What The Color Of Your Period Blood Reveals About Your Health
What you need to know is that every woman is different and what’s normal for one may not be so for another. This is why you should always watch out for changes in the color of your flow. "We're very complicated as women, and a lot of things can make your period change," says Karen Carcamo, M.D., M.P.H., an ob-gyn with the Institute for Women's Health in San Antonio. Here are 6 things your period blood says about your health.
1. Pinkish
A pinkish period blood or which looks like strawberry jam means low estrogen levels especially if your flow is lighter than usual. If you are habituated in exercising a lot or an eager runner, then Studies have proved that excessive exercise can lower estrogen levels and that can interfere with your period. There are high possibilities for professional female athletes to stop ovulating.
Low estrogen increases risk of osteoporosis is untreated. If you have suddenly started to work out or working out more than usual and notice the color of your period is lighter than usual or if your flow is less frequent, consult your gynecologist now. Other reasons for pinkish flow can be polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or perimenopause which is the stage when your ovaries begin to decrease estrogen to prepare for menopause.
2. Watery-looking
According to Ob-gyn Alyssa Dweck, MD, assistant clinical professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, this is an indication of severe anemia especially if you find it keeps getting lighter and lighter when it should in most cases be getting heavier. Monitor two or three cycles and if you find this happening, consult your doctor or get tested for nutritional deficiencies.
What’s confusing is that iron deficiencies could be caused by heavy periods which is what was observed in a 2014 study in Finland observed when examining 236 women with heavy periods. 27% were found to be iron deficient where 60% were anemic. If you find yourself bleeding through tampons or pads in less than an hour or need to change your pads several times at night, feel tired constantly or foggy, then it’s advisable to consult your doctor and get an iron level checkup.
3. Dark brown
This could be due to older pieces of uterine lining and blood which could be seeking an outlet with your flow but this is normal. According to Doctors, there is no real reason why it happens but it is possible that the blood may have been there for some time and comes out slowly. The brown or blackish color is because of oxidation that happens during this time. Seeing dark brown period blood during the onset or the end of a period is normal.
4. Thick jam-colored red with large clot
This is an indication of low progesterone levels ad high estrogen levels. Sometimes clotting could be normal but if you find large clots in your period flow, that could mean a hormonal imbalance. You could also try reducing your intake of dairy, sugar and soy to try and see if there is a difference.
Uterine Fibroids could also be possible in such cases which are usually benign but a bit painful. If you find your periods full of clots and suspect that fibroids could be the case, consult your doctor for an ultrasound scan.
5. A mix of gray and red
This could most probably be an infection like an STD or STI. This is also accompanied by a foul smell so it is best to get treatment immediately without delay.
Women suffering a miscarriage could find pieces of grayish tissue that resembles liver. If you feel you are pregnant or having a miscarriage, get medical help immediately.
6Bright, cranberry red
You can relax; this generally means that everything is normal. However to reiterate, everyone’s normal may seem different but in general terms a period that looks bright cranberry red means everything is fine. It isn’t a myth that what the color of your period blood says about your health and other than the last point, if the above are applicable to you at any time, then see a doctor as early as possible.
