Monthly go 10 days smearing. Causes and treatment of prolonged periods. Physiological causes of prolonged periods

22.10.2017 Smirnova Olga (gynecologist, GSMU, 2010)

The entire reproductive age of a woman is accompanied by various vaginal discharges associated with both the physiological state of the body and the presence of gynecological pathologies. Often, representatives of the weaker sex observe spotting in themselves at different periods of the menstrual cycle, but most of all they are interested in the question of what a similar symptom means in its middle. We will talk about this in this article.

Types of spotting

In order to understand the causes of the phenomenon, one should understand what kind of spotting it is in the middle of the cycle. These are called scanty mucous bloody discharge from the vagina.

The basis of such secretions contains a mucous secretion produced by the glands of the female genital organs. For various reasons, a certain amount of blood enters it, which, when released, mixes with mucus and oxygen, acquiring a certain shade. It all depends on where exactly the blood has coagulated, what is its composition, the content of the mucous secretion, and the characteristics of the body.

Such mucus is produced in moderation and has such a consistency that when it comes into contact with panty liners or underwear, it quickly spreads and absorbs, creating the effect of unevenly smeared spots. You can see their photos below.

They occur at the end of the follicular, throughout the ovulatory and early luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. It can be thick white, cream, liquid pink, dark brown, brown,. Normally, there are few of them, they are odorless and are not accompanied by unpleasant sensations.

Creamy, yellow curdled, bloody, copious, dark, watery, foul-smelling discharge, accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen, itching, weakness, and other uncomfortable symptoms, speak of the pathological etymology of such spotting.

Learn what the nature of the discharge should be by clicking on the link.

Common Physiological Causes of Spotting

Before menstruation and at the end of menstruation, the symptom has a logical explanation. But what does it mean and what are the causes of spotting in the middle of the cycle? Allocations can be physiological and pathological in nature. Consider the reasons for the first.

Ovulation

The most common cause, accounting for 80% of spotting cases, is the ovulatory period. It occurs approximately in the middle of the menstrual cycle. Its duration is up to 3 days. Ovulation itself means the release of a mature egg from the follicle by rupture, in which about 10 ml of follicular fluid comes out of it. When ruptured, small vessels are injured, which is indicated by a small amount of blood. At this time, under the influence of hormones, they come out.

Mucous discharge in the middle of the cycle is slightly sticky and viscous, like snot, bloody, transparent with a streak of blood, or in the form of a brown or pink daub. Closer to the equator of the cycle and after ovulation, smearing whitish, yellowish and even of a homogeneous consistency are considered normal, which do not overlap with discomfort, pain and do not stink. Severe vaginal leucorrhea is a sign of an infectious disease.

Fertilization

In the middle of the cycle, bloody discharge with mucus or spotting can mean a successful conception. A fertilized egg is introduced into the inner mucous layer of the uterus, the endometrium, and a violation of its integrity leads to minor blood loss. As it leaves the uterus and passes through the vagina, the blood coagulates and mixes with oxygen and the accompanying secretion, and at the exit becomes brownish in color. This explains the appearance of moderate brown discharge on the 10th day of the cycle or in its middle. At this moment, a sharp hormonal restructuring begins, under the influence of which moderate blood smearing also occurs in the first week of pregnancy.

If you notice spotting in the middle of the cycle, and then there was a delay in menstruation, then most likely a pregnancy test will show a positive result.

This symptom is acceptable only in the early stages. In the future, this is a sign of a pathology that threatens miscarriage or premature birth.

Taking hormonal drugs

The body reacts in a similar way to the intake of OK. In the first three months of using these contraceptives, dark discharge is often traced due to changes in hormonal levels. These medicines include: Duphaston, Jess, Yarina. Often, similar drugs are used in premenopause in order to restore the menstrual cycle and eliminate the anticlimacteric syndrome.

Find out how the cycle changes for yourself in our article at the link.

Hormone therapy is also prescribed for endocrinological diseases, during menopause, as emergency contraception. Menstrual, Escapela or Ginepristone is undergoing changes - a pink, bloody daub accompanies the use of these drugs.

Cancellation of hormonal pills in most situations is manifested by spotting, up to the beginning of the next menstruation.

Installation of an intrauterine device

Spotting is often observed after the introduction of this contraceptive. So the first time the reproductive system reacts to the presence of a foreign body.

Mucosal injury

Spotting after sex makes itself felt at any moment of the cycle, but since the concentration of estrogen reaches a maximum in its middle, the walls of the vagina are especially sensitive, which increases the risk of injury to small blood vessels, and the amount of secretion increases. Therefore, mechanical damage is indicated by a pink daub without itching, burning and unpleasant odor. This is acceptable if bleeding for a short time.

Often indicated poorly, sports training, physical activity and even stress.

