. That is why it is important to understand which of them will be within the normal range, and which secretions can signal a pathological process in the body.

Speaking about what women's menstruation should be, it should be noted that the normal menstrual cycle in a healthy lady consists of 28 days, and the discharge itself mainly has a characteristic bloody, red or dark red tint and, as a rule, includes vaginal secretions, rejected mucous membranes of the uterus and the mucus of its neck.

Often, mucous discharge during menstruation has a different consistency, but they have one task - to facilitate the release of monthly rejected tissues. That is why a small percentage of mucus in menstrual blood is the norm. But what are the ideal periods in terms of their duration, and also, how much blood should be released?

The norm of the duration of menstruation is often from 3 to 5 days, and the amount of discharge at the same time fits into the range from 40 to 80 ml per day. A woman should be alert, as well as the state when they are frankly few, since this is weighty. Nevertheless, even the norm of such indicators does not indicate the full health of the woman's reproductive system.

It is also important to pay attention to other points: clots present in the discharge, their unpleasant odor, a possible change in color to a pink or brownish tint. In addition, the following points should be alarming:

• menstruation begins with brown discharge;
• go brown;
• uncharacteristic discharge after menstruation is noted.

Such nuances of the flow of menstruation are another reason to visit the antenatal clinic.

Abnormal periods without pathology

When it comes to a single case of menstruation with clots, then a woman does not need to worry about this. Often, clots form due to completely harmless factors. For example, women should remember that in the process of vigorous activity, blood is released somewhat more intensively, but in a sitting or lying position it is slower, therefore such postures, due to normal blood stagnation, contribute to the formation of clots.

Another completely harmless reason why clots can also form is the abnormal structure of the uterus, for example, the presence of its bends, partitions or displacements. Such a deviation can, as it were, form a kind of “barrier” that blocks the natural blood flow. Because of this, the blood inside accumulates, coagulates, thereby forming clots. However, if they do not accumulate inside, but still come out, then there is no reason to worry. You can determine such an anomaly quite quickly on examination by a gynecologist.

Nevertheless, the fair sex is alarmed not only by clots in the discharge. Anxiety can be caused by changes in their color (when the natural blood color changes to pink, dark brown and even black), an unpleasant smell, as well as concomitant itching and burning in the intimate area.

The brown discharge that appears after menstruation can be called a residual phenomenon of the last menstruation, however, like the dark discharge that precedes menstruation. This is a natural attempt by the body to cleanse itself and therefore you should not worry about this. However, if such manifestations are accompanied by an unpleasant odor, soreness in the lower back or lower abdomen, itching and burning in the intimate area, then this may signal the presence of an infection. In this case, it is better not to delay the visit to the gynecologist.

The color of the discharge may change for other reasons. So, dark discharge is especially characteristic of teenage girls, who still have a rather unstable ovulation process. Therefore, they often have scanty spotting dark-colored discharge instead of menstruation.

A similar picture is observed in women who have crossed the line of 40 years. This is an inevitable phenomenon during premenopause, and the brownish color of their periods indicates the natural aging of the woman's ovaries, which are no longer able to function normally, as well as certain changes in their hormonal levels. And although such manifestations are unpleasant, but this is also the norm.

Abnormal periods and pathologies

However, only a gynecologist is able to determine how safe the accompanying menstrual symptoms are. You should not engage in self-diagnosis, since these signs can signal a pathology, and only a specialist can notice it. So, the presence of abundant discharge with clots during menstruation can indicate such pathological processes:

• anemia;
• endometriosis
• hormonal disruptions.

But dark discharge, which may be accompanied by an unpleasant odor and blood clots, appears due to the following reasons:

A woman should rush to the doctor if, in addition to everything else, she feels unwell or notices the following symptoms:

• prolonged and profuse menstruation;
• menstruation is accompanied by pain and cramps;
• gray-yellow clots were found in the secreted blood;
• the period of menstruation was accompanied by nervous irritability and constant fatigue.

Anemia

Often, heavy menstruation, which is accompanied by the release of clots, can signal the development of a disease such as anemia. Even more often there is the phenomenon of anemia that occurs against the background of iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia. Recent research data show that there is a definite connection between the formation of clots and the presence of an acute shortage of this element in a woman.

