Causes of thick discharge during menstruation. Why are my periods very heavy? Dark and thick blood during menstruation

Thick periods of dark color may be normal or indicate the development of the disease. It is important that they contain clots and mucus, the smell of discharge, whether there are pains in the abdomen, whether there was a delay or not.

When changing the density and color of the discharge, it is necessary to be examined to exclude such conditions:

• Violation of the hormonal background.
• inflammatory processes.
• Tumors.
• Diseases of the endometrium.
• Polyps in the uterus.
• Ectopic pregnancy.

Other factors also influence the nature of menstruation:

• blood diseases;
• taking drugs, including oral contraception;
• installed intrauterine device;
• physical and emotional overwork, stress.

Normally, menstrual flow in the early days is thicker than at their end.

Hormonal imbalance

A change in the natural balance occurs for various reasons:

• taking medications;
• surgical interventions;
• diseases of the reproductive, reproductive systems;
• endocrine pathologies.

Hormonal imbalance changes the correct ratio of sex hormones - estrogen and progesterone. This affects the cycle and the nature of menstrual flow. They become denser, contain pieces of mucus, clots.

Hormonal imbalance causes accompanying symptoms:

• pain syndrome in the lower abdomen;
• abundant or, conversely, meager discharge;
• dizziness;
• frequent fatigue, mood swings.

If present, they must be examined. You will need not only the help of a gynecologist, but also a consultation with an endocrinologist. It is necessary to exclude the pathology of the functioning of the endocrine gland, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, ovaries.

Inflammatory processes

Adnexitis, endometritis, salpingoophoritis and other diseases disrupt the functioning of all organs of the small pelvis. Regulus become darker, they may contain impurities of mucus, pus.

Critical days are accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen, on the right, on the left, general weakness, malaise, fever. Menstruation acquires an unpleasant odor.

Pathology of the uterus

In some cases, women reveal the structural features of the organ:

• displacement of the uterus;
• the presence of internal partitions;
• bend;
• wrong shape.

All this prevents the free exit of blood, its stagnation occurs in the uterine cavity. The blood coagulates, acquires a dark, even black color, contains large clots.

Typical symptoms:

• severe pain in the abdomen.

Treatment in these cases is only surgical.

Tumors

The cycle is affected by malignant and benign formations. Possible polyps in the uterine cavity,.

Their growth to large sizes completely changes the functioning of the reproductive system.

Endometrial diseases

These pathologies occur against the background of hormonal imbalance. Adenomyosis, hyperplasia - growth of the internal tissue of the uterus - endometrium - in the organ itself or beyond.

Contribute to dark menstrual flow, elements of mucus. They are associated with severe pain. At the end of menstruation, a brown, brown daub is possible for a few more days.

Ectopic pregnancy

Women often do not know about the situation. The location of the embryo contributes to the rejection of the endometrium and the appearance of menstruation.

The color and consistency of menstruation may differ from normal.

After childbirth

The body of young mothers is gradually returning to normal. there are bloody discharges, at first copious, then spotting.

Possible black color, heterogeneous structure, mucus.

Blood diseases

Often the reason is too rapid clotting. The blood does not have time to go outside and begins to clot in the uterine cavity, forming large pieces.

Iron deficiency anemia or other pathologies of the circulatory system can affect the nature of menstruation.

On the video about dangerous secretions

Other factors

The following factors can change the structure of monthly secretions - excessively thick, dark, containing clots:

• Artificial termination of pregnancy. Abortion is stressful for the body, which needs time to recover. There is a sharp hormonal surge, which is why menstruation changes.
• Taking medications. Some of them interfere with blood clotting, causing thick, dark brown, black periods.
• The use of contraceptive pills. Their job is to prevent unwanted pregnancies. It is based on hormones that change the functioning of the reproductive system. This affects menstruation.
• Intrauterine device. It has such a disadvantage as the release of heavy periods with clots, pieces.
• Transferred stress, beriberi, depletion of the body.

Thick and dark periods are not always an indicator of pathology. Sometimes a woman needs to rest, normalize her regimen, establish proper nutrition, and this will have a positive effect on the cycle and menstruation.