Allergic reaction

The manifestation of allergies to medications, intimate hygiene products, lubricants, contraceptives, synthetic underwear is sometimes accompanied by moderate bleeding. Sometimes there is itching and burning, which is similar in symptoms to an infectious disease. The difference from it will be the absence of an unpleasant smell of rotten meat, fish, onions, cottage cheese, and the symptoms will disappear after the irritant is eliminated.

After childbirth

The occurrence of such secretions is permissible during the year if a woman is breastfeeding a child. Thus, the gradual formation of the menstrual cycle is indicated, which is a variant of the norm.

Spotting discharge in pathology

Pathological daub in the middle of the cycle is accompanied by certain symptoms. It can be yellow with a heterogeneous consistency, liquid leucorrhoea, spotting, which develops into heavy bleeding. They are supplemented by: a specific smell, burning and vaginal itching, pain in the lower abdomen, radiating to the lower back in the side, fever, nausea, and in advanced cases, vomiting. Such discharges can be conditionally divided into two groups depending on the reason for their appearance.

The first group - caused by pathology of the uterus

  1. Erosion of the uterine neck is an inflammatory process of tissues, the main symptom of which is periodic bleeding, from spotting to heavy. They are often indicated after sexual contact and between periods. Many pathologies are asymptomatic. Erosive tissue destruction increases the risk of infection. The therapy uses medicines, laser, radio waves, cryodestruction, diathermocoagulation, chemical coagulation, electroexcision. Small affected areas are most often left untreated, periodically monitoring them.
  2. Endometriosis is a pathological benign process of tissue growth outside the uterine mucosa. It is manifested by both spotting and heavy bleeding, prolonged critical days at the beginning, middle, end of the cycle, pain in the lower abdomen, shifts in menstruation, painful intercourse. Eliminated by electrotherapy, laser, ultrasound, surgical curettage, combined treatment with the use of medications.
  3. Endometritis is an inflammation of the surface layer of the endometrium. Smearing brown, pink, including in the middle of the cycle, is the main designation of pathology. She is characterized by fever, pulling pain in the lower part of the peritoneum, radiating to the side, painful sexual contact. For treatment, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial tablets, or broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed.
  4. Polyps, neoplasms of various etymologies are characterized (in the first half of the cycle). Like any pathological changes in the uterine tissues, they lead to periodic severe bleeding. These symptoms are accompanied by pain, general weakness, nausea. Treatment occurs depending on the etymology and stage of the disease.
  5. During pregnancy, brown spotting, along with pain and spasms, indicate fetal fading, a threatened miscarriage, and an ectopic pregnancy. If a sign is detected, you should immediately consult a doctor to remove a dead embryo in order to avoid infection of adjacent tissues. Sometimes the fetus can be saved with blood leakage. An ectopic pregnancy must be removed urgently, as it threatens to rupture the fallopian tube.

The second group - provoked by inflammatory processes, urological and infectious diseases

Inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system occur for a number of reasons: complication after suffering colds, hypothermia, weakened immunity, infection, overgrowth of opportunistic bacteria, and improper hygiene.

The appearance of abundant whites, gray, purulent discharge with itching in the vagina, the unpleasant smell of rotten meat, fish, onions and other stench characterizes bacterial vaginosis. The disease refers to inflammation and is transmitted both sexually and develops against the background of the growth of opportunistic bacteria living in the microflora. Similar symptoms, supplemented by a curdled composition of whites and a sour-milk smell, indicate candidiasis. Such diseases are mainly amenable to local treatment with suppositories and douches.

Infectious diseases, in particular, sexually transmitted ones, are indicated by secretions of yellow, green, purulent nature, they stink and appear at any time both in a smearing manner and in abundant mucus secretion. They can be liquid, stretch like snot,. With such ailments, the vagina itches, there is a burning sensation and pain during urination, and the external genital organs become inflamed. Such diseases are treated with antibiotics in combination with anti-inflammatory and other drugs.

Briefly about the main

Our little research has shown that the topic of mid-cycle spotting is discussed quite frequently in forum and blog reviews.

The scanty spotting described by women, which has a smearing character, without foreign odor and associated symptoms, is normal. But there are also pathological signs that require medical attention.

There is no need to be afraid of visiting a doctor, since statistics show that in 68% of cases the symptom described has a physiological etymology, 40% of them are associated with hormonal changes, and 32% of the total number of women who applied fall for signs of a pathological nature. Therefore, it can be argued that with a higher probability, the symptom you found is not caused by the disease. A slightly higher percentage of the likelihood of a hormonal shift, but if you are approaching the age of 45, this process is natural due to the approaching menopause. At a young age, such a violation is extremely rare.

Prolonged periods should only cause you concern if there are painful concomitant factors. The abundance and duration of the cycle is associated with both hormonal changes and pathological problems. In any of these cases, you need to adjust your lifestyle, but in the second, medical intervention is also required.

Natural Causes of Heavy and Long Periods

Every girl has her normal cycle. On average, menstruation lasts about 4-6 days. The first day or two the discharge is spotting, the next 3-4 days are the most abundant discharge, and then the subsequent convergence to “no” occurs for another 1-2 days. Thus, even if your period lasts 7-8 days, three of which are considered the most active, you have a completely normal period.

