Light, irregular bleeding from the vaginal area that is apparent but not enough to soak a pad or tampon is referred to as spotting. Spotting is usually brown or dark red in color and lasts for about one or two days. Spotting happens to a lot of women, and it’s usually nothing to be concerned about.
Spotting might occur before your period, during pregnancy, or during menopause, for example. Spotting, on the other hand, might be caused by more significant conditions such as vaginal tears or fibroids. In this article, we have gained seven common causes of spots that shouldn’t be ignored.
1. Cancer
Abnormal bleeding, spotting, and other kinds of vaginal discharge can be caused by some cancers of the female reproductive system. Some of these cancers include endometrial (uterine), cervical, ovarian, and vaginal cancer. Spotting isn’t always an indication of cancer, but if you see it, see a doctor, especially if you’ve previously gone through menopause.
2. Vaginal dryness
Spotting is frequently caused by vaginal dryness, also known as vaginal atrophy. It happens when the vaginal tissue loses its moisture and elasticity and gets irritating as a result of a shift in estrogen levels. The vaginal area might become itchy, dry, and irritated when estrogen production levels are altered.
Menopausal women are more likely than non-menopausal women to develop vaginal dryness. This is due to the fact that their ovaries produce less estrogen, resulting in a thinner vaginal tissue layer and fewer lubricating glands.
3. PID
Spotting can also be caused by pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which occurs when certain pelvic infections (such as STIs or bacterial vaginosis) go untreated. Other PID symptoms include lower-abdominal discomfort, atypical vaginal discharge, and fever. If you feel you have, spotting and other accompanying symptoms of PID or physical pelvic issues should be discussed with your gynecologist as soon as possible.
4. Uterine fibroids
Fibroids on and in the uterus are noncancerous growths that occur in the uterus. They come in a variety of sizes, and multiples can grow at the same time. They can be so little that they go undetected in some situations, or they might develop large enough to necessitate surgical removal in others.
Cramping, heavy periods, pain in the pelvic area, back pain, and spotting are all frequent uterine fibroids symptoms. If you have a number of these symptoms, you should consult your doctor about fibroid treatment.
5. PCOS
Polycystic ovarian syndrome can be identified by irregular bleeding between cycles (PCOS). When a person’s ovaries or adrenal glands create excessive levels of androgens or “male” hormones, this illness develops. This can disrupt menstrual cycle regularity and make it more difficult to conceive. It usually happens throughout a woman’s reproductive years. Other signs and symptoms of PCOS include irregular periods, hirsutism, pelvic pain, weight gain, infertility, and acne.
6. Stress
Stress may affect your body in a variety of ways. Your menstrual cycle can be affected by emotional stress (depression, anxiety, concern, sleeplessness) as well as physical stress (weight loss or increase, sickness, bad food, excessive exercise).
This is because high levels of stress lead your body to produce more cortisol, which causes your body to produce less estrogen and progesterone. This hormonal imbalance may wreak havoc on your menstrual cycle, causing irregular or late periods as well as spotting in between. While exercise is a fantastic stress reliever, too much of it might induce amenorrhea ( an absence of menstruation) and trigger spotting.
7. Pregnancy
Spotting is a typical early pregnancy symptom. Spotting affects roughly 1 in every 4 women between weeks 5 and 8 of pregnancy (or about 1 to 4 weeks after someone expects their period). Spotting is typically nothing to be concerned about; studies have shown that persons who experience spotting are no more likely to miscarry than those who don’t. Heavy spotting or bleeding, on the other hand, can be a cause for concern. Contact your healthcare provider if you’re pregnant and bleeding to let them know what’s going on.