To maintain reproductive health, it is worth listening to these tips:

• Compliance with hygiene during menstruation. Gaskets should be changed at least once every 4 hours.
• In the absence of a permanent sexual partner, use condoms.
• Balance your diet. The daily menu should include all useful substances, vegetables and fruits.
• To refuse from bad habits.
• Try to avoid stressful situations.

If thick discharge of a dark color bothers you for several cycles, you should contact the clinic. Examination will reveal diseases if they are present. Next, you will need to undergo treatment that the doctor will prescribe.

The menstrual cycle is a normal phenomenon for women who do not have health problems and abnormalities in the functioning of the genital organs. Menstruation does not occur during a woman's pregnancy and lactation.

Features of the menstrual cycle

Every month, a woman has vaginal discharge during the normal functioning of healthy genital organs. This is a systematic phenomenon that must meet certain criteria:

• The menstrual cycle lasts from 19 to 45 days, the most common period of the menstrual cycle stands out, it ranges from 28 to 31 days;
• Menstruation is a cyclic phenomenon that should take place with a certain regularity, without constant failures and delays;
• The duration of menstruation should not exceed 8 days, but be at least 2 days;
• Menstrual blood has a color much darker than that which circulates in the vessels and veins of a person;
• There should be no pain or discomfort;
• The normal menstrual cycle is biphasic;
• Blood loss during menstruation should be in the range of 50-150 ml;
• Blood released during menstruation does not clot.

A delay in menstruation usually indicates the presence of pregnancy or any disorders in the woman's body. The phenomenon of heavy periods may indicate problems with the health of the genital organs.

Causes of heavy periods

During menstruation, the consistency of the discharge should not be too dark and thick, this may indicate various abnormalities and diseases.

The reason may be:

• Inflammatory processes in the uterus;
• Hormonal disorders in the body;
• Taking medications that can affect the functioning of the genital organs;
• Abortion;
• Ectopic pregnancy;
• Tumors of the genital organs of various stages of development;
• Pregnancy for a short period;
• Hormonal failure of the adrenal glands;
• Diseases associated with blood clotting can affect the consistency of menstrual flow;
• Polyposis of the endometrium;
• Taking hormonal contraceptives;
• Abrupt cessation of the systematic use of contraceptives;
• Avitaminosis;
• Poisoning or receiving a dose of radiation;
• Constant stress;
• pituitary gland;
• Exhaustion of the body;
• Disease of the internal organs;
• Hormonal failure of the thyroid gland;
• Heredity.

A qualified doctor can determine the exact cause of the change in the consistency of menstruation after examining the tests and performing an ultrasound on certain days of the menstrual cycle.

Termination of pregnancy can have a strong impact not only on the consistency, but also on the menstrual cycle itself. This is due to a strong hormonal disruption in the body during pregnancy, and after scraping the tissue, the walls of the uterus can be damaged, and the inner layer of cells will come out with the blood.

There may be blood clots during menstruation, or a thick consistency usually means too much blood loss. This phenomenon can occur if a woman loses more than 90 ml of blood, about 80 ml is considered the norm, but up to 150 ml of blood is allowed.

Infectious diseases are a common cause, but they lead not only to changes in the consistency of menstruation, but also to painful sensations during their passage. This cause is clarified immediately upon delivery of tests and is treated by taking the necessary medications.

Serious diseases such as tumors or an ectopic pregnancy can lead to heavy periods. They disrupt the normal functioning of the genitals, which leads to menstrual blood clotting, clots and thick vaginal discharge.

Menstrual disorders

Violations of the female genital organs, other diseases and the general condition of the body have an impact on the nature of the menstrual cycle. Deviations from normal and habitual menstruation can be different:

• Menorrhagia is a profuse discharge from the genitals of a woman that exceeds the rate of blood loss during menstruation, they occur periodically;
• Polymenorrhea - bleeding, between which the interval is less than 21 days, the menstrual cycle is too short;
• Dysfunctional uterine bleeding is the loss of blood without affecting the female genital organs, that is, pathological uterine bleeding;
• Metrorrhagia - bleeding that occurs without certain time intervals and is not cyclic;
• Postmenopausal bleeding is blood loss that occurs a year or more after the onset of menopause;
• Intermenstrual bleeding is the loss of blood that occurs between periods, while the amount of discharge can be different.