If the menstruation is delayed and lasts 10-14 days, then you need to look at the accompanying factors:

  • Perhaps you have such a heredity . If women in your family have always had such long periods, but no one complains about anything, this is your individual norm for the duration of the menstrual cycle.
  • Menstruation can be prolonged due to improper diet , which is accompanied by activating products (coffee, alcohol, etc.). It is enough to change the way of eating in favor of fresh vegetables and fruits, as this will immediately affect the duration of the cycle. If this is your case, then the problem is solved very quickly.
  • Psycho-emotional stress , in which there can be both a delay in menstruation or their absence for several months, and their long course. If you are just now in a state of stress, then you need to resort to the use of light sedatives so that the body returns to normal. As a rule, after stress, the cycle is restored without taking hormones and other serious drugs.
  • Climax . As a woman's body prepares for a new stage in life, the cycle may well go astray.
  • The first 6 months after the onset of menstruation in a teenage girl . This is a natural phenomenon, since in young girls the hormonal background is established. This will take time, and it is not worth interfering with this process if complications do not arise (unpleasant smell of discharge, fever). Over time, the cycle will even out and return to normal. Unless you need to pay attention to the lifestyle, and prevent hypothermia, be more stress-resistant, review and improve nutrition. All this can further increase the duration of menstruation, but if you monitor your health, then the cycle returns to normal in the first 6-12 months.

Why do periods take so long after childbirth?

Bleeding after childbirth is normal. Usually it is due to the fact that a woman develops anemia, and the remains of blood clots can accumulate in the internal cavity of the uterus. Bleeding provokes the removal of such clots and small remnants of the placenta.

For the same reason, there are abundant and long periods after an abortion or miscarriage, as well as the use of a spiral, hormonal contraceptives.

When the uterine cavity is cleared, the bleeding gradually stops. This is a natural phenomenon, but under the supervision of a doctor, you will be more comfortable going through this short period, and you can make sure that there are no complications.

Diseases that cause heavy periods

If the above factors and causes are not your case, then we can talk about a potential disease that provokes a long cycle. Protracted periods may occur due to:

  • poor blood clotting due to anemia;
  • weak and inelastic walls of the vessels of the uterus;
  • hormonal failure (including in the presence of excess weight, sudden weight loss);
  • endocrine diseases;
  • the appearance of malignant or benign formations in the uterus;
  • inflammation of the appendages and / or uterus.

If menstruation lasts a long time and is plentiful, but is a side factor in the development of another disease, for example, anemia, the gynecologist will prescribe tests and send to a highly specialized doctor who will deal with the true cause of the disease.

Smeared menstruation without pathologies

What if there are no visible causes of pathologies, but menstruation is long? Most likely, we are talking about endocrine system disorders, hormonal failure or obesity. In such cases, menstruation lasts more than 10 days and is smeared.

In most cases, it is enough to adjust the flow of hormones into the body or lose weight, and the monthly cycle will return to normal. You can be convinced of this by dropping only a few kilograms - especially if the body is young, the cycle will quickly return to normal.

Brown discharge - pathology or not?

In order to determine whether you have a pathology or this is a completely natural process, you need to test yourself for a number of signs. Answer the following questions:

  • Is bloody brown discharge not only after and / or before menstruation?
  • The amount of discharge does not decrease over time and remains in the same volume?
  • Is the discharge accompanied by pain?
  • Do you feel feverish while the brown discharge is coming on?
  • Does the discharge smell like rot?

If you answered “yes” to all or most of the questions, then you should contact your gynecologist.

Bad smell and pain

In this case, any anomalies such as an unpleasant smell and painful sensations should cause you concern. This is an occasion to immediately consult a doctor for tests.


As for pain, they appear in women at the beginning of the cycle and indicate excessive accumulation of blood. The muscles need to cope with such a volume, as a result of which pulling pains appear, but if they occur already at the stage of brown discharge, then an illness has clearly arisen - inflammation or pathology of the uterus.

Doctors point out that if brown discharge lasts a long time, while not tied to a specific cycle and does not have painful accompanying factors, then this indicates the wrong choice of contraception. In any case, you need to see a doctor for course correction.

If you do not have pain, discharge with an unpleasant odor, fever, and the discharge itself lasts more than 2 days, but does not cause discomfort, observe yourself for a couple more days, while:

  • limit physical activity;
  • try to minimize emotional stress;
  • avoid hot baths;
  • make adjustments to the daily menu by removing strong drinks, spicy and fatty foods, and coffee from it.

This will be quite enough for the discharge to decrease, and the body to return to normal.

Prolonged discharge

As for the duration of discharges, their duration should not exceed 8-9 days, and there should also be a progressive decrease in the volume of discharges to the limits of meager. On average, brown discharge after menstruation, lasting a couple of days without being accompanied by painful factors, is the norm. Large volumes of discharge lasting more than 8-9 days - pathology (cyst, fibroids, endometriosis).

