Vaginal Bleeding (cont.)
What is abnormal vaginal bleeding?
Abnormal vaginal bleeding is a flow of blood from the vagina that occurs
either at the wrong time during the month or in inappropriate amounts. In order
to determine whether bleeding is abnormal, and its cause, the doctor must
consider three questions:
- Is the woman pregnant?
- What is the pattern of the bleeding?
- Is she
ovulating?
Every woman who thinks she has an irregular menstrual bleeding pattern should
think carefully about the specific characteristics of her vaginal bleeding in
order to help her doctor evaluate her particular situation. Her doctor will
require the details of her menstrual history. Each category of menstrual disturbance has a
particular list of causes, necessary testing, and treatment. Each type of
abnormality is discussed individually below.
1. Is the woman having abnormal vaginal bleeding during pregnancy?
Much of the abnormal vaginal bleeding during
pregnancy
occurs so early in the pregnancy that the woman doesn't realize she is pregnant.
Therefore, irregular bleeding that is new may be a sign of very early pregnancy,
even before a woman is aware of her condition. Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
can also be associated with complications of pregnancy, such as
miscarriage or
ectopic pregnancy.
2. What is the pattern of the abnormal vaginal bleeding?
The duration, interval, and amount of vaginal bleeding may suggest what type
of abnormality is responsible for the bleeding.
An abnormal duration of menstrual bleeding can be either bleeding for too
long of a period (hypermenorrhea), or too short of a period (hypomenorrhea).
The interval of the bleeding can be abnormal in several ways. A woman's
menstrual periods can occur too frequently (polymenorrhea) or too seldom
(oligomenorrhea). Additionally, the duration can vary excessively from cycle to
cycle (metrorrhagia).
The amount (volume) of bleeding can also be abnormal. A woman can either have
too much bleeding (menorrhagia) or too little volume (hypomenorrhea). The
combination of excessive bleeding combined with bleeding outside of the expected
time of menstruation is referred to as menometrorrhagia.
3. Is the woman ovulating?
Usually, the ovary releases an egg every month in a process called ovulation. Normal
ovulation is necessary for regular menstrual periods. There are certain clues
that a woman is ovulating normally including regular menstrual intervals,
vaginal mucus discharge halfway between menstrual cycles, and monthly symptoms
including breast tenderness, fluid retention,
menstrual cramps,
back pain, and
mood changes. If necessary, doctors will order hormone blood tests (progesterone level),
daily home body temperature testing, or rarely, a
sampling of the lining
of the uterus (endometrial sampling) to determine whether or not a woman is
ovulating normally.
On the other hand, signs that a woman is not ovulating regularly include
prolonged bleeding at irregular intervals after not having a menstrual period
for several months, excessively low blood progesterone levels in the second half of
the menstrual cycle, and lack of the normal body temperature fluctuation during
the time of expected ovulation. Sometimes, a doctor determines that a woman is
not ovulating by using endometrial sampling with biopsy.
Next: What conditions cause abnormal vaginal bleeding in women
who are ovulating regularly? »
- Birth Control Pills (Oral Contraceptives) - Read about the different types of birth control pills (oral contraceptives) such as monophasic, biphasic, and triphasic. Find out which birth control pill may be the best for you.
- Pap Smear - Read about Pap smear, a test to screen for cervical cancer, and precancerous changes in the cervix. Risk factors for abnormal Pap include HPV, smoking medicaitons, and a weakened immune system.
- Yeast Infection - Learn about vaginal yeast infection symptoms like vaginal burning, itching, soreness discharge, and pain during sex and urination. Treatment information is included in the information.
Latest Medical News
Womens Health RSS