Delayed periods and implantation bleeding are signs of pregnancy.

Discharge when menstruation is delayed: norm and pathology

author Gulnara Cleveland updated January 15, 2020 questions and answers 2 comments
Vaginal discharge sometimes worries some girls and women. This situation has different etiologies. The nature and color of some discharges suggest various diseases of the genital organs, while others are a normal physiological process. The latter includes discharge due to a delay in menstruation. The manifestations are not dangerous and indicate pregnancy. In another situation, a malfunction in a woman’s body can be assumed. A gynecologist will help you make an accurate diagnosis and determine the nature of suspicious phenomena.

Inflammatory processes

Damage to the ovaries, inflammatory processes localized in the cervix or endometrium can cause scanty discharge due to delay. In this case, the delay may be several weeks, but the test will be negative, and the onset of menstruation will be accompanied by severe pain in the lower abdomen and lower back.

In most cases, we are talking about pyelonephritis or cystitis. Severe symptoms of diseases that are inflammatory in nature include pain when urinating, increased temperature, change in color of discharge, and sharp pain. A free consultation with a gynecologist will allow you to determine the exact problem and begin adequate treatment.

Character and color of discharge

Discharge when menstruation is delayed for 4-6 days or more should alert the girl. First of all, conception can be assumed. A test should be performed to determine if you are pregnant.

If the test is negative , a delay is usually assumed due to the individual characteristics of the body, the presence of diseases, stressful situations, age and other reasons. Perhaps the delay was caused by hypothermia or the use of medications.

Most often, a woman with a delay encounters the following manifestations:

• completely transparent;
• transparent with a pinkish or yellow color;
• dark brown or brownish;
• waving bloody ones;
• pure white.

The color can be subtle or intense. Secretion from the vagina sometimes takes on a mucous character, but the discharge may be thick, cheesy, watery, as if water were flowing.

For different conditions of the body with a delay in menstruation, the appearance of a certain type of secretion from the vagina is characteristic.

Brownish color

When your period does not come, but a brown spotting substance is released, you should worry and immediately contact an antenatal clinic. This phenomenon sometimes indicates a hormonal imbalance, the presence of microtrauma or other pathologies.

It is worth paying attention to the following factors:

• if you had unprotected sexual intercourse, brownish manifestations during a delay may indicate an ectopic pregnancy;
• during puberty in girls, and in mature women before menopause, brownish discharge when delayed is considered a physiological norm;
• It happens that brown daub appears after surgical operations, previous childbirth or abortion;
• it is necessary to take smears for the presence of inflammation and infectious pathogens;
• The effects of constant stress, mechanical trauma to the abdomen, and the toxic effects of certain substances should not be excluded.

Light brown discharge with a short period of delay sometimes indicates a hormonal imbalance in the body, then menstruation will come in 5-7 days.

In teenage girls, spotting of a brownish tint before menstruation is considered a physiological norm for 1.5-2 years after the first menstruation.

If dark-colored spotting due to a delay in menstruation has ended, but menstruation has not occurred, successful fertilization should be suspected. During pregnancy, this situation indicates the fixation of the fertilized egg on the wall of the uterus. If the test is positive, but menstruation still begins, there is a risk of pregnancy with pathology or ectopic.

Brownish manifestations together with a delay in menstruation sometimes indicate endometriosis, uterine fibroids, or ovarian cyst.

The appearance of bright bloody discharge after menopause indicates the presence of a benign or malignant tumor. Such a sign should cause concern in a woman; she needs to undergo a thorough examination.

Whitish discharge

The causes of vaginal leukorrhea when menstruation is delayed are associated with gynecological pathologies, dysfunction of the thyroid gland, and nervous strain. During pregnancy, at the beginning, white discharge is usually accompanied by other signs of conception, such as increased appetite, tingling breasts, and frequent trips to the toilet.

The appearance of white discharge against a background of delay often indicates inflammation. Adnexitis can be assumed when, in addition to leucorrhoea and cycle disruption, the following symptoms occur:

• pain in the lower abdomen;
• increase in temperature to 39 degrees;
• pain when urinating;
• bloating, nausea.

Abundant whitish discharge, reminiscent of slimy sour cream, is sometimes a sign of pregnancy. At this time, a protective plug of the cervix is ​​formed, which further protects the embryo and uterus from infections.