If, judging by the above, brown discharge is normal, then you should not be afraid of them. This is a completely natural manifestation of blood clotting.

In cases where you observe discharge for 7 days, but this is unusual for your body, pay attention to whether there were any concomitant factors provoking excessive activation of menstruation. Menstruation could well be delayed due to:

  • psychological stress and experiences, prolonged stress;
  • the presence of a bacterial infection, the occurrence of which coincided with the course of menstruation;
  • excessive physical activity;
  • prolonged exposure to the hot sun during menstruation;
  • intimacy;
  • taking medications that adversely affect blood clotting.

It happens that brown discharge appears some time after menstruation and thus may be independent discharge or preceding the next cycle. Of course, such a phenomenon cannot be the norm and indicates some kind of pathology of varying severity. It is imperative to sound the alarm in cases where such prolonged discharge is accompanied by pain or an unpleasant odor.

Do not immediately resort to strong drugs, especially if they were not prescribed to you by a doctor. Studies have shown that even tempalgin or aspirin to relieve pain during menstruation gradually increases the body's tolerance to taking drugs, and with each new dose of the drug, more and more will be required. And if at the same time you still don’t know the true cause of brown discharge, then you can only aggravate the situation.

Video: Why do periods take a long time?

A woman can take uterine bleeding for long and heavy periods. The video explains why dysfunctional uterine bleeding occurs and how to deal with this condition.

In most cases, heavy menstruation is the cause of changes in the female body: whether it is childbirth, menopause, heredity, or restructuring of the teenage body. But when accompanied by painful sensations, heavy periods indicate a developing disease that needs to be treated as soon as possible. Only a gynecologist can help with this.

Menstruation has been going on for 10 days, what should I do? A question that many women may ask when faced with the phenomenon of menstruation taking longer than usual. Naturally, there is panic and various assumptions. Further worse - menstruation has been going on for 15 days, what should I do? Indeed, if menstruation lasts longer than usual, then you should consult a gynecologist. Long periods can have a rather serious pathological basis, which means that it is necessary to undergo an examination. Only a doctor can determine why periods last longer than 7 days and whether special treatment is required. It may well be sufficient to ensure that preventive measures are taken.

The normal menstrual cycle of any woman begins with menstruation, which is a discharge, with the help of which all reproductive elements that were not fertilized during the previous cycle are removed from the body. The body thus proceeds to the next cycle of preparing eggs for conception. A healthy female body, as a rule, is characterized by a well-established menstrual cycle lasting 28 days with a deviation of 7 days. At the same time, menstruation opens the next cycle and lasts 3-5 days, but the duration of a week is considered the norm. The exact schedule depends on the individual characteristics of the female body, but the steady state is usually maintained.

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Various external and internal causes can disrupt the menstrual cycle, incl. cause a phenomenon when menstruation goes on for 10 or more days. It is normal if, after the usual period, menstruation continues for several more days, but in a meager amount - they only smear a little linen. The question of what to do if the menstruation goes longer than the due date really arises when they go for 10 days with the same intensity.

Excessively long discharges, regardless of pathological causes, are already dangerous in themselves. When menstruation goes on for a long time, which is accompanied by noticeable blood loss, anemia can develop with irreversible complications. In addition, along with menstruation, iron is excreted from the body, a deficiency of hemoglobulin appears, which causes a general weakening, shortness of breath. In general, the causes of excessively prolonged bleeding can be associated with physiological processes, the influence of external factors and the influence of various diseases.

Causes of a cycle disorder

A disturbed menstrual cycle or periods longer than normal can be explained by objective physiological processes. Such circumstances include the following cases: an unsteady cycle in young girls; the period before or at the onset of menopause; when using hormonal drugs, especially the contraceptive type. So, in girls during the formation of the menstrual cycle, menstruation can go 13-15 days, and this should be considered normal. Such processes can be observed within 3-5 years after the onset of menstrual flow.

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Prolonged menstruation can result from the use of various methods of contraception. Menstruation goes on for a long time, and with high intensity, when the spiral is installed. Taking oral contraceptives of the hormonal type leads to the fact that menstruation of a smearing nature takes a long time. In both cases, the duration of menstruation can reach 14-15 days, while, accordingly, the entire menstrual cycle is lengthened.

When excessively long periods appear, causes not related to pathology can be caused by external factors: stress and psychological overload, malnutrition and thoughtless starvation diets, physical exhaustion and heavy physical exertion, alcohol abuse, poisoning with toxic substances and poor ecology, abrupt climate change taking certain medications.

Pathological manifestations

Quite often, the question of when menstruation lasts a long time, what to do, is associated with the treatment of various diseases. The main reasons for this phenomenon are due to hormonal imbalance, inflammatory processes, deterioration of blood clotting, tumor formations, and changes in the regulation of the brain.

