Brown discharge in women

Why do brown discharge appear in women

Ordinary vaginal discharge, which even a healthy woman has, is clear, without an unpleasant odor. Coagulated blood gives them different shades of brown. The reasons may be different, and brown discharge is not always a pathology. Sometimes such discharge appears just before the onset of menstruation, during ovulation. But brown discharge can be a symptom of a bacterial infection, and a reaction to taking hormonal drugs, stress, etc.  

Diseases in which brown discharge may appear:

Hormone-dependent diseases:

• polycystic ovaries;
• endometriosis;
•  uterine fibroids;
• polyps of the uterus or cervical canal (as well as inflammation);
• cysts (tumors) of the ovaries;
• uterine myoma.

Inflammations:

• endometritis – inflammation of the uterus;
• cervicitis – inflammation of the cervix and cervical canal;
• salpinx – inflammation of the fallopian tubes.

Injury to the vagina or cervix:

• after gynecological operations,
• after rough intercourse,
• as a result of mechanical damage, for example, after cycling.

Malignancies vagina, uterus, appendages.

Sexually transmitted infections.

What does brown discharge mean in women

Light brown

Such discharge may occur while taking birth control pills. And they can be a symptom of pathologies in the genital organs, sexually transmitted infections, microtrauma of the cervix or bacterial vaginosis.  

Dark brown

Dark brown discharge appears in many women due to a sharp change in hormonal levels when they start taking oral contraceptives. The same discharge is also characteristic after the abolition of contraceptives. Abundant dark brown discharge occurs with hyperplasia or endometriosis of the uterus (in this case, they are most often accompanied by severe pain in the lower abdomen).

Red-brown

Red-brown discharge appears when microcracks appear on the walls of the vagina due to an insufficient amount of mucus during intercourse. This problem is faced by both young girls whose sexual life has just begun, and women at the beginning of menopause. 

In addition, red-brown discharge in the middle of the cycle can be a sign of uterine fibroids. This is a benign growth, but the profuse discharge with a lot of blood that fibroids cause can lead to anemia.

tan

This shade indicates that the microbial component predominates in the vagina. Abundant yellowish-brown discharge with an unpleasant odor, accompanied by itching or burning, painful urination, occur with trichomoniasis.

Before menstruation

Brown discharge a day or two before menstruation is the norm. But if they appeared a week before the onset of menstruation, stress, poor diet, lack of sleep, hormone deficiency, and excessive exercise can be the cause.

Age also matters. If this is a young girl who has only recently begun menstruation, and the cycle is not yet stable, then brown discharge before menstruation may appear for six months or longer. But if such discharge continues before menstruation for 6-8 months in an adult woman, this is a reason to see a doctor.

Influence the appearance of smearing brown discharge before menstruation and some types of contraception. If the discharge began to appear a few days before menstruation after the woman began taking oral contraceptives, this is normal. But if such discharge has not disappeared after three months, you should consult a doctor. 

The appearance of light brown discharge is allowed for several months before the critical days after the installation of the intrauterine device. 

Dark brown discharge before menstruation often becomes a signal of the upcoming menopause. To eliminate them, the doctor may prescribe hormonal drugs to the woman.

Instead of menstruation

Brown discharge instead of menstruation may appear if the cycle is a little off. If brown discharge instead of menstruation is accompanied by pain and weakness, the reasons can be serious – from hormonal imbalance and disruption of the endocrine system to oncology. Therefore, with such a problem, you should urgently consult a doctor.

But brown discharge instead of menstruation can be during pregnancy. Moreover, both uterine and ectopic, when immediate surgical treatment is required.

After menstruation

If there are no other complaints, then discharge after menstruation for 2-3 days is normal. If the brown daub has dragged on after critical days, this may be due to a hormone deficiency. inflammation, infection, etc.

In the middle of a cycle

Often this is associated with the use of oral contraceptives, and in women who are close to menopause in age. If the discharge is quite abundant and does not disappear until the next menstruation, this is an occasion to consult a doctor.  

Brown discharge is the norm if their cause:

• ● the first days of pregnancy;
• ● ovulation;
• ● start taking contraceptives;
• ● climax;
• ● monthly in 2-3 days;
• ● exit of the endometrium after menstruation;
• ● sudden change in body weight;
• ● the formation of the menstrual cycle in girls.

With smell

If brown discharge has an unpleasant odor, this is always a reason to consult a doctor and immediately. It doesn’t matter what shade they are and how many days they last. The smell can accompany brown discharge associated with infectious diseases and even oncology. In infectious diseases, the smell resembles rotten fish.  

With itching

Itching and brown discharge in the middle of the cycle is a sign of infection in the reproductive system. An unpleasant fishy smell, burning and redness of the external genital organs, pain and burning during urination are symptoms that usually complement the picture of the disease.

By the way

Very often there are spotting from the rectum, which, of course, is the pathology of the intestines, and women often mistake them for discharge from the genital tract. With the exclusion of gynecological pathology, the patient must be sent for examination to related specialists: coloproctologist, gastroenterologist.       

How to treat brown discharge in women

The main thing – no self-treatment! The causes of brown discharge, as we have already found out, can be different, and in each case, appropriate treatment is prescribed.

Popular questions and answers