A rich, opaque whitish color with a cheesy consistency indicates the development of thrush. Before menstruation, the body's immune strength decreases; it is at this time that candidiasis worsens, especially if it is delayed.

White manifestations with a delay are sometimes a consequence of a past infection or cold.

Light-colored leucorrhoea together with a delay sometimes indicate a malfunction of the adrenal glands, pituitary gland, ovaries, and thyroid gland.

Most often, the situation with a delay in white discharge reflects the fact that menstruation should begin soon, and the girl simply has a cycle failure. Such a delay is often caused by strong mental or physical stress, overstrain of the nervous system, emotional disruption, and other similar reasons.

What if instead of menstruation there is scanty discharge?

Sometimes scanty brownish discharge appears not before menstruation, but directly instead of it. In such cases, experts talk about scanty periods, or amenorrhea. The disease is classified into primary and secondary, which differ slightly in etiology and causes of development.

Causes of primary amenorrhea:

As practice shows, primary amenorrhea is typical for adolescents

• Factors of a psycho-emotional nature, in particular, constant stress, strong feelings and other negative emotions that have a lasting negative effect on the body
• Heredity - as statistics show, in the case of a late onset of menstruation in a mother, her daughter is much more likely to also encounter this kind of problem
• Turner syndrome, the essence of which is insufficient development of the gonads, caused, in turn, by non-standard development of sex chromosomes
• Failures in the development of the genital organs, as well as a general slowdown in physical development
• Constant intense physical activity, especially in adolescence and young adulthood
• Anorexia, which provokes disruptions in all body systems

As practice shows, primary amenorrhea is typical for adolescents. This is due to the very essence of the disease, since with it menstruation does not begin on time (at 12-14 years old), and then the girl faces this problem for a long period, and sometimes throughout her life.

As for secondary amenorrhea, it is typical for representatives of the fairer sex of reproductive age, whose cycle had previously been established and normalized, and then suffered a disruption as a result of the influence of some negative factors.

Such factors may be:

1. Loss of body weight as a result of physical activity.
2. Anorexia, accompanied by the abuse of laxative procedures, as well as other factors associated with exhaustion of the body and malfunctions in the functioning of its systems.

A specialist will talk about discharge before menstruation in the video:

♦ Category: Women's health.

Causes of delay during normal discharge

The norm is considered to be transparent watery manifestations, reminiscent of watery mucus, if there is no odor, the secretion is small in volume, liquid in consistency. Whitish discharge and delayed monthly bleeding with a negative test result are due to external factors. They are:

• repetitive stress;
• adherence to a mono-diet, fasting;
• a sharp decrease in body weight;
• excess physical and mental stress;
• use of antidepressants;
• moving to a new place of residence;
• change of time zones;
• bad ecology;
• treatment with hormones, antibiotics;
• allergies to detergents;
• failure to comply with personal hygiene rules;
• regular use of nicotine and alcohol;
• hereditary disposition.

Among other things, delayed discharge is affected by diseases of other organs, such as diabetes, inflammation of the urinary system, appendicitis, problems with the stomach and intestines.

In these situations, according to many women, the normal cycle returns after eliminating the cause, and then the discharge disappears. But if your period does not come on day 5-6, you need to visit a gynecologist’s office.

Causes of brown discharge depending on age

Age is an important factor in diagnosing the causes of delayed menstruation and the appearance of brown vaginal discharge.

According to the physiology of the female body, menstruation begins in teenage girls at about 13–16 years old, but it can be earlier. However, they are irregular, sometimes with very long delays. This is explained by the adolescent’s insufficiently formed hormonal system. After a delay, menstruation usually passes in full, and brown discharge in this case is considered absolutely normal. They may indicate that the egg is not yet ripe for release, but at this age, when the reproductive system is still at the development stage, it is too early to talk about any disorders.

In women over 40, brown discharge may be associated with perimenopause. During this period, periods become less abundant and there are long intervals between them.

The body is preparing for restructuring, the egg is no longer “released” once a month, and the reproductive function is slowly fading away. In addition, changes in hormonal balance occur.

Against this background, delays and brown discharge are a normal indicator of a woman’s physiological aging.

But in any case, relying on someone else’s experience and advice without confirming the diagnosis with a specialist is dangerous. After all, the symptoms of the onset of menopause may hide serious diseases of the genitourinary system.

How long can the delay be?

Gynecologists allow a shift in menstruation by 2-3 days compared to the previous month; at this time there may be liquid discharge. The vaginal secretion is homogeneous and does not cause pain.

