Bloody story: what do disruptions in menstruation mean

Each of us had this - something was wrong. Either "it is pouring out of a bucket", then a sudden delay (a nightmare!), Then it does not begin at the right time, when "nothing foreshadowed" … What do all these symptoms mean - we asked the gynecologist this question.

Menstrual irregularities are a situation that every woman faces at least once in her life. Olga Gerasimova, senior obstetrician-gynecologist of the Gemotest laboratory, tells about what failures can indicate and what tests will help to reveal serious violations.

Olga Gerasimova obstetrician-gynecologist of the laboratory "Gemotest"

Lack of menstruation

A situation in which a woman has no periods at all is called amenorrhea. It can be primary - if the girl's first menstruation did not begin at the age of 15-16, and secondary - if, after the cycle has already been established, menstruation stopped for six months or more. Amenorrhea is not an independent disease, but it suggests that there are serious disorders in the body: hormonal, genetic or anatomical.

How to check:

• tests for estradiol, prolactin, follicle-stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing (LH) hormones;
• analysis for thyroid hormones (TSH, T3, T4);
• Ultrasound of the pelvic organs;
• colposcopy (examination of the cervix using a special optical system);
• karyotyping (study of the chromosome set).

Delay

Plus or minus a few days are considered normal fluctuations in the menstrual cycle, so you can talk about a delay only if your periods are a week or more late. One of the most common causes of such failures, no matter how commonplace, is infections of the genitourinary system.

Another possible factor is hormonal disturbances: the ratio of female sex hormones, pituitary and thyroid hormones. In addition, the body can react with the disappearance of menstruation to the development of diabetes mellitus.

How to check:

• analysis for sexually transmitted infections (viruses, chlamydia, mycoplasma, pathogenic cocci);
• analysis for estradiol, prolactin, follicle-stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing (LH) hormones;
• analysis for hormones TSH, T3 and T4;
• study of glycated hemoglobin and glucose levels.

Too little blood

Lean periods should alert if they last less than three days and are combined with delays from several weeks to six months: this condition is called hypomenstrual syndrome, and it can talk about endocrine diseases, diseases of the thyroid gland and adrenal glands, benign and malignant tumors.

How to check:

• Ultrasound of the pelvic organs;
• tests for estradiol, prolactin, testosterone;
• analysis for hormones TSH, T3 and T4;
• colposcopy (examination of the cervix using a special optical system);
• cytological examination (microscopic examination of cells of the cervix).

Too much blood

Menstruation can be considered abundant, in which more than 80 ml of blood is released - it is difficult to calculate this amount, but it is worth thinking about a visit to a gynecologist if there is so much blood that hygiene products do not have time to absorb it, or if your periods suddenly become more intense than usual. Such changes can result from hormonal disruptions, inflammation in the uterus or ovarian dysfunction.

How to check:

• tests for estradiol, prolactin, follicle-stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing (LH) hormones;
• Ultrasound of the pelvic organs;
• colposcopy (examination of the cervix using a special optical system).

Blood after the end of menstruation

If spotting appears between periods, it is imperative to exclude the risk of ectopic pregnancy and the development of neoplastic diseases. And, of course, get tested for sexually transmitted infections.

How to check:

• analysis for STIs;
• Ultrasound of the pelvic organs;
• colposcopy (examination of the cervix using a special optical system);
• cytological examination (microscopic examination of cells of the cervix).

Blood during sex

Bloody discharge during sex is not associated with the menstrual cycle - it speaks of an inflammatory process. It can be caused by sexually transmitted infections.

How to check:

analysis for STIs

Incessant blood

If your period lasts more than 3-5 days, most likely, the problem is again hormonal disruptions. If long periods are also accompanied by pain or weakness, then violations may be associated with the work of the coagulation system and even the development of tumor diseases.

How to check:

• analysis for estradiol, prolactin, follicle-stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing (LH) hormones;
• study of qualitative and quantitative indicators of blood (CBC), the number of platelets and the level of blood clotting;
• colposcopic examination (examination of the cervix using a special optical system);
• cytological examination (microscopic examination of cells of the cervix).