Causes of Vaginal Bleeding, Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding, Vaginal Bleeding After Menopause

Monthly vaginal bleeding, or menstruation, is normal for all women during their child bearing years. In fact, it’s not normal if you don’t experience some degree of bleeding every 4 weeks or so.

The cause of normal vaginal bleeding is the shedding of your uterus lining following and ovulated egg’s failure to implant. An egg that implants means it hooked up with a sperm and you are pregnant.

The pattern of monthly vaginal bleeding as to duration, interval and amount is unique to every women. And this pattern may fluctuate a bit throughout the 40 or so years you’ll endure the recurrent cycle of vaginal bleeding.

However, sometimes various health related circumstances can cause vaginal bleeding to become abnormal. Abnormal vaginal bleeding is any bleeding not related to menstruation as seen with bleeding between periods.  Or a menstrual linked abnormality because you bleed:

  • too little
  • too long
  • too short
  • too much
  • too seldom
  • too frequently

Deciding whether or not your vaginal bleeding is abnormal can be a little tricky. Situations that may cause “a little out of the ordinary” vaginal bleeding, but generally not a cause for concern, include:

  • adolescent females may spot prior to menstruating
  • perimenopausal women gradually experience more irregular periods
  • newborn females may have a little vaginal bleeding for a couple of days
  • adolescent females may experience irregular cycles first few years of menstruation
  • birth control pills may cause an occasional spot during first few months after commencement
  • postmenopausal women taking hormone replacement therapy may have some vaginal bleeding

You can expect vaginal bleeding to be highly unpredictable for the first couples years after your very first period.

Abnormal vaginal bleeding can be caused by a gynecologic or other health related conditions, such as:

If the blood you loose during abnormal vaginal bleeding is significant, this can cause:

In general, whenever you experience inexplicable vaginal bleeding or you’re to young (prior to puberty) for menstrual bleeding, then discuss the bloody circumstances with your health care provider.

Ovulation is necessary for menstrual periods to be regular.  So if you’re not ovulating you may have abnormally prolonged bleeding at erratic intervals. Female hormones regulate ovulation and some health conditions can disrupt their procreation timed secretion, like:

Amenorrhea may be caused by these health conditions as well.

Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy is not necessarily serious. But be sure and let your health care provider know.

Perimenopause is a couple year transitional period just prior the permanent pause of your menses. Abnormal vaginal bleeding and irregular menstrual cycles are its hallmark symptoms.

Vaginal bleeding occurring six months or more after your menstrual periods have stopped completely (menopause) is not normal. If you’ve gone through menopause, and are not on hormone replacement therapy, then your postmenopausal bleeding is a symptomatic concern that MUST be addressed right away.

Vaginal bleeding after menopause can be because of:

  • cervical cancer
  • uterine tumors
  • ovarian cancer
  • cervical lesions
  • endometrial polyps
  • uterine hyperplasia
  • endometrial cancer
  • vulva lesions, cracks
  • vaginal dryness & atrophy
  • estrogen secreting tumors in other areas

The most common causes of vaginal bleeding after menopause is hormone therapy or vaginal dryness. The most disconcerting is thecancer potential, which may require a hysterectomy.

Progestins are used to treat abnormal vaginal bleeding due to ovulation cessation caused by estrogen dominance. And because aspirin can thin your blood, don’t use it if you are experiencing abnormal vaginal bleeding.

« »