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Menstruation lasts a long time with the appearance of pathologies of the endocrine system, since such changes lead to hormonal imbalance. First of all, it is necessary to note diseases of the thyroid gland. It is violations of the function of this gland that often lead to the fact that menstruation lasts longer than usual, and this increase can be more than 13 days. The main causes of endocrine disruption are considered to be malnutrition, alcohol and strong coffee abuse, and smoking.

Another important reason for continued bleeding is the deterioration of blood clotting under the influence of pathogenic factors. This parameter largely determines the time of bleeding, and if it worsens, the duration of menstruation increases significantly. Coagulability is largely determined by genetic hereditary characteristics. Among hereditary pathologies, von Willebrand's disease and hemophilia stand out. The following acquired factors are also mentioned: lack of vitamin K, oncological diseases, liver pathologies (including hepatitis), a sharp decrease in platelet levels, anemia, uncontrolled intake of antibiotics, anticoagulants, angiogenesis inhibitors.

Prolonged menstrual bleeding is often provoked by gynecological diseases, both inflammatory and infectious. Sufficiently severe complications can be observed in the following diseases: fibroids, adenomyosis, endometriosis, benign and malignant uterine formations, the appearance of cysts, and ovarian dysfunction. In addition, a noticeable effect on the menstrual cycle as a whole and the duration of menstruation is exerted by disturbances in the functions of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, which, accordingly, disrupts brain regulation.

First aid

Summarizing the above and the recommendations of experts, we can draw certain conclusions about what to do with excessively long periods. First of all, it should be taken into account that untimely painful periods, characterized by profusion and duration of more than 10 days, may be the result of a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. In this case, it is the duration and abundance of bleeding that are considered the main symptom.

In the case when menstruation lasts 15 days and is not going to stop, pathological causes such as diseases of the genital organs, ovaries, hormonal imbalance due to endocrine diseases or hematogenous pathologies are possible. Of the non-pathological factors, the most common cause is the use of hormonal contraceptives.

All the reasons considered are extremely important in the analysis of the etiology of prolonged bleeding, but they do not exhaust the entire list of possible provoking factors. With a duration of menstruation for more than 12 days, with a significant amount of discharge, you should consult a doctor. Only a doctor can establish the pathology and prescribe treatment. Self-medication is not only not recommended, but is prohibited without an accurate diagnosis of the type of pathology.

Self-treatment can only be aimed at the implementation of preventive measures and the elimination of external causes. First of all, it is necessary to organize proper nutrition, stop exhausting yourself with weight loss diets, protect yourself from stressful situations and physical overload as much as possible.

It should also be borne in mind that a sharp fluctuation in body weight has a significant impact on the menstrual cycle - weight gain, then weight loss, and then everything back.

Traditional medicine recipes

Treatment of menstrual disorders is not carried out by itself. In order to exclude this phenomenon, it is necessary to eliminate the pathological causes of its appearance, which means that the treatment of the underlying disease should be taken seriously. When the cause is eliminated, the menstrual cycle quickly stabilizes. The only exception is for excessive bleeding. In this case, it is necessary to take hemostatic drugs, but only as directed by a doctor. The most popular in this direction are Dicinon and Vikasol. In general, effective therapy is carried out to restore hormonal balance and normalize blood clotting.

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Traditional medicine methods are often used to influence prolonged menstruation, but they should also be agreed with a gynecologist. The most common use of the following recipes:

  1. A decoction from the collection: birch leaves, peppermint, valerian root, yarrow (in equal proportions) are poured with boiling water (2 tablespoons of the mixture per 0.5 l of water) and heated in a water bath for 12-16 minutes - drunk during the day in volume 200 ml.
  2. Tincture: early birch leaves are poured with boiling water and infused for 6.5-8 hours, 75 ml is consumed 3 times a day.
  3. Alcohol tincture: birch buds are infused in vodka (100 g per 500 ml of vodka) for 25-30 days - drunk in a small sip 2 times a day.
  4. Infusion: shepherd's purse (1 tablespoon) is poured with boiling water (200 ml) and infused for 25-30 minutes - drunk at a time.
  5. Infusion: nettle (30 g) is poured with boiling water (200 ml) and infused for 1 hour - consumed 3 times a day.

The stability of the menstrual cycle is a sure indicator of women's health. If the duration of menstruation is violated, there is a real suspicion of the presence of pathologies. To check such suspicions, with prolonged menstruation (more than 10 days), you need to visit a gynecologist to find out the reasons for this phenomenon.

Menstruation, an integral part of the life of a healthy woman who is able to give birth to a child. At this time, the uterus, contracting, is cleared of tissues, mucus, fluids that were stored by the body in case of pregnancy. The duration of menstrual bleeding is normal with a balanced cycle is from three to six days. If, with a regular cycle, menstruation lasts more than ten days and is plentiful all the time, this is a serious reason to think about health. Sometimes prolonged menstruation is normal, but more often it is a sign of some disease or hormonal disorder.

