Every woman feels and knows when something goes wrong during her period. One of the most common occurrences during menstruation are blood clots. What are the reasons for this? Is this phenomenon considered a norm or a pathology? Which diseases can be classified as harmless, and which ones can lead to serious consequences? You can learn about all this by reading the article.
Menstruation and cycle length
What is the menstrual cycle? So it is customary to call the period of time, which takes a countdown from the beginning of some menstrual days to the beginning of others. On average, it is 28 days, and this is the absolute norm for women. However, you should pay attention to the fact that it can differ significantly in different women, vary, most often at a young age, when the cycle is poorly controlled by sex hormones. Also, some women have strong and painful periods, while others have the opposite.
The menstrual cycle starts from the first day of menstruation, and lasts up to one week, while the internal mucous membranes of the uterus are renewed - the decidual layer, and then the woman's body begins to produce specific hormones that are a signal for the formation of a new mucous membrane on the uterus.
After this, the endometrium begins to thicken to accept the egg - this happens from about the 14th day of menstruation. When one of the ovaries prepares an already mature egg for release into the fallopian tube, the ovulation phase begins (it falls approximately in the middle of the cycle). Then, for several days, the egg moves along the fallopian tube, ready for fertilization, but if the sperm does not fertilize it, then the egg will simply dissolve.
If the entire female body is ready for pregnancy, but it never came, then the production of hormones decreases, the uterus rejects the endometrium, the inner shell exfoliates - this process is observed in the form of menstruation.
This all means that the discharge during menstruation is a mixture of small amounts of blood, endometrium and particles of mucous tissues. Normal menstrual flow is up to about 200 ml.
More about the problem
The presence of blood clots in the secretions will not always indicate the development of any pathology. There can be many reasons. Normal discharge from any woman has its own color and density.
The body of a woman is so arranged that during menstruation, special enzymes are produced in it, which are capable of performing the functions of anticoagulants andslow down the process of blood clotting. If they are not able to cope effectively with the task, then with abundant, strong periods, clots form. This clotted blood has a maroon color, a jelly-like consistency and a length of up to 10 cm. Clots in this case are absolutely safe.
Also, do not worry too much when they are not accompanied by fever, severe pain.
This problem should not bother you (for no other reason) if:
- You are under the age of 18.
- If blood clots appear after childbirth within the first month.
- If you have recently had an abortion, surgery, miscarriage, curettage.
- You are using an intrauterine device that causes heavy bleeding during your period.
- You are aware that your uterus is abnormally positioned, making it difficult for blood to flow normally.
Besides, it is important to remember some details. Blood clots (during menstruation), similar to the liver, are formed when a woman has been in one position for a long time, and then dramatically changed it. For example, from a horizontal position (during rest or sleep) or a sitting position (while on a bus, office, car) to a vertical position (when walking). Due to this, the woman moves from a stationary state to a mobile state, and the stagnant blood in the uterus during calmness coagulates, forming such clots that come out. They come out more abundantly when the movement of the body begins. Thus, blood clotsperiods), similar to the liver, are the absolute norm.
Causes of the phenomenon
Despite the fact that in most cases, clots are not a sign of any disease, they can still be triggered by some malfunctions in the body. Therefore, if you have any doubts, it is important to see a doctor.
But we also offer to consider them in detail.
Hormonal disruption
In adolescence in the body of girls, hormonal failure is very often observed. When the body is just forming menstrual activity, rhythmic ovulation is not yet established. This is the process adjustment period, as a rule, it lasts about 2 years.
At this time, there may be failures in the relativity of the duration of the cycle, a strong sensitivity of the female body to various stressful situations, as well as to any of the most insignificant negative factors. Thus, the female reproductive system may respond with prolonged periods (up to 2 weeks) and the release of blood in the form of clots that look like a liver. This is called juvenile bleeding.
Blood clots after childbirth also occur. The fact is that hormonal imbalances occur after the birth of a child or curettage. For a whole month after childbirth or in the case of surgical intervention, large bloody lumps can stand out in a woman in labor. It is a common occurrence if, together with the discharge, there is no increase in temperature, in another case it is necessary to check if there are any fragments of the placenta left in theuterus.
Hormonal imbalance is visible if there is a violation of the functioning of the glands in the internal secretion, as well as a cycle failure. It is then that the release of blood clots in women is observed.
Menopause
Very often, violations occur in women over the age of 45, during perimenopause. During this period, the frequency of ovulation decreases, the amount of rejected blood secretions changes, as well as the endometrium, menstruation comes with a huge amount of blood clots from the vagina.
