Many women of reproductive age do not attach much importance to the nature of the monthly discharge. They usually pay attention to aspects such as the regularity of bleeding, the presence or absence of delays. However, the properties of menstruation should not be ignored. By the volume of secretions and their duration, an experienced specialist can tell a lot about the he alth of the fairer sex.
How to distinguish a normal phenomenon from a pathological process?
According to medical research, in the absence of any pathologies in a woman of reproductive age, from 50 to 150 milliliters of blood is released per day during menstruation. However, this is not an entirely accurate indicator. Its values may vary slightly depending on factors such as the physical characteristics of a person, body weight, and some external influences. If on critical days a girl has less than 50 milliliters of fluid, then we can say that she hasscanty periods. The causes and treatment of such an anomaly are detailed in the following sections.
This phenomenon is often accompanied by characteristic symptoms. Also, if menstruation becomes scanty, the duration of bleeding may be reduced. Sometimes there is a slight delay. Unfortunately, many women do not pay attention to important aspects. Any representative of the weaker sex should know what kind of critical days is acceptable. First, in a he althy girl, menstruation is accompanied by a mild sense of pain.
Secondly, the period between discharges is from 21 to 35 days. Another important point is that bleeding normally lasts from three to five days.
In most cases, the cause of scanty periods is the malfunction of the reproductive organs and the presence of some kind of failure.
The role of endocrine glands
Functions of the YHV (pituitary and ovaries) largely determine the nature, intensity and duration of discharge. If their activity is impaired, a sufficient amount of fluid does not accumulate in the internal cavity of the uterus. In addition, the glands produce substances that are necessary for the normal course of all processes in the body of a woman. When the egg matures, a hormone is released that further promotes the emergence of a new life.
If conception does not occur, its concentration decreases, and then monthly bleeding occurs. The membrane, which is located in the internal cavity of the uterus, is rejected. Thethe process is associated with some physical discomfort, spasms. Various external influences and pathologies (neoplasms of the pituitary gland, hormonal failure, gynecological cleansing, inflammation, abortion) are often the causes of meager periods. Under the influence of these factors, the layer of the internal cavity of the uterus may become thinner.
Many women only seek medical attention for this problem when they are having difficulty conceiving.
Common causes
Volume of secretions on critical days decreases due to various phenomena. As factors that negatively affect the female reproductive system, the following can be listed:
- Starvation, lack of nutrients and body weight.
- Low hemoglobin in the blood.
- Metabolic disorders.
- Lack of vitamins.
- Digestive disorders.
- Emotional and physical overload, fatigue.
- Anomalies in the development of the reproductive system.
- Surgeries and mechanical damage to the internal genital organs.
- Using the wrong means to protect against unwanted conception.
- Breastfeeding period.
- Severe intoxication.
- Inflammatory pathologies of the genital area.
- Failures in the thyroid gland.
- Various infectious processes in the body (tuberculosis, flu, and so on).
- Diseases of the liver and urinary tract that cause the accumulation of toxins inside the body.
- Mechanical damage to the brain.
- CNS tumors.
- Exposure to harmful radiation.
- Excessive deposition of adipose tissue, which disrupts the function of the gonads.
The above factors may be an explanation for why periods have become scanty. The reasons causing such an anomaly in a particular woman are established only by a specialist based on the results of examinations.
Characteristic symptoms of pathology
The discharge in this situation is either red or dark cherry. Sometimes the strokes are pinkish. As a rule, they are accompanied by certain disturbances in the functioning of the body. Scanty brown periods, for various reasons, in most cases are associated with the following phenomena:
- Pain in the head.
- Nausea, gagging.
- Discomfort in the back and breast area.
- Nosebleeds.
- Stool disorders.
- Decreased sex drive.
Experts consider two forms of hypomenorrhea (scanty menstruation). The primary type of anomaly is a phenomenon in which violations arose suddenly in a representative of the weaker sex. A secondary type of pathology is a disease that has been present for a long time. The features of these forms of the disorder are discussed in the following sections of the article.
Primary type
Scanty brown periods due to hormonal changes in the body of the fair sex (adolescence, decline in reproductive functions) are considered acceptable. If witha similar situation faced by a woman of reproductive age, this may be due to the following factors:
- Disorders in the production of certain substances.
- Infectious processes in the internal genital organs.
- Surgical interventions and mechanical damage.
- Depressive state or stressful situation.
- Lack of hemoglobin.
Often, women of reproductive age experience scanty brown periods due to mechanical damage. This liquid contains a large number of red blood cells. If during critical days pinkish smears are observed, most likely, an inflammatory process develops in the body.
Features of secondary hypomenorrhea
This phenomenon means that the representative of the weaker sex menstruation remains scarce for a long time. As a rule, this anomaly is associated with a violation of the production of necessary substances or with a disease of the reproductive system.
The most common pathologies include the following:
- Strong proliferation of cells of the inner layer of the uterus.
- Lack of vitamins.
- Disorders of the thyroid gland.
- Metabolic disorders.
Whatever the cause of a scanty period, this condition cannot be ignored. A woman who has experienced a similar phenomenon should seek medical help. After all, such an anomaly can lead to various complications. As the dangerous consequences of Dr.called inability to conceive, neoplasms and inflammatory processes in the internal genital organs.
When is hypomenorrhea not considered a pathology?
