Sometimes your uterus has more tissue to clear out than other months, and it can often look brown instead of red. Other times, you might just have a bit of dark brown discharge instead of a period.
It all depends on your cycle and what is normal for your body. Brown discharge after your period: old blood often looks brown. This brown discharge after your period is normal. When a fertilized egg burrows into the uterus wall, it sometimes causes a bit of bleeding. In very rare cases, it could be an ectopic pregnancy or be a sign of miscarriage. Lochia is a four to six week period after giving birth that your body will bleed, usually a heavy red flow at first that turns yellow or brown after the first week or so.
Brown discharge between periods or with no period: if you just had a Pap smear test or vaginal exam, you might experience some spotting. It could be bright red, pink, or brown. If it continues after a couple of days, talk to your physician, just in case. Women and girls, from their first period through menopause, often have brown spotting when they are ovulating.
Reusable Period Pads vs. Period Panties: Which is Best? How Does Period Underwear Work? She might help you identify the problem as one of the following: Pelvic inflammatory disease: this is an infection of the cervix and uterus. Luckily, an antibiotic is usually all you need to get back to normal. Sexually transmitted disease: symptoms of gonorrhea or chlamydia almost always includes brown discharge.
Some STDs can be treated with antibiotics, but others will take more involved treatment. This could be a tampon, condom, or contraceptive ring.
If the discharge is smelly, speak to your doctor. This is a hormonal imbalance and is very common in women during their childbearing years The National Institutes of Health estimates between eight and twenty percent of women worldwide have PCOS.
You could also experience irregular periods, very heavy periods, unusual acne or oily skin, difficulty getting pregnant, and uneven color of your skin. Brown discharge instead of menstruation could also be a sign of implantation bleeding in early pregnancy. Brown discharge instead of your period could be an early sign of pregnancy. About one to two weeks after a fertilized egg attaches to your uterine lining which occurs during ovulation , you may notice some pink or brown blood from implantation bleeding.
In rare cases, dark brown discharge during pregnancy can be a sign of miscarriage. Other possible signs of miscarriage include cramps, so if you are experiencing cramping along with unusual discharge, it may be worth calling your doctor. This is called lochia. If you notice brown discharge with a strong, unpleasant odor, you should speak with your doctor as it could be the sign of a vaginal infection like and STI or a retained foreign object such as a tampon.
Retained foreign objects can result in serious infections and need prompt evaluation in person. To prevent infections that can cause abnormal discharge—usually characterized by a four odor and gray or green color—vaginal hygiene is important:.
They may consider prescribing a new birth control method with higher estrogen that can help stop the spotting. Hormonal contraception can also help manage chronic menstrual pain from conditions like PCOS or endometriosis. Men and women can also be vaccinated against human papillomavirus HPV , the most common cause of cervical cancer. However, if the brown discharge lasts for several weeks, frequently happens after sex, has an unpleasant smell, or occurs after your menopause, you should speak to your doctor.
Additionally, if you experience any of the symptoms below alongside brown discharge, you should consult with your doctor:. Did you know you can get affordable primary care with the K Health app? Download K to check your symptoms , explore conditions and treatments, and if needed text with a doctor in minutes. K Health has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.
We avoid using tertiary references. Patterns and predictors of vaginal bleeding in the first trimester of pregnancy. Vaginal Discharge. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. She completed her residency in emergency medicine at Christiana Care Health System. In addition to her work at K Health, Dr. Fowler is a practicing emergency medicine physician in Washington, DC. By Chesney Fowler, MD. Medically reviewed.
This process often occurs around the same time that the individual would expect to get their next period. As a result, they may confuse implantation bleeding with a light menstrual cycle. After implantation bleeding occurs, the early signs of pregnancy tend to follow. These typically include:. Sometimes a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, usually in one of the two fallopian tubes.
When this happens, the embryo cannot develop properly, which tends to cause complications. One of the first signs of ectopic pregnancy is unusual vaginal bleeding, which may be pink or brown. Generally, bleeding will be lighter or heavier than regular menstruation, and the following symptoms will occur alongside it:. Anyone who is concerned that their pregnancy might be ectopic should seek emergency medical attention. Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs that develop on the ovaries.
Sometimes, an ovarian cyst will not resolve but will grow larger instead. If this happens, it can cause abnormal discharge between periods. Some people with ovarian cysts will not have any symptoms, but others may experience the following alongside the abnormal discharge:. People with particularly large cysts or multiple cysts, which can be common in people with PCOS, may need medical treatment.
In most cases, women who experience a pregnancy loss will notice brown bleeding and a pink, mucous discharge. It is possible to have a miscarriage very early on in the pregnancy, sometimes before the woman even knows that she is pregnant. Doctors refer to this as a chemical pregnancy. Many women bleed during the first trimester of their pregnancy without having a miscarriage. However, women who notice any vaginal bleeding during pregnancy should speak to their doctor. After this, the bleeding will slow, and the discharge will lighten in intensity and color.
Brown discharge may be a symptom of cervical cancer , but this is extremely rare. According to the National Cancer Institute, cervical cancer only affects around 0. In the unlikely event that the cause of brown discharge is cervical cancer, other symptoms may include:. The first test a doctor will carry out for cervical cancer is a Pap test. This can detect abnormal cells in the cervix. If a doctor detects abnormal cells, they might examine the cervix using a magnifying instrument.
They may then take a tissue sample for testing in a laboratory. For those who do have cervical cancer, a doctor will carry out some imaging tests to determine its stage. Treatment options include surgery, radiotherapy , or chemotherapy. Brown discharge is unlikely to be a cause for concern and usually does not require a trip to the doctor. Sometimes, brown discharge may indicate a more serious condition. If this is the case, it may be accompanied by other symptoms, as explored above.
Anyone experiencing these symptoms should see their doctor. Read the article in Spanish. Vaginal discharge is a normal occurrence. However, changes in color or smell could signal an underlying health issue. Learn more about discharge types…. Vaginal itching with no unusual discharge is not normally a cause for concern.
However, persistent itching may indicate something more serious. Most females experience sticky vaginal discharge at some point. It is usually a good thing, but in some cases, sticky discharge can signal an….
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