Endometriosis and adenomyosis
A disease such as endometriosis is characterized by the spread of the mucous membranes of the uterus outside, which is accompanied by long and painful periods, cycle failures, an increased amount of blood that has come out.
Abnormal development of the mucous membranes of the uterus (adenomyosis disease) through damage to the walls is accompanied by severe persistent pain and large amounts of discharge with blood clots during menstruation.
Adenomyosis affects not only one space of the female organ, but also has a chance to spread to the intestines, ovaries, as well as other organs.
The development of endometriosis, in which large blood clots are observed during menstruation, has not yet been studied, although it is commonly believed that “screenings” of the endometrium form on the inflamed tissue.
Polyposis - a violation of the endometrium
For women over 30 and those who are in the premenopausal age (50 years), discharge in the form of clots is a fairly common occurrence. Polyps, or endometrial polyposis, is a violation of the internal tissue of the uterine cavity. These tissues grow, while covering the entire uterine cavity with polyps, from this, during menstruation, blood clots are possible, as well as pain in the lower abdomen, a violation of the monthly cycle due to an abnormal “growth” of the mucous membranes of the uterus on the walls and their same non-systemic “removal”.
Other diseases
If a blood clot came out before or during menstruation, then this may be caused by other diseases or pathologies, for example:
- Obesity. The fact is that an excess of adipose tissue leads to a violation of the amount of estrogens in the blood, affecting the rate of formation of the endometrium.
- Diabetes mellitus, hypertension or a diseased thyroid gland - all this is accompanied by a large amount of discharge due to metabolic disorders in the body.
- Inflammatory diseases of the genital organs, both external and internal. They are of an infectious nature, cause an inflammatory reaction, the main role in this process is played by blood vessels.
Pathology of pregnancy and ectopic pregnancy
Pathology of pregnancy is observed when the discharge from a pregnant lady comes out in large lumps, this may be a warning of a miscarriage. Bloody copious discharge is observed, and menstruation is painful, with discomfort in the lower abdomen in the form of contractions.
Anomaly of the female genital organs
Impaired early fetal development, inperiod of pregnancy, may appear as a sexual abnormal development, and the uterus may have any pathological form. Thus, when there is a discharge, the woman's uterus functions with disturbances, and this leads to severe bleeding, lumps form.
Pathologies of the cavity and cervix:
- Myoma. A benign neoplasm or nodes disrupts the entire process of natural "removal" of the endometrium from the first day of the cycle. In this case, there are abundant periods, which contain clots. This bleeding occurs as a result of a violation of the menstrual cycle, while it can occur both during the daytime and during sleep.
- Hyperplasia of the endometrium is the most common disorder during which blood clots, including dark ones, come out after menstruation. Pathology may accompany some diseases: hypertension, diabetes, increased body weight.
- Oncological pathologies of the cervix and uterine cavity. Due to the obstructed movement of blood from the uterus and blood clotting in the uterine cavity, a large number of clots are formed, and the periods themselves are very painful.
- Cystic change in the ovary. Gynecological diseases of the ovary, which are associated with hormonal disorders, are a very painful process, in particular, in the middle of the menstrual cycle, which is manifested by sharp pains in the lower abdomen, cycle failure and bleeding between periods.
Treatments
If my period is clotted, what should I do? If tracedmonthly blood loss, during which the formation of bloody lumps is observed, then it is necessary to undergo a course of therapy:
- Conservative therapy. Its goal is to replenish the woman's body with iron. This should include the use of iron vitamins, both through the use of products, and the drug method, through bed rest, in particular, with juvenile uterine bleeding and hormonal treatment.
- Surgical treatment. It is prescribed for the most difficult cases, for example, uterine fibroids, pathological endometrium, internal septum. Occurs by the method of curettage, hysteroresectoscopy. In the most dangerous situations or in case of malignant pathologies, the uterus must be removed.
When to see a doctor?
Any clot should alert a woman. You shouldn't ignore them. It is necessary to consult a doctor for examination in the following cases:
- Allocations do not pass during the week.
- Bleeding does not decrease and has also reached more than 200 ml.
- Bleeding occurs "out of time".
- You are planning to conceive. Here, blood clots may indicate egg rejection, as well as a possible miscarriage.
- Bleeding has an unusual pungent smell.
- Discharge is accompanied by severe pain, this may be a sign of infectious (inflammatory) processes or hormonal failure.
- Weakness, shortness of breath, lethargy, blanching of the skin, tachycardia, which indicates blood loss.
Results
The main thing to remember is that clots can in most cases be normal, when the monthly flow is almost painless, without creating additional discomfort. But if there is anxiety, doubts, then the phenomenon under study in a painful condition is a signal to make an appointment with a doctor, undergo an examination in order to avoid dangerous diseases.