As already mentioned, a small amount of discharge during critical days in adolescent girls and menopausal women is associated with a change in the activity of the reproductive system. In this case, this phenomenon can be said to be the norm. The fairer sex is faced with a change in the nature of the discharge after childbirth, as well as during lactation and in the first month after conception. However, sometimes in such situations, such discharge indicates the presence of pathology. For example, in women who are expecting a child, they may mean spontaneous abortion or ectopic pregnancy.
After delivery, scanty discharge often signals the development of inflammation (if fragments of the mucous membrane remain in the uterine cavity or there is a complication after suturing). During lactation, a decrease in the volume of secretions is the result of infection of the reproductive organs. In such a situation, a young mother needs to see a doctor, because diseases of this kind adversely affect the quality of milk and the he alth of the baby. As for the menopause period, women experience scanty periods after 45 years of age due to not only hormonal changes, but also tumors of the internal genital organs, including cancer.
Experts say that in some cases, a small amount of secretions is due to geneticpredisposition. If the discharge was not intense in the girl's relatives, she can also observe a similar phenomenon in herself. However, under such circumstances, there is nothing to worry about. A small amount of discharge during critical days is not associated with diseases and should not cause difficulty in conceiving.
Pathologies of the reproductive system
Reducing the volume of menstruation is often associated with various disorders. The most common gynecological diseases can be listed:
- Inflammatory processes in the ovaries.
- Neoplasms (cysts) are another reason for meager and short periods.
As you know, during the period of critical days, the mucous layer of the internal cavity of the uterus is rejected. In this case, the secretions may contain small lumps. Sometimes women experience such phenomena as an increase in the volume of endometrial tissue or the development of an infection in it. Scanty monthly clots due to these diseases are observed quite often. In addition, the presence of large lumps may be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy or a lack of hemoglobin in the blood.
If a woman has experienced this anomaly, she needs to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms.
Nausea, gagging, dizziness, lower abdominal and lower back discomfort, and fever should be cause for medical attention.
External influences: operations and drug use
Reducing the amount of bloody discharge is often observed after gynecological cleaning. This procedure is carried out with neoplasms in the inner part of the uterus or after spontaneous abortion. The amount of blood during critical days may decrease for some time due to the fact that the operation is stressful for the female body. However, if the patient has meager brown periods, the cause is often tissue remnants in the organ cavity, causing inflammation. This anomaly is accompanied by discomfort in the lower part of the abdominal cavity. In such cases, the doctor performs a second surgical intervention.
Many of the fairer sex use drugs from unwanted conception that contain hormones. Such medications can adversely affect the condition of the female reproductive system. The reason for meager periods in this case is an imbalance of some important substances in the body. One of the complications after uncontrolled use of contraceptives may be the inability to have a baby.
Therefore, before using such drugs, you need to consult a doctor and choose the right drug.
Diagnostic measures
If a woman notices a problem of this kind in herself and seeks medical help, a specialist sends her for examinations. There is also an examination and interview with the patient. Diagnostic measures that allow you to establish why menstruation is scanty and the reasons for this phenomenon,include:
- Taking swabs to identify possible pathologies.
- Laboratory blood tests.
- Examination of the uterus and gonads using ultrasound.
- Diagnosis by computed tomography.
- Assessment of the state of the thyroid gland.
- Laboratory blood test to detect possible pregnancy.
Therapy Methods
The choice of drugs to combat pathology is carried out depending on the factors that provoked meager periods and the reasons. Reviews of experts indicate that not only taking medications plays a significant role in the effectiveness of treatment, but also the normalization of the diet, the correct daily routine, the avoidance of stressful situations, strict diets and various overloads.
In most cases, women who have encountered a similar problem are prescribed drugs containing hormones, as well as physiotherapy and work with a psychologist - if the patient has a depressive state and signs of emotional instability. Sometimes the cause of the pathology is a tumor that is detected during the examination. Then surgery and special preparations are recommended. Experts recommend the following as auxiliary methods for treating scanty periods:
- Adding oils of juniper tree, marjoram to water.
- Color therapy - eating yellow-colored vegetables and fruits, wearing warm-colored clothes.
- Use of acupressure - the procedure is carried out several times during the day.
Also, remedies based on medicinal plants are used to solve the problem. These include a decoction made from carrots, aloe juice, St. John's wort, rue, wormwood, oregano, a mixture of palm sugar and sesame seeds, onion, garlic.
However, you should not try to solve the problem yourself. In many cases, menstruation is poor due to serious pathologies. Therefore, products based on medicinal plants can only be used after examinations and consultation with a specialist.
How to prevent the development of the disorder?
If a woman has already encountered such violations, she would naturally like to know how to prevent their development in the future. To avoid such an unpleasant condition, you should be careful and attentive to your he alth. Experts recommend regular walks in the fresh air, exercise in moderation, adhere to the right diet, avoid stressful situations, starvation and too intense training.
It must be remembered that very meager periods due to diseases of the internal genital organs and imbalance of hormones are quite common. Therefore, a woman should visit a gynecologist from time to time in order to examine and identify possible ailments. In addition, the deterioration of he alth during critical days and a change in the nature of the discharge should be a reason for an urgent appeal to a specialist.
Scanty periods are a problem that modern medicine can handle. The main thing is to take care of maintaining he alth and not to ignore anyor, at first glance, mild ailments. Indeed, the consequence of a careless attitude towards oneself often becomes an inability to conceive and very serious illnesses.
