Period Facts: What Does Your Menstrual Blood Really Mean

Period Facts

Do you know your menstrual blood well? For sure, you think that the only thing that periods can be able to tell you is whether you are pregnant or not.But did you know that it can tell you much more than that? Truth is, your period can reveal lots of things about your health.

To help you understand what your menstrual blood really means, here are a few things that you should know about:

Flow

The average flow will release less than a cup of blood. But as we all know, the period flow may vary.
Light flow may be due to hormonal changes (usually brought about by birth control), poor nutrition (common with ladies with eating disorders), and stress. If you have an abnormally light flow, it can be an indicator of PCOS(Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), Asherman’s syndrome or autoimmune disorders.
Heavy flow may lead to anemia, uterine wall growths, endometriosis, cervix or uterus tumors, and fibroids. Severe blood loss may indicate menorrhagia.

Pain

Dysmenorrhea is quite normal but if you usually experience painful menstruation, it can be a sign of vaginal scarring, endometriosis or fibroids. If it is due to endometriosis, pelvic floor therapy is recommended while surgery is best for vaginal scarring and fibroids. If the pain is not relieved by OTC medicines or if you’ve had painful periods for 3 months in a row, visit a doctor.

Absence

Aside from pregnancy and menopause, the absence of period may also indicate thyroid dysfunction, stress, and PCOS . In addition to this, you may be missing your period because of low body fat in which you need to bulk up a bit. If you have missed your period for 3-6 months, it is best that you consult a doctor.

Spotting

If you have irregular bleeding that happens in the middle of your cycle, it may indicate infections, cervical or uterine polyps. It is recommended that you tell your doctor about it.

Color

Bright red is the color of choice for menstrual blood. But menstrual blood can come in different shades. So what do these shades mean?

• If your menstrual blood is watery or pink, you may be anemic or an imbalanced diet. You may also be having some digestion/ absorption problems or low estrogen levels.
• If it is rusty or brown, you have a high body temperature.
• If it is bluish, you have a low body temperature or higher estrogen levels.
• If it is blackish, you may have severe endometriosis that causes your blood to get stuck. Women with black menstrual blood may have some problems conceiving.

Frequency and Duration

The average frequency and duration is every 21 to 35 days and lasts from 2 to 7 days. If your period deviates from this average, it may be caused by extreme weight loss or certain cancer drugs, pregnancy, stress or excessive drinking.
The next time that you have your period, make sure that you take a closer look into it so you can determine what it is trying to tell you about your health.