Is bleeding always an alarming symptom? In the case of women, it is not always a cause for concern. Cyclic bleeding in women is not even a symptom, but physiology, indicating the normal functioning of the reproductive tract-pituitary-ovarian axis. However, it is important to be aware when bleeding from the genital tract should arouse our vigilance and refer us to the office of a gynaecologist. The following article describes the most common causes of abnormal bleeding in women.
When should genital bleeding be considered abnormal?
To answer this question, it is first necessary to ask what is normal bleeding in women? Certainly, we will consider menstrual bleeding (menstruation) to be normal bleeding. A normal menstruation should last no less than 3 days and no more than 7, it should occur every 25-35 days and the amount of blood loss should be between 30-80ml. Any bleeding occurring with shifts within these limits may suggest pathology. A girl's first menstrual period should occur between 9 and 16 years of age. An earlier age may be associated with precocious puberty. The last menstruation, or menopause, occurs between 49 and 53 years of age (in Poland the average age is 51).
Some gynaecological terms related to bleeding abnormalities
Cycles that are too short, lasting less than 21 days, and are usually non-ovulatory, are called polymenorrhea. On the other hand, oligomenoorrhea (from the Latin oligo meaning little), are long cycles, lasting more than 35 days, often anovulatory or with a prolonged second phase of the cycle. We also distinguish between the concept of hypermenorrhoea, under which are heavy periods with blood loss of more than 100 ml, which can impede daily functioning and often even lead to anaemia.
Is bleeding in pregnancy always a cause for concern?
It is important to remember that bleeding in pregnancy can occur, especially in the early stages. They are a cause for concern when they are very intense and accompanied by severe pain, vomiting and general malaise. If pregnancy is suspected and bleeding occurs, it is important to visit a gynaecologist or a gynaecological emergency room. In a worse-case scenario, in the case of bleeding directly related to the pregnancy, we may have to deal with abnormal embryo development, resulting in a miscarriage. We speak of miscarriage when the pregnancy ends spontaneously or artificially before 22 weeks of gestation. The most common causes of miscarriage are abnormalities in the genetic apparatus of the developing embryo, abnormalities in the luteal phase in which progesterone, the hormone responsible for the normal course of the pregnancy, plays a major role, intrauterine infection, and abnormalities in the formation of the placenta, which is the source of nutrition for the foetus.
photo: panthermedia
Ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy is any implantation of an embryo outside the uterine cavity. The correct development of the embryo depends on many factors, but certainly one of the main ones is correct implantation. The uterine cavity prepares itself in terms of structure and composition to receive the embryo that will be hosted for the next nine months. This preparation allows the formation of the placenta and the growth of the foetus. If the fetal egg is placed in a location that does not have the right conditions, its development cannot take place properly. Furthermore, it can be a risk to the mother's health. In the case of an ectopic pregnancy, the pregnancy test comes out positive, there may be spotting from the genital tract, lower abdominal pain and, in the case of rupture of the fallopian tube, severe abdominal pain and a severe condition of the patient.