Methods for the treatment of menstrual disorders

Deviations from the norm, physical deterioration and other disturbances during the menstrual cycle, manifesting themselves systematically, can lead to a woman's infertility. It is important to know the cause of the deviations and the correct treatment. The doctor, having carried out the necessary procedures, can say what caused the menstrual cycle to be disturbed and prescribe the necessary treatment to restore it. In case of deviations, treatment is carried out by the following method:

• Taking hemostatic drugs;
• Aminocaproic acid is taken in case of heavy bleeding, as it can reduce it;
• Compensation for blood loss may also become necessary with its large losses, rarely I compensate for it with blood, most often due to plasma infusion;
• In women 40 years of age or older with heavy bleeding, surgery may be required as a last resort.

Deviations of menstruation from the norm can be different, and the treatment also changes. The reasons for the violation of the menstrual cycle, its failure in time, or the appearance of discomfort, can be found in a great variety. That is why it is possible to determine them only after passing the necessary procedures.

Menstruation in a healthy woman is characterized by regularity and uniformity, which makes it possible to assess the state of the reproductive system by them. During menstruation, the girl can do this on her own, since the discharge is available for inspection. Normally, they resemble venous blood, but in some diseases, instead of the usual picture, various deviations are observed.

Why is my period brown? In some women, from the first menstruation, they have a similar color, which is explained by the characteristics of their body. If they do not cause additional unpleasant symptoms, then you should not worry. It is possible, for the purpose of prevention, to consult a gynecologist in order to exclude the pathological causes of such discharge.

The situation is different if the menstrual blood suddenly or gradually changes its characteristics. More often, instead of normal blood, dark secretions appear, or thicker periods occur. In some gynecological diseases, these symptoms are the only signs of pathology. If a woman is not too attentive to her health, then the disease can be severely triggered. To avoid unpleasant consequences, you should know the normal properties of menstrual blood and the reasons for their change.

Menstruation is normal

With the help of this physiological phenomenon, the woman's body removes an egg from the uterine cavity every month. At the same time, the inner layer (endometrium) is updated, which grows monthly under the influence of sex hormones. The menstrual cycle is created by nature to carry out fertilization - if it does not occur, then the woman's genitals "get rid" of changes. Accordingly, with a normal level of hormones and no changes in the uterus, the discharge will resemble ordinary blood.

During menstruation, women usually pay attention to their color, which rarely changes during life. But there are other characteristics that fully describe the normal properties:

1. The main characteristic is the duration, it should not be less than three days or more than a week. Violation of their duration means that not everything is in order with the hormonal background. It is from the sex hormones that the correct regulation of the cycle depends.
2. Menstruation normally goes without discomfort - but there may be a slight malaise or weakness, a feeling of heaviness in the stomach. The appearance of severe pain during this period indicates a gynecological pathology.
3. Dark red or red-brown periods are a good sign. They should contain fresh blood, so they should not be too dark.
4. The largest volume is released at the beginning of menstruation, and the rest of the time the amount of separated blood gradually decreases. If it is released too much during the entire period or the discharge is scanty, then endometrial disease can be suspected.
5. The discharge should be homogeneous - uneven color, inclusions in the form of large clots indicate problems with the separation of the inner layer. Black menstruation directly indicates the disease - they occur when blood coagulates inside the vessels of the uterus.
6. The menstrual cycle is characterized by constancy - the discharge begins at a certain period. Black discharge after or before menstruation may not be related to the cycle, since the source of blood may not depend on sex hormones.

Brown menstruation may be a variant of the norm, since the discharge contains various impurities - destroyed cells, mucus and blood clots.

Reasons for changing the color of menstruation

There may be a clarification of menstrual blood - normally, this process is observed in a woman after childbirth or before menopause. This is due to hormonal changes, which leads to insufficient "ripening" of the endometrium during the cycle. When the period of discharge comes, this immature layer contains insufficient vessels. Therefore, menstruation becomes pale - they contain little blood.

More often, instead of normal blood, darker blood appears - this is caused by its folding inside the uterine cavity. The reasons provoking the development of this process affect the vessels of the inner shell. At the same time, the blood in them begins to form many clots, forming black discharge. Normally, in women, menstruation should not collapse.

