Menstrual spotting...

Spotting Between Two Menstrual Cycles: As many as one in five women have experienced some kind of irregular bleeding, one of the commonest forms of which is spotting between two menstrual cycles. If you have experienced any abnormality, like a brown spotting in your cycle or wondered why you are having a brown period or spotting, you know that it can be frustrating and worrisome making you wonder if something is seriously wrong with you.

The cause of spotting between two menstrual cycles can vary with individual health, but common causes include abortion, hormonal fluctuations, beginning or stopping oral contraceptives or estrogen, low thyroid levels, stress, IUDs, injury to the vagina; from insertion of objects, malignant cancers, or vaginal infections; certain drugs like anticoagulants, vaginal dryness, GYN procedures like CONE biopsy and cervical cauterization.

Bleeding between two periods can be caused by something simple like neglecting to take birth control pills at the exact same time each day, so don’t stress yourself out with worry. Just remember to consult your doctor if this becomes a persistent and regular problem. If you are younger than 11 years old, or have already gone through your menopause and are still experiencing spotting after your cycles have stopped, consult your doctor as soon as any spotting happens. The kind of treatment prescribed by your doctor will depend on the findings of your pelvic exam or other tests. So let him/her do his/her job.

Post Menopausal Spotting: Technically, a woman is considered to be post menopausal after she has gone through one entire year without a period. However, this is not a precise measure. It is a rough estimate arrived at on the basis of averages. There are many things that can be the cause of post menopausal spotting and bleeding like stressful situations, a spontaneous change in hormone levels, going off Hormone Replacement Therapy, a drastic weight-loss or fat reduction, and so on.

In any case, if it has been a year or more since you last had a doctor visit, and you are experiencing some spotting, it is wise to make an appointment just to make sure that it is nothing to worry about. Post menopausal spotting can be a cause for concern, and must be checked. 20 to 30 percent of all women experience Post menopausal spotting which is not serious, but it needs to be checked by a doctor to make sure that the bleeding is not indicative of a serious problem.

The results of the tests conducted by the doctor will determine the treatment that needs to be prescribed. In most cases, the doctor may just ask you to monitor it to see if it goes away on its own.

Spotting Before onset of Menstruation: The first menstrual period or the first menstrual bleeding is called menarche. This can occur in the form of a light spotting before the onset of menstruation. It is usually a fairly small amount of pink or light brown discharge, after some days or weeks of a white discharge signaling the onset of puberty.

In most girls, the actual occurrence of the spotting before the onset of menstruation and puberty does not mean the actual occurrence of ovulation. Studies show that ovulation may occur as much as several months after menarche. Irregular menses and occasional spotting occur for up to 1-2 years or sometimes even longer before a regular pattern of ovulation is established.

Regular ovulation is indicated by the beginning of regular intervals between menstrual periods, regular duration of the period, and a predictable and fairly consistent pattern of menstrual bleeding.

Menstrual Period Spotting: Any kind of irregularity in your menstrual period, spotting or staining, must be reported to your doctor and checked out as soon as possible. Although irregularities in menstrual period, spotting etc can be harmless, there may be deeper causes for worry. So it is better to be safe than sorry.