Menstruation lasting 10 days is a cause for serious concern

Long periods. When is it the norm?

In any healthy woman, the menstrual cycle begins with menstruation, which is spotting. This is how unfertilized eggs and reserve substances leave the body. In a healthy female body, the menstrual cycle is well regulated by the nervous and endocrine systems. By duration, it takes 28-35 days. Menstruation, in turn, lasts from three to six days. Terms may differ for each woman, but remain within the normal range. Sometimes menstruation can go for more than ten days, and this is not a sign of pathology. This happens in the following cases:

  1. Menstruation goes 10 days after taking contraceptives containing hormones or spirals.
  2. Bleeding after abortion and ectopic pregnancy.
  3. The first six months after the onset of menstruation, when the cycle has not yet been established.
  4. Postpartum bleeding. After childbirth, the uterus should be cleared of the remnants of the placenta and excess tissue clots. Therefore, after childbirth, menstruation can last more than 10 days.
  5. Climax. It usually occurs after 45 - 50 years. This condition can be characterized by various cycle disorders, the complete cessation of menstruation, or vice versa, prolonged bleeding.

Sometimes prolonged menstruation is hereditary. In this case, no medical intervention is required.

If none of the women in the family had periods that lasted more than 10 days. You have not terminated the pregnancy and have not taken hormonal contraception, and menstruation lasts more than ten days, it is necessary to consult a gynecologist. Also, you should go to the doctor before taking hormonal contraceptives in order to choose the right drug and avoid unpleasant consequences.

Long periods after the installation of the spiral are considered the norm

Causes of long-term menstruation in pathology

Prolonged menstruation has the scientific term hypermenorrhea. The causes of this condition are diverse, they are divided into several groups:

  • caused by weakness of the walls of blood vessels that provide blood supply to the genital organs;
  • caused by a violation of blood clotting, a lack of coagulation factors;
  • caused by the need to clean the uterus from excess fluid, tissue, toxins;
  • caused by dysfunction of the endocrine system.

All of these factors are consequences of diseases and pathological processes in the female body:

  • stressful situations of any origin (psychological stress, thermal, chemical);
  • various kinds of anemia;
  • neoplasms in the genitals;
  • hormonal diseases, dysfunction of the sex glands;
  • diseases of the gynecological group (these include endometrial hyperplasia and inflammation).

What to do to find out the reason that caused prolonged periods? What are the reasons for this phenomenon? To begin with, observe the body, check for the presence of an unpleasant odor of menstrual fluid.

An unpleasant smell may indicate inflammation caused by bacteria or fungus. Then you need to immediately use the services of professionals. You should be assigned an ultrasound examination of the uterus, ovaries, thyroid gland, and a number of tests.

Ultrasound examination of the uterus is prescribed to determine the causes of prolonged periods

If endometriosis is diagnosed, what should I do?

Endometriosis is a fairly common pathology that manifests itself in women from 25 to 40 years old. With endometriosis, the lining of the uterus grows excessively and forms many cavities. With endometriosis, menstruation lasts more than 10 days, and there are also small bleeding in the middle of the cycle. At first, the disease is asymptomatic, but later the following manifestations appear:

  • discomfort and pain in the area of ​​the pelvic organs;
  • painful and profuse menstruation with a large number of clots;
  • prolonged spotting after menstruation;
  • severe pain in the lower abdomen, in the lower back; with the development of the disease and the growth of the endometrium, it becomes permanent.

To diagnose endometriosis, you need to do an ultrasound or x-ray of the uterus, fallopian tubes. There are two ways to treat the disease: hormonal and surgical intervention.

Hormonal treatment

Hormones are used to simulate the complete absence of ovulation and release of the egg, the foci of mucosal growth disappear. Treatment with hormones is a slow process. Often the course is extended for six months. It is necessary to carefully approach this type of treatment, because. hormonal drugs can cause serious side effects that are difficult to get rid of even after stopping treatment. The surgical method is safer and more effective. Now, with the help of laparoscopy, only the foci of the disease are removed, completely preserving the organ. In the initial stage, endometriosis is treated with birth control pills.

Birth control pills are prescribed in the initial stages of endometriosis

Fibroids and polyps as the reasons that menstruation lasts more than 10 days

The cause of prolonged periods, more than 10 days, sometimes neoplasms, tumors become. Uterine fibroids are benign tumors of muscle and connective tissue. The contraction (tonus) of the uterus is disturbed due to the formation of multiple nodules in different places. Removal of the endometrium is delayed, and menstruation lasts more than a week. The cycle with myoma remains normal. With such a tumor, you need to do a surgical operation. If there are medical contraindications, and it is impossible to do the operation, the laser therapy method is used.

Polyps are round growths of endometrial cells. These are also benign formations. In size, they can reach six centimeters, have an outgrowth, a leg, where a network of blood vessels is located. The mechanical effect on the polyp leads to bleeding in the middle of the cycle or prolonged menstruation, in violation of uterine contractility. Polyps are dangerous because they can transform into a tumor. To remove them, you need to do scraping or burning.

