To answer the question related to periods and period blood, knowing the root cause can help clear off various doubts. It may be a random thought such as Period pains but no period, could I be pregnant? A regular and painless menstrual cycle is an essential concern for anyone with a vagina. Various signs that come before