Inflammatory diseases

The development of this process rarely begins on its own - the defeat of the inner lining of the uterus begins against the background of other diseases. A decrease in immunity means a lot, since the uterine cavity communicates with the environment through the cervix. Therefore, inflammation is usually caused by E. coli - bacteria that live in the digestive tract. With a decrease in the body's defenses, they penetrate the vagina, and can move further - to the endometrium:

• There are signs of endometritis - fever, fever, pain in the lower abdomen.
• When they are recognized in a timely manner, the disease can be cured without consequences. Otherwise, the process becomes lengthy, which leads to permanent changes in the functional layer of the uterus.
• A little later, menstrual disorders join - menstruation is brown.
• Instead of normal secretions, a bloody substance appears, which has a smearing character and an unpleasant odor.
• The color change is caused by inflammation - endometrial growth processes are disrupted during the cycle. To the meager amount of blood is added an excess amount of mucus and dead cells.

Instead of the life position “it will pass by itself”, you should choose a different tactic - contact a gynecologist. He will prescribe the right combination of antibiotics and procedures that will eliminate the inflammation. Postponing treatment indefinitely can lead young and "healthy" women to infertility.

It is important to eliminate the cause of endometritis, since the persistence of violations in the immune system will cause an exacerbation of the disease in the near future.

endometriosis

This disease is characterized by a complex mechanism of development - its causes of development are not fully understood. It is based on the spread of cells of the inner lining of the uterus to atypical places - literally to any part of the body. More often they move within the genital organs - into the fallopian tubes, cervix or vagina.

Increases the risk of the disease by conducting medical abortions and caesarean sections - with these manipulations, endometrial cells can fall on other tissues.

Since they have the properties of the endometrium, they are able to form secretions under the action of sex hormones. But blood is obtained with other characteristics, in contrast to the norm:

• Black discharge before menstruation is possible, since these defective cells have excessive activity. In conditions that do not correspond to the uterine cavity, the blood coagulates rapidly. It does not mix with special mucus and cells, so it quickly becomes black.
• Black discharge is often combined with other unpleasant symptoms - pain, weakness, fever.
• With this disease, a woman may lose excess blood, which is lost through areas with abnormal activity of these cells. Repeated repetition of such events causes exhaustion in a woman, making her susceptible to other diseases.

Treatment of the disease is usually surgical - areas of abnormal cells are removed or cauterized. Elimination of such a focus leads to recovery - the menstrual cycle normalizes, and black menstruation disappears. But women are monitored for a long time to avoid recurrence of the disease.

Tumors

Any neoplasms in the uterine cavity are an obstacle to the normal outflow of menstrual blood. Often they themselves become a source of bleeding. In tumors, a different structure of vessels is noted - arteries and veins are tangles with fragile walls. This explains their instability to damage - even an increase in blood pressure can lead to hemorrhages.

Therefore, instead of normal menstruation, black periods may occur, containing many clots - blood clots. Tumors can be benign and malignant, which causes differences in their clinical manifestations:

• Bloody discharge, as a symptom, rarely depends on the course of the cycle - they can occur at other times.
• This allows you to confuse the natural onset of menstruation, which is masked by periodic discharge during the cycle.
• Bleeding is characteristic of twisting the legs of a polyp or the collapse of a malignant tumor - cancer.
• At the same time, blood begins to enter the uterine cavity from the vessels of the neoplasms, which quickly coagulates. This explains why black periods occur - clots fall into normal secretions, staining them in a dark color.

Malignant tumors of the uterus have an unpleasant feature - they almost do not appear. Late treatment dramatically worsens the prognosis, as these tumors rapidly spread into the abdominal cavity. Therefore, at the slightest suspicion of a tumor, you should consult a gynecologist.

Venereal diseases

Some pathogens of sexually transmitted infections affect the inner lining of the uterus. They cause the development of a slow inflammatory process there, which changes the nature of the discharge:

• The causative agents of gonorrhea and chlamydia cause the formation of multiple small sores on the surface of the endometrium.
• Their surface bleeds, gradually becoming covered with a layer of dark blood clots.
• Inflammation increases the secretion of mucus, which contains dead epithelial cells (pus).
• Mixing this substance with menstrual blood causes brown periods, which also contain bacterial cells.

