Very early miscarriages may even be mistaken for unusually heavy menstrual periods. Some sexually transmitted infections STIs can cause abnormal vaginal bleeding that looks like spotting. Gonorrhea is a common culprit, and may also cause unusual discharge or burning during urination. Pelvic inflammatory disease PID is a type of chronic pelvic inflammation caused by an infection.
Women with PID can experience infertility if symptoms go untreated. PID often causes spotting, particularly after intercourse. It can also cause pelvic pain. Although rare, spotting may be a symptom of cancer.
Types of cancer that can cause spotting include:. Spotting is often accompanied by pain and other symptoms and can last several months. Symptoms may get better and then worse, or get progressively worse. Women who are past menopause or who have a family history of these cancers are at a heightened risk. It is never normal for postmenopausal women to experience vaginal bleeding.
Any woman who experiences prolonged spotting or new and unexplained spotting should go to the doctor. Women should contact a doctor immediately if:. Sometimes women can adopt a wait-and-see approach.
These circumstances include experiencing spotting that is:. If women are unsure which of the circumstances described applies to their situation, then it is better to be cautious and contact a doctor for advice. In the majority of cases, however, spotting is not the sign of a medical condition and may only be temporary.
Birth control is used to prevent pregnancy. It also may reduce the amount of blood you lose during a period. Irregular menstruation; Heavy, prolonged, or irregular periods; Menorrhagia; Polymenorrhea; Metrorrhagia and other menstrual conditions; Abnormal menstrual periods; Abnormal vaginal bleeding. Obstet Gynecol. PMID: pubmed. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Bulun SE. Physiology and pathology of the female reproductive axis. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Ryntz T, Lobo RA. Abnormal uterine bleeding: etiology and management of acute and chronic excessive bleeding. Comprehensive Gynecology. Menstrual irregularities. Differential Diagnosis of Common Complaints.
Editorial team. Vaginal or uterine bleeding. Most women have cycles between 24 and 34 days apart. It usually lasts 4 to 7 days in most cases.
Most of the time, this spotting is nothing to worry about. It can be triggered by a variety of factors, from pregnancy to a switch in birth control methods.
Spotting is much lighter than a period. The color may be lighter than a period, too. Just before and during your period, you may have symptoms like:. You get your period when your uterine lining sheds at the beginning of your monthly cycle.
Spotting, on the other hand, may be caused by one of these factors:. Any time you notice bleeding outside of your period, you should mention it to your primary care doctor or OB-GYN.
Take a look back at your calendar to determine when the first day of your last period was, as well as the potential date of conception. It's not likely, but it's possible to get pregnant after your period finishes. We'll tell you how. Breast pain in pregnancy is very common, especially in the first trimester. It's sometimes even considered a symptom of pregnancy.
We'll tell you all…. While some women do experience pregnancy symptoms earlier than others, the only way to confirm a pregnancy is with a test.
Here's what you need to…. What are the telltale early symptoms of pregnancy? Every person is different, but here are a few top signs. A new study finds that epidurals do not affect child development in their later years.
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