Endometrial polyp - a benign tumor in the uterus

Other reasons why menstruation lasts more than 10 days

The most common causes are associated with a violation of the secretion of hormones. Hormonal imbalances often manifest as mood swings. Female sex hormones are produced in the ovaries. With their dysfunction, the secretion of hormones is disturbed, in the process, the process of egg maturation slows down, which can lead to infertility. Menses come irregularly and last more than 10 days.

Obesity is an endocrine disease that carries a number of complications, including cycle disorders. If menstruation on the ninth and tenth days is weak and spotting, then this does not indicate a pathology. Most likely, you need to adjust the diet. From food you need to exclude spicy, fatty and fried, drink less coffee and give up bad habits.

What to do with prolonged menstruation, if it is more than 10 days

If your period lasts more than 10 days, you feel weak and dizzy, this is a clear sign of blood loss. If this condition is regular, be sure to consult a gynecologist in order to find out the reasons in time and know what to do with them. Traditional medicine offers a lot of methods to combat uterine bleeding:

  • means for reducing the uterus;
  • means that increase the tone of blood vessels;
  • hemostatic drugs that increase blood clotting;
  • hormonal drugs;
  • vitamins, B12 and folic acid are the main factors of hematopoiesis, they will help to recover from blood loss;
  • mineral complexes, especially those containing iron, to replenish hemoglobin levels after blood loss.

Do not forget about traditional medicine. Nettle is a good hemostatic agent. Nettle tea is used for postpartum bleeding, it is also rich in vitamins, which helps to recover after childbirth.

But such a remedy can be used only if there is no allergy, and there are no contraindications. It is impossible to make tea if there is a sharp decline in strength or pressure surges.

To avoid problems such as long periods, you need to monitor the menstrual cycle, the nature of the discharge, and regularly undergo a medical examination by a gynecologist. If you are attentive to yourself, you can preserve women's health for a long time.

The duration and amount of menstrual bleeding is individual for each woman, in addition, these parameters can change throughout life under the influence of external circumstances. Menorrhagia (abnormally long periods that last more than 10 days) is often a sign of pathological processes in the reproductive organs. Why do periods take so long and how to cure menorrhagia?

How long do periods normally last?

On average, the menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, but it can fluctuate between 23-35 days, and this is considered the norm. The beginning of a new cycle coincides with the onset of menstrual bleeding, and with it the follicular phase begins, during which, under the influence of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), the dominant follicle and oocyte develop.

What is monthly? If a woman did not become pregnant in the previous cycle, then the corpus luteum in the ovaries stops producing progesterone. A decrease in the amount of progestogens in the body leads to necrotic changes in the endometrium. The endometrial layer, necessary for attaching the embryo to the walls of the uterus and protecting the mother's body from the aggressive effects of the embryo, is no longer needed. It is rejected and comes out - this is menstruation.


The name "menstrual blood" is not entirely correct, because the discharge includes several components. Dark red, brownish liquid contains, in addition to blood, the mucous secretion of the cervix and vagina and the remains of endometrial tissue.

How long does menstruation normally last? The duration of the regulation is individual for each woman. On average, they go 3-5 days, but can vary within 4-9 days. In one month, a woman loses from 10 to 250 ml of menstrual fluid.

Causes of prolonged menstruation

Why do periods last more than 10 days? The cause of prolonged and heavy periods may be physiological or pathological. The following natural causes can affect the duration of discharge:


  • Hormonal imbalance due to natural age causes. During puberty or the premenopausal period, the menstrual cycle is unstable. In teenage girls, in the first year after menarche, periods may disappear for several months, and then go longer than 8-9 days. Before the onset of menopause, the body also undergoes hormonal changes that can affect the duration of the regulation.
  • Physical or emotional stress. Prolonged experiences affect the reproductive sphere. Exhausting work, nervous shocks, a sharp change in climate - all this affects the nature of menstruation. There may be a delay or, conversely, bleeding will begin prematurely, menstruation may be scanty or long and heavy.
  • Change of contraception. If oral contraceptives make the regulation scarce and short, then intrauterine devices, on the contrary, cause prolonged discharge. In the first 3-4 months after the installation of the IUD, women note that their periods have become more abundant and last longer than usual.


Often, prolonged bleeding is due to pathological processes:

  • Endometriosis is the growth of the endometrium outside the uterus. Endometrial cells most often affect nearby organs, such as the ovaries. However, they can also be found in other parts of the body: the intestines, stomach, kidneys, lungs, etc. The disease is accompanied by severe pain during menstruation, which is felt not only in the lower abdomen, but also in the place where endometriosis metastases are present. Periods go 10 days or even more.
  • Uterine fibroids are benign tumors affecting the uterine myometrium. Tumor sizes vary from a few millimeters to tens of centimeters. One of the characteristic symptoms of the disease is menorrhagia - heavy and prolonged periods.
  • Oncological formations - endometrial carcinoma, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer. Malignant tumors are often accompanied by menorrhagia and intermenstrual bleeding.
  • Hormonal disbalance. Violation of the endocrine system leads to a failure of the menstrual cycle. Long-term regulation is mainly affected by pathologies of the thyroid gland and the hypothalamic-pituitary system.
  • Violation of blood clotting. With von Willebrand disease, which is hereditary, about 65% of women suffer from menorrhagia. Coagulation pathologies are observed with a decrease in the level of platelets, a lack of vitamin K.