A delay of 1-3 days - in the presence of clear, odorless discharge does not always indicate the presence of a serious violation. There should be no itching, burning of the skin, the lower abdomen sometimes feels tight as with premenstrual syndrome.

A delay of 4-7 days - a shift in the cycle by a week can indicate either a minor failure or pathology.

10-14 days of delay - such an absence of monthly bleeding requires diagnosis; timely therapy helps prevent serious diseases of the genital organs.

You should not wait until the delay is more than 5-7 days and the discharge goes away on its own. A cycle failure is not necessarily associated with a serious pathology, so there is no need to be afraid of visiting a gynecologist.

Higher medical education, specialty obstetrics and gynecology, studied at Kazan State Medical University. Co-author of scientific publications.

Cycle 23 days August 31st was the last one, now 7 days of delay, a little brown discharge started and my chest hurts

Good evening. The situation is this: my last period was from June 29 to July 5. Cycle 26 days. Pa was July 10th. Currently there is a 3 day delay. 3 tests gave negative results. The breasts are full, the bottom aches as before menstruation. The discharge is like water but a little whitish, too. Is this pregnancy?

Venereal diseases

Copious discharge of brown or brown secretion against the background of delayed menstruation may indicate a deterioration in the woman’s condition. Characteristic signs of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) are fever, burning and itching in the perineum, putrid odor of discharge, profuse rejection of thick yellowish or greenish discharge, the appearance of abscesses or small blisters in the groin area. If you have these symptoms, a free consultation with a gynecologist is necessary as soon as possible.

Depending on the identified disease, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics and other medications, vaginal sanitation (suppositories, baths, douching). Your doctor will tell you how to do douching correctly. The procedure is performed at home. How to do douching correctly? You will need a rubber bulb into which you need to draw the solution. Afterwards the solution is released into the vagina. To achieve a therapeutic effect, 10-15 minutes are enough.

Consequence of hormonal imbalance

The most likely cause of spotting, but not menstruation, is a disturbance in the level of hormones in the body.

The reasons for the imbalance are:

1. Stress. If you had a fight with a friend or were nervous during an exam, discharge may appear. Rest and they will stop.
2. Physical fatigue. Excessive training in the gym causes hormonal imbalances. Distribute the load correctly: after training you should go home, and not “crawl”. The next day you should have the strength to perform basic actions. Pain is not always a sign of muscle growth.
3. Climate change. Arriving to the warm sea from frosty Siberia, girls often notice a delay in their periods by a week or two.
4. Diets. Severe restriction in food creates hormonal imbalance. Food should be varied. You can eat anything, even sweets! The only question is in what quantities.
5. Anemia. For the most part, spotting indicates a lack of iron in the body. Eat foods rich in ferrum: cottage cheese, fish, legumes, nuts. Iron found in animal foods is absorbed by 50%, and in plant foods – only by 15%.

We can conclude that changes in hormonal levels depend on the girl’s lifestyle.

Hormone therapy

The normal functioning of the female reproductive system is affected by taking hormonal drugs, especially if the drugs are prescribed to affect the ability to conceive. Many women who have undergone hormone therapy claim that brown discharge may appear on the third to seventh day of delay when taking hCG.

This substance is produced in the early stages of pregnancy (this is what the home test reacts to). The concentration of hCG in the blood and urine increases until nine to eleven weeks. The synthetic hormone is prescribed to combat female infertility, ovarian dysfunction to prevent miscarriage, and menstrual irregularities. In this case, delay and brown discharge are a reaction to taking the drug.

Blood during ovulation

Every month, girls' bodies undergo changes called the menstrual cycle.

How does the menstrual cycle work?

Every month, an egg matures in the female body. Midway through the cycle, one of the ovaries releases one egg. In April, the left organ released the gamete; in May, the right one will do so. The egg travels down the fallopian tube. If on its way it meets a sperm, it is fixed in the uterus and begins to divide. And if it does not meet, it is not fertilized and dies. It begins to emerge along with the formed layer of tissue, the endometrium, from the vagina. This is menstruation, which signals the beginning of a new menstrual cycle.

During ovulation, liquid blood is observed in small quantities. It signals a rupture of the follicle: small vessels are damaged, hence the blood. A girl notices discharge a week and a half after her period. During the days of ovulation, the greatest fertility is observed: during this period it is easiest to get pregnant.

