It returns every month: the period. Did you know that the color of your period can also provide information about your health? How exactly, read here!
Most women are happy when their period ends after a few days. It is worth taking a closer look during the menstrual period, because the color of the menstrual blood tells you how your health is doing.
Table of Contents
Period: The different colors of menstrual blood
Medium red
If your period is about as red as cranberry juice, don’t worry. The color is a sign that everything is fine with the cycle, the hormone balance and the body .
dark red
If the period blood is very viscous and very dark red, this can be a sign of too high an estrogen level during the cycle. As a result, a thick layer of uterine lining builds up before ovulation , which also has to be shed again during the period. Dark red blood often occurs during menstruation before menopause.
But hormone fluctuations can also occur after stopping the pill or during puberty, which changes menstrual bleeding. If there is no suspicion of hormone fluctuations, a fibroid , a benign tumor, can also be behind it. In this case, a doctor should be consulted.
bright red
Very light blood, which is also thin, can be a sign of low estrogen levels . As a result, the estrogen level decreases :
- rapid weight loss in a short period of time
- unhealthy lifestyle
- too less sleep
- Stress
- alcohol and drugs
- cancer
brownish colour
The blood often turns brown at the beginning and end of the period . That’s nothing to worry about. As blood decreases and flows more slowly, clots form that react with oxygen.
For comparison: blood stains on fabric also turn red-brown over time. On the other hand, if women bleed outside of their period, it could be spotting . These are usually harmless and disappear after a short time. However, if these last longer or come back more and more frequently, a visit to the doctor is recommended.
orange and grey
If the color of the blood changes to orange or greyish, you should see a doctor as soon as possible, as an infection such as a vaginal infection may be present. In the case of orange menstrual blood, it is usually mixed with cervical fluids – increased discharge is often a sign of a disease in the vagina or uterus. This unusual bleeding can be accompanied by abdominal pain, burning and itching . An unusual and unpleasant smell is usually an indication that you are ill.