Norm or pathology: where is the line?

How can you determine if menorrhagia is a cause for concern or if prolonged periods can be explained by natural factors? A woman needs to analyze the accompanying symptoms and the circumstances of the onset of menstruation, which last more than 10 days. It is necessary to pay attention to the following factors:

  • What circumstances preceded a long period? Maybe the woman experienced a nervous shock, changed the means of contraception, which she used for a long time, moved to a new place of residence in a different climatic zone. You need to see if the menorrhagia continues next month.
  • What are the symptoms of protracted regulation? Severe pain in the lower abdomen and lower back, fever, unpleasant odor from the genitals, nausea and vomiting, muscle weakness - all this may indicate inflammatory or infectious processes in the reproductive organs.
  • What happens on the rest of the cycle? Intermenstrual bleeding, pain, purulent discharge indicate diseases of the genital organs.

How to normalize the cycle and what to do?

What to do if menstruation has been going on for 10-11 days? If you have problems with the menstrual cycle, you need to consult a doctor so as not to start a dangerous disease. The gynecologist will conduct an examination on the gynecological chair, take a smear and tissue sample for histology, and send for an ultrasound scan. Based on the results of the examination, a diagnosis is made, on the basis of which a course of therapy is drawn up.

Medical therapy

Drug treatment is selected only by a gynecologist, depending on the disease that caused menorrhagia. Oncological diseases are treated together with an oncologist, therapy is selected individually for each patient and may include both conservative treatment and surgical procedures. This is also true for benign tumors (fibroids, polyps), which are removed by laser, laparoscopy, hysteroscopy.

To correct hormonal disruptions, the treatment of hormone-dependent ailments is prescribed hormonal drugs, sometimes oral contraceptives. If menstruation, which lasts more than 10 days, is due to a violation of blood clotting, hemostatics are prescribed.

The table shows a list of hemostatics:


Alternative treatment

If menstruation goes on for a long time, not because of the pathological processes of the reproductive sphere, but due to a temporary imbalance of hormones or stress, then treatment with folk remedies is allowed. A few traditional medicine recipes:

  • A decoction of sage. 1 teaspoon of dry grass is poured into a glass of boiling water. The decoction is kept covered for 15 minutes. Then the liquid should be cooled and divided into 4 parts. It is necessary to take one such serving 4 times a day. The action of sage is due to the content of phytoestrogens in it.
  • Nettle infusion. 1 tablespoon of dry grass is poured into 250 ml of boiling water and boiled over low heat for 5 minutes. After that, the resulting liquid is removed from the heat and left under the lid for another half hour. You need to take 3-5 times a day, depending on the amount of bleeding. Nettle compensates for the lack of vitamin K.
  • Infusion of birch buds. 5-6 tablespoons of birch buds pour 0.5 liters of vodka. The mixture is placed in a dark place and left for 1 month. After this period, the infusion is drunk in a tablespoon 2-3 times a day.
  • Herbal collection. To prepare this decoction, you will need birch leaves, peppermint, valerian root and yarrow herb. The ingredients must be mixed in equal amounts. 1 tablespoon of phytocollection is poured with a glass of boiling water and kept for 15 minutes in a water bath, without boiling. After that, the broth is removed from the heat and filtered, diluted with water to make 1 glass of liquid. During the day you need to drink a glass of the resulting broth in small sips.


Preventive actions

Can menorrhagia be prevented? A few tips for preventing long periods:

  • Regular preventive examinations at the gynecologist. Women of reproductive age are recommended to visit a doctor at least once a year, and if there was a history of gynecological diseases and abortions - once every six months. The disease, detected at an early stage, is much easier to treat.
  • Complete nutrition. The diet should be varied, a woman should receive enough vitamins and minerals. If it is not possible to naturally obtain the necessary substances, doctors prescribe multivitamin complexes.
  • Healthy lifestyle. Alcoholism, smoking, taking drugs adversely affects the functioning of the whole organism and, in particular, blood clotting. Substance abusers take longer to heal wounds and bleed more profusely.
  • Avoidance of stress. Taking into account the modern lifestyle, it is impossible to completely avoid stress and emotional stress. However, you can learn to deal with stress. Walking in the fresh air, sports, meditation, consultations with a psychologist - all this will help increase stress resistance.

Menorrhagia can be the result of various diseases. The sooner a woman seeks help from doctors, the sooner a diagnosis will be made and treatment will begin.

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