The lack of treatment for these diseases leads to infertility, as dense adhesions form inside the uterus. They prevent the fertilization of the egg, as they close the lumen of the fallopian tubes. Therefore, you should protect yourself during sex with condoms, and also contact a venereologist at the first suspicion of these diseases.

A change in the consistency of menstrual flow is a symptom that is alarming and makes you seek medical help. Indeed, normally, menstruation becomes thick and dark only in the last days of menstruation, while discharges of a similar nature throughout the entire cycle indicate an onset and progressing pathological process.

Today we will talk about the possible causes of thick discharge during menstruation, and discuss ways to solve this problem.

Causes of heavy periods

The menstrual cycle of every woman has its own characteristics. Duration, volume of blood loss, color and consistency - all this is purely individual. But, one way or another, there are certain norms, and each of the parameters should not go beyond them.

Most healthy women in the first days of menstruation experience red, abundant discharge, then the blood becomes thick and takes on a dark hue. The reason to be wary should be initially thick blood during menstruation from the first to the last day. However, you should not panic - very often the reasons for what is happening are the most harmless, although more serious health problems cannot be ruled out. So, very thick discharge during menstruation can be a symptom of one of the following diseases:

Dark periods, what does it mean, is it necessary to see a doctor in this case and is it a sign of oncology. Yes, it is cancer that women who notice black blood during menstruation are most afraid of. But, of course, not everything is so scary and tragic. We will describe several possible scenarios. Perhaps some of them apply directly to you. But one way or another, if this worries you, if your periods are thick and dark with pus, have an unpleasant odor, your stomach hurts, your body temperature rises, or there are any other symptoms of the disease, you should not guess about a possible diagnosis, but immediately consult a doctor .

Norm variant

Dark periods on the first day occur in healthy women. During life, the duration of the menstrual cycle, the abundance of secretions, some of their features may change. This is fine. Dark blood is oxidized blood. It happens that for some reason, for example, due to a malformation of the uterus, it lingers a little in it, does not immediately come out, and therefore it gets dark.

You can confirm that everything is in order by undergoing an ultrasound examination of the uterus and ovaries. It’s only better to visit a gynecologist first, he will tell you on which days of the cycle you need to undergo an ultrasound scan.

Hormonal contraception

Scanty dark brown periods are due to the use of combined oral contraceptives (COCs). The fact is that their action extends not only to the prevention of ovulation, but also to a change in the thickness of the endometrium. When taking pills, it becomes very thin. Therefore, menstrual-like discharge (as menstruation is called when taking COCs) comes very scarce. Knowing this feature, COCs are often prescribed by gynecologists for heavy menstruation as a remedy.

Low weight

If the body mass index (BMI), calculated by the formula weight in kilograms: height in meters, is less than 19, then there is a body mass deficiency. In a woman, in adipose tissue, which in this case is small, hormones are produced. Few adipose tissue - few hormones. That is, the endometrium is eventually formed defective. And from there, various disorders: infertility, dark discharge instead of menstruation, amenorrhea, etc.

You need to get back to normal weight. And then the problem will be solved by itself.

Ovarian dysfunction

With violations of the process of ovulation, a woman often has delays in menstruation, spotting may appear in the middle of the cycle, there are meager and very dark periods. In this case, the doctor recommends on certain days of the cycle to take tests for hormones, to do an ultrasound. Often the drug of choice is Duphaston.
By the way, the cause of ovarian dysfunction may be a lack of weight. Everything in the female body is interconnected.

Pregnancy

The reasons why dark periods go can be associated with an interesting situation. And not always with a normal, uterine, developing pregnancy. Sometimes this is a symptom of an ectopic or non-developing pregnancy. "Home" signs of these pathologies can be a pregnancy test with a very weakly manifested second strip. This may indicate a low level of the hCG hormone, characteristic of them.
Even dark red discharge is often a threat of termination of pregnancy or a symptom of a miscarriage that has already begun. In this case, if it is not too late, doctors prescribe progesterone preparations in large dosages.

Discharge outside of menstruation

If dark blood during menstruation can still be called a variant of the norm in some cases, then intermenstrual discharge of this kind is not good. You need to do an ultrasound of the uterus. It is possible that endometrial hyperplasia is the reason for this, and for an accurate diagnosis and differentiation from endometrial cancer, diagnostic curettage will have to be done.

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