Bloody discharge that happens when you're not on your period can have a number of causes, including normal early-pregnancy bleeding, or health conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or cancer.
Age, lifestyle, and medical history all come into play when determining the cause of bleeding. A slightly bloody discharge can be normal during puberty or perimenopause. But that's not the case after menopause, or if it's accompanied by other symptoms like sharp pain. Material Lift Elevator
This article will explain common causes of bloody discharge and help you to understand what may be a normal cause. It also explains more serious concerns and when you should see a healthcare provider.
Illustration by Paige McLaughlin for Verywell Health
Bloody discharge can be normal. When bloody discharge is a sign of a more serious health condition, it is usually accompanied by other symptoms.
Hormone imbalances have a number of possible causes, such as lifestyle factors like stress or an underlying health condition like diabetes.
These disruptions can alter the body's ability to regulate various systems, which depends on hormones that influence functions from how you're breathing to how well you're managing your mood.
Irregular periods, or spotty, bloody discharge but no period, can be symptoms of hormonal imbalance. Other symptoms can include:
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or treatments to manage a different underlying health condition, like thyroid medication, may help to manage hormone imbalances.
While bleeding during pregnancy may be a problem, it's actually quite common during the first trimester, or first three months of a normal pregnancy.
About 15% to 25% of pregnant women have bleeding in the first trimester. The bleeding is typically light and occurs after fertilization (when the fertilized egg implants in the lining of your uterus). This type of bleeding is also sometimes called implantation bleeding and isn't cause for concern.
While implantation bleeding is common, always check in with your healthcare provider about bleeding during pregnancy because it can be an indication of something more serious. For example:
Perimenopause is the phase leading up to menopause. In general, most women begin noticing perimenopausal symptoms in their 40s, with the average age being 47 years old. Menstrual cycle changes are normal during perimenopause. You may have spotting or periods that are shorter, longer, heavier, or lighter than usual. You may even miss some periods.
Some women may be prescribed hormone therapy (or HT) to lessen perimenopause and menopause symptoms. HT refers to a combination of the female hormones estrogen and/or progesterone medication. One known side effect of HT is irregular bleeding.
Bleeding after menopause is never normal. It can have benign causes, however. For example, bleeding may occur after sex because the tissue in the vagina gets thinner during menopause and is more easily damaged. Still, it is always important to have any post-menopausal bleeding evaluated by a healthcare provider, since it can indicate more serious problems such as cancer.
The thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the front of your neck. In addition to controlling metabolism, heart rate, and other functions, the thyroid hormone plays an essential role in reproductive health.
Women are five to 20 times more likely to develop thyroid disease than men, which can lead to complications in menstruation. Too much or too little thyroid hormone can make your periods very light, heavy, or irregular. Thyroid disease also can cause your periods to stop for several months or longer, a condition called amenorrhea.
Thyroid disease can also cause other symptoms such as weight gain, fatigue, sensitivity to cold, and muscle aches.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a chronic condition that affects about 1 in 10 women of childbearing age and can impair fertility. The symptoms of PCOS can vary.
One common symptom of PCOS is irregular, absent, or heavy menstruation. That's because people with PCOS typically have higher levels of male hormones called androgens, which throw off the ratio of female sex hormones (like the ones that control your menstrual cycle).
This can lead to spotting, absent periods for several months, or irregular ones that may come two or more times in one month. Other symptoms that can occur with PCOS include weight gain, unusual hair growth, thinning hair, and oily skin or acne.
Bleeding or spotting between periods can also be a symptom of an STI, like chlamydia, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis . STIs symptoms may be accompanied by abnormal discharge, or pain or itching in the vaginal region.
You can help prevent STIs by using a condom every time you have sex.
Hormonal birth control such as birth control pills can cause "breakthrough bleeding," or bleeding that occurs between periods. It's most common with low-dose forms of birth control.
If you experience spotting while taking birth control pills, you may be able to prevent it by taking your pills at exactly the same time every day.
People with IUDs may also experience spotting, especially during the first few months after placement.
Many common cancers experienced by women rarely cause symptoms at early stages. If early symptoms do occur, it’s often bleeding or spotting outside of menstruation.
These types of cancers may produce other symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, or feeling full too quickly.
There are a number of possible causes for why your discharge is blood-colored. While some prevention efforts are aimed at overall health, such as eating a balanced diet, others are focused on specific reasons for why you may experience bloody discharge.
These prevention techniques may include:
Some symptoms of hormonal imbalances are linked to environmental factors, like increased sensitivity to heat or cold. Stress also can cause or worsen symptoms. Avoiding the conditions that can lead to symptoms may help.
Any unexplained vaginal bleeding between periods is a reason to see your healthcare provider. It is especially important if you haven't yet gone through puberty, if you are past menopause, or if you are pregnant.
If menstruating, your healthcare provider might ask you questions about when it occurs, how long it lasts, and how heavy the bleeding is. Consider keeping track of your cycle using an app, a calendar, or a diary.
In addition, your healthcare provider may ask questions about any other symptoms you’re experiencing. So monitoring any pain, dizziness, or other discharge will help direct them to a cause.
To help diagnose your bloody discharge, they may perform a pelvic exam, blood tests, colposcopy, ultrasound, hysteroscopy, or other diagnostic tests.
Bloody discharge can be normal and isn’t always a sign of an emergency. There are many cases where it is a normal body response. When bloody discharge occurs during menopause, later in pregnancy, or is accompanied by other symptoms, it may point to a more severe condition.
Age, lifestyle, and medical history all come into play when determining the cause of bleeding outside of menstruation, so it's important to track your symptoms and see your healthcare provider.
When it comes to bloody discharge, it's not always bad news. Keeping track of your period is a simple way to help understand the cycles of your body, what's normal for you, and what should be flagged.
A bit of bloody discharge could mean a lot of different things, from early-pregnancy implantation bleeding to normal menopausal symptoms. It could also point to more serious conditions, so be sure to track any additional symptoms to help your healthcare provider make a diagnosis.
Yes, the dysregulation of hormones caused by chronic stress can lead to irregular menstruation, abnormal vaginal bleeding, amenorrhea, heavy menstrual bleeding (previously called menorrhagia), dysmenorrhea (cramps) and premenstrual symptoms.
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