Menopause period

Brown discharge without pregnancy during a delay may indicate the approach of menopause. According to statistics, the average age of premenopause in women is 40-45 years. This condition is characterized by the following symptoms: increased heart rate for no reason, sudden mood swings, surges in blood pressure, sweating. During this period, intermenstrual discharge can be watery, very abundant, and white.

To alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of menopause, a gynecologist may prescribe hormone replacement therapy. This will delay the decline of reproductive function and all the symptoms associated with this period for several years. The supportive effect of the drugs makes the changes invisible to the woman.

Methods of contraception and excretion

When you take OK, there are too many hormones in the body and it reacts with bloody secretions. After 2–3 months of active use, the discharge will stop because the body will get used to frequent “portions” of biologically active substances.

When installing an IUD, the vaginal mucosa is mechanically damaged. After a few days, the discharge will stop: the body will get used to the foreign body.

If you are bleeding for more than a week and are profuse, visit your doctor. Each organism is individual. Your body may not accept the IUD, so you may need to change your contraceptive method.

Pregnancy

During pregnancy, menstruation does not occur. Instead of menstruation, spotting and spotting appears. Some girls confuse them with menstrual periods, not suspecting that they are carrying a child. Discharge occurs on the days of expected menstruation. They are liquid and not plentiful, light red in color.

What discharge should not be

Normally, the discharge should be thin and red or scarlet. Let's consider when the body signals pathology:

1. Clots appear. They are dark in color. Sometimes pieces that look like meat are noticeable. And also a white secretion may stand out.
2. The secretions are not washed away by water.
3. The blood is bright red.
4. Thick, has a spreading character.
5. The discharge smells like rotten fish, meat, eggs.
6. The secret goes on without stopping.

When to see a doctor

As soon as you notice the appearance of uncharacteristic discharge, immediately go to the gynecologist. An unpleasant secret is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• very severe pain in the lower abdomen;
• the temperature rises;
• dizzy;
• feeling weak;
• be sick.

The causes of red discharge are miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.

Frozen pregnancy

Brown discharge in early pregnancy may indicate spontaneous abortion. This pathology is common in the second or third month of gestation. The process usually does not begin asymptomatically. A woman experiences pain in the lower abdomen.

If your health suddenly deteriorates and bleeding occurs, you should immediately consult a specialist. The examination will help determine whether the discharge in this case is harmless or indicates pathology. In case of unsatisfactory condition of the woman and fetus, appropriate therapy is prescribed. If the fetus is frozen, curettage is performed.

Bleeding due to pregnancy pathology

Bloody discharge signals a threat of miscarriage. Sometimes blood appears, but there is no pain.

Visit your gynecologist regularly and monitor your condition to avoid spontaneous abortion and heavy blood loss.

The following will happen before a miscarriage. Your stomach will begin to hurt very much - as if it were being cut. The blood will flow without stopping, not in portions. It will have a liquid consistency and large volume. After some time, there will be a strong desire to visit the restroom. There you will see a small clot the size of a bean. It will be dark brown in color.

In a normal pregnancy, the fetus is implanted in the uterus, and in an ectopic pregnancy, the fetus is implanted in the fallopian tube, ovaries, or elsewhere in the abdomen.

Some girls have an abnormal structure of the fallopian tubes from birth. Because of this, the fertilized egg cannot enter the uterus and begins to divide outside of it.

Discharge appears on the days of the expected menstruation and after them. Accompanied by the following symptoms:

• dizzy;
• feeling weak;
• cramping pain appears in the lower abdomen.

Sometimes an ectopic pregnancy does not manifest itself, and sometimes it makes itself felt at the first positive test result.

Bloody and pink discharge before menstruation

Such vaginal secretion is allowed several days before monthly bleeding, as well as in the middle of the cycle.
If pale pink discharge before menstruation has a uniform consistency, is not accompanied by unpleasant sensations and smoothly transitions into regular menstruation, then there is no reason to worry. A woman can also observe another shade of pink. The fact is that such vaginal secretion is a combination of lubricant, mucus and blood. If clear secretion predominates, you will notice a lighter shade of mucus. Conversely, if there is more blood, the secretion will have a rich red tint. A similar phenomenon can also occur after monthly menstrual bleeding.

Another reason for pink discharge a week before your period or 10 days is the onset of ovulation. The uterine mucosa begins to prepare the conditions for the attachment of the fertilized egg. This change in the body is accompanied by the production of large amounts of estrogen. It is a sharp jump in the hormone that provokes a slight appearance of blood in the vaginal secretion.

Find out whether brown discharge at the beginning of your period is considered normal by following the link.

Pink-brown

A woman may notice both a copious amount of secretion and spotting. In any case, it is worth visiting a gynecologist and undergoing an examination, because the following health problems cannot be ruled out:

1. Inflammation of the cervical canal: unpleasant odor, presence of pus, sometimes foamy consistency, pain in the lower abdomen and pain during sex.
2. Endometriosis: increased symptoms of PMS, aching pain, the color of vaginal secretion from dark pink to almost black. It is important that the discharge appears shortly before menstruation.
3. Neoplasms in the reproductive system. First, a large amount of transparent secretion is noted, which over time acquires a bright shade of pink.

Red discharge

Diseases accompanied by bleeding

Menstrual-like red discharge signals serious pathological processes in the female body.

Let's look at the causes of heavy bleeding during menstruation.

Ovarian dysfunction

The reproductive system stops functioning: amenorrhea occurs - the absence of menstruation for more than six months. Sometimes, instead of amenorrhea, uterine bleeding appears during or after menstruation.

• the girl's weight is too small;
• constant stress;
• STD;
• vaginal infections;
• frequent abortions;
• hypothermia;
• disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system.

Menstruation with mucous discharge - normal and abnormalities

The appearance of mucus during menstruation is a completely typical phenomenon for the female body. You should only pay attention to the frequency and consistency of such periods - these indicators can help to recognize disorders in the reproductive system in advance and cure them in time.

Mucus formation

Mucus secretions are produced in the cervix by the endocervix - these glands of the mucous membrane are responsible for the production of mucus. It stands out for a reason, but performs a number of important functions:

The consistency of mucus may depend on a woman’s mood, hormonal levels, and contraception. The first clear discharge is observed in the last days of menstruation, when mucus helps remove remaining blood.

Sometimes, instead of the normal mucous membranes of menstruation, dark brown clots appear on days 3-5, which can completely replace menstruation. In this case, you should be wary - such signs indicate a possible inflammatory process in the uterus.

The appearance of brown mucus before the onset of menstruation often indicates pregnancy, sometimes ectopic, sometimes aborted.

Possible diseases

Menstruation is an integral process in the female body, which is sensitive to any deviations. Discharge instead of menstruation often indicates inflammatory diseases, the first of which is endometriosis.

The inflammatory process begins in the uterus - the endometrium grows on it and outside it, and, depending on the shape, can spread further. Internal endometriosis is the penetration of growths into the muscle fibers of the uterus, external - into the abdominal organs.

The overgrown endometrium is rejected, causing inflammation at the site of rejection not only during menstruation, but also on other days - if you notice these symptoms, consult a doctor for help
Source

Blood after childbirth

After labor, discharge appears - lochia. They accompany their mother for an average of 6–8 weeks. Sometimes they stop earlier. The purpose of lochia is to cleanse the uterus of placenta remnants. For the first 2-3 days, normal blood will flow. In a week it will become thicker, and by the end of the first month it will change color to brown. This will indicate the restoration of blood vessels. From the third week, the discharge will become transparent.

Consult a doctor if the discharge lasts less than 5 weeks or for a long time - more than two months, the secretion has a greenish tint, you feel unwell, or feel weak.

If menstrual-like bleeding is profuse - strong, profuse - immediately call an ambulance or go to the doctor: they are caused by unnatural processes. The information on the sites will not give an exact answer why blood appears from the vagina, but this is not menstruation. The best thing to do is to see a doctor. He will prescribe the necessary treatment. Sometimes diseases are eliminated with drugs, sometimes with surgery.

Postpartum period

Brown discharge without odor and pain may appear after childbirth, but after the end of postpartum discharge. The uterus needs about six to eight weeks to recover from childbirth and return to its previous size. Then the woman begins to re-establish her menstrual cycle. This happens at different times. Usually, when breastfeeding, menstruation may be absent for quite a long time.

Doctors compare the process of restoring normal cycle length after childbirth with the establishment after the first menstruation. Delay and brown discharge for about five days (but no more than nine) are allowed by gynecologists during the postpartum period. It is important that rejection of the mucous membranes after the birth of a child should not be accompanied by pain, be abundant, or have an unpleasant odor.