Periods, also called menstruation, is a natural phenomenon that occurs in women every month and lasts for 2 to 7 days. It first occurs at the average age of 12 years, which is known as menarche. Every cycle is controlled by hormones in every phase which are secreted by glands in the brain and ovaries.
The primary hormones involved in the entire process are estrogen, that aids in the development of uterus during puberty and as a signaling hormone during periods, progesterone, that helps in maintaining the uterine lining during the periods, and if fertilization occurs, it helps in providing the cushions of blood for the attachment of the fertilized egg, follicle-stimulating hormone is what assists the maturation of multiple follicles preparing it to be released in the uterine cavity.
And lastly, the luteinizing hormone helps the mature egg to be released from the ovaries. And if the mature egg is not fertilized, it will be shed in the next period blood and the entire cycle will start again.
Normally, the volume of blood lost during each period should be 30 to 80 ml, though it is hard for many women to tell how much blood is lost because the blood gets absorbed in the pads or tampons. On the other hand, the period blood is slightly thicker in consistency than the regular blood present in the body. This is mainly because the blood in the uterus gets mixed with other tissues and the mucus when coming out of the body.
Also, the period blood does not clot, or else, the blood would have been able to flow out but somehow, many women do see small clots of blood coming out which is also considered normal. However, there is a range that is considered normal when speaking of the color of the period blood. Many doctors claim that the period blood which is bright red, dark brown or even black is normal.
Women should not be concerned if their period blood is black, it simply is the blood that has been present in the uterus longer than it should have, and if it happens occasionally, it is completely normal. These facts are devised from what is normal in the majority of the population, but every woman knows her body better than anyone else and can tell what is normal for her. For obvious reasons, a woman should consult a doctor if anything seems suspicious or out of the ordinary.
Almost every woman experiences a watery blood discharge during their early pregnant which will be lighter in nature than her normal period blood. And most women mistake them with their regular periods as it often occurs roughly at the same time. This blood is not as a result of periods but is, in fact, a sign to determine the implantation of a fertilized egg. If this blood gets thicker and heavier even after a confirmed pregnancy then it could mean something else, entirely, and can be a sign of a miscarriage.
Since the regulation of periods is done very meticulously in the body, it is not hard to detect if something goes wrong. Similarly, the consistency of the period blood never stays the same it can vary from period blood to the period blood in the next month, but if any change is noticed out of the ordinary then it can tell a lot about a woman’s health.
For instance, if a woman passes small clots of period blood then it is considered normal but if she passes larger clots of blood than usual, then it can be concerning. Large clots of blood are usually because of a benign growth arising from within the uterus that is called uterine fibroids. A woman might also notice a heavier period bleed that occurs more often during a month. On the contrary, a woman might pass large clots during her post-delivery phase. This is also abnormal and indicates that the uterus has retained the products that were meant to be cleaned at the time of the delivery.
Likewise, if the period blood consistency turns in to a watery state, it can possibly be because some women experience lighter periods than others due to nutritional deficiency and watery blood can be normal for them. But if it is unusual to somebody and has been happening for more than 2 cycles then it is very likely to denote an underlying ovarian tumor or a fallopian tumor. Therefore, it would be better to do a few tests and rule out whether the watery discharge is due to nutritional deficiencies that might have caused anemia or if a mass is present in the uterine region.
Furthermore, a slimy and mucus-filled period blood is because it is mixed with the mucus present in the cervix when flowing out. The mucus is produced by the mucus-producing cells lined in the canal from the vagina up to the uterus called the cervix. This mucus is normally present for the ease of sperms to swim up to the egg. And at times, this mucus gets thicker because of the use of contraceptive methods, so it is normal for the mucus to get mixed with the period blood and present as a slimy.
Every woman knows about her body and her period pattern better than anybody else can, and she would also know what is normal for her. But if in case any woman who feels that her periods are different from what she usually experiences, then it is very crucial for you to see your doctor and talk
about your unusual symptoms. A change in the consistency can give a clue about what may have possibly gone wrong, but a diagnosis cannot be made on the basis of period blood color and consistency alone. Your doctor would advise you further blood tests and investigations to further rule out the cause of the unusual change.
References:
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