As soon as the problem is eliminated, and will immediately cease to stand out. However, this does not mean that immediately after the discovery of blood clots, you should immediately start taking iron-containing products. Uncontrolled use of any drugs often does more harm than good. And such a symptom is just a hint that it's time to visit a gynecologist.

endometriosis

Pathology is characterized by the formation of large nodes of dark color due to immune or hormonal
failures. Often, it is the presence of blood clots in the secretions that is the first sign of this disease. You should not delay a visit to a specialist, since the advanced stage of the disease eventually leads to infertility. Diagnosis of pathology is very difficult, and it will require a thorough examination, as well as the availability of high-class equipment.

It is worth noting that the disease is signaled not only by blood clots and discharges of increased intensity, but also by some soreness, which is observed both during menstruation and after them. Therapy for the disease will depend entirely on the affected area. Treatment may be prescribed to eliminate hormonal imbalance, but in especially difficult cases, surgery to remove endometrial nodes is indispensable. As a rule, after successful therapy, menstruation completely returns to normal.

Hormonal disorders

Often, hormonal imbalance entails the rapid growth of the endometrial layer. Such changes lead to an increase in the volume of secretions or provoke violations of their cyclicity. In addition, sometimes there is an alternation: in one month there is a heavy menstruation with clots, and in the other - absolutely normal periods.

If such phenomena persist for more than 3 months, care should be taken. Often, hormonal disorders provoke pathologies of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands and the ovaries themselves. As soon as the specialist identifies the problem and prescribes the necessary therapy, the menstrual cycle will immediately improve.

The action of contraceptives

Such a contraceptive as an intrauterine device as a whole is not only quite effective, but also safe. However, sometimes it can provoke intense pain. The spiral encourages active rejection of endometrial cells, which is the cause of such phenomena.

In addition, the presence of increased blood clotting in a woman is also an additional factor for
clot formation. But if these formations began to resemble pieces of the liver, rather large in size (2-4 cm), and the onset of menstruation is associated with intense pain, then you should immediately consult a doctor.

Pregnancy and childbirth

The presence of dark discharge, sometimes with clots, can accompany a woman during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. In the first case, if, with a confirmed “interesting position”, the woman continues to have menstruation, this indicates an ectopic pregnancy. However, even during normal pregnancy, the appearance of meager darkish discharge or even menstruation with clots is likely. This state of affairs is not normal.

Minor discharge indicates a lack of hormones necessary for normal gestation, which increases the likelihood of miscarriage. But menstruation with clots signal the presence of a hematoma in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe internal pharynx or a miscarriage. In all the cases described, an emergency call to a specialist is required.

In the postpartum period or after an artificial termination of pregnancy, the formation of clots is also possible. However, after 3 weeks this phenomenon should disappear. If this did not happen, then it is likely that separate measures will be needed to eliminate the remnants of the placenta (in the case of childbirth), so you should immediately contact the doctors.

Sometimes women trace the relationship between menstruation with clots and sexual intercourse that preceded it. This is possible if the lady has erosion, however, in order to identify the exact cause of the phenomenon, an examination by a specialist is also necessary.

Infectious and inflammatory diseases

Scanty spotting, as well as disruptions in the menstrual cycle, may occur due to previous hypothermia. Such signs signal the presence of inflammatory processes in the uterine appendages, in the organ itself or in the area of ​​​​its neck.

In addition, in a situation where a lady had unprotected intercourse with an unfamiliar partner, and in addition to scanty discharge, she has painful urination, pain in the lower abdomen, burning and itching in the vaginal area - this may be a symptom of hidden sexually transmitted infections (chlamydia, trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, syphilis).

Other factors

It should be noted that even when a woman does not have a sexual life, which means that pregnancy and sexual infections cannot be called provocateurs of problems with menstruation, they can begin due to other factors. For example, permanent severe stress, sudden weight gain or loss, regular overwork and excessive physical activity can also provoke disruptions in a woman's normal menstrual function.

Nevertheless, the fair sex cannot always establish a connection between these phenomena on her own. Therefore, it is extremely important not to dismiss the problem, but to contact a qualified specialist. It is quite possible that after research, the pathology will not be detected, but a woman will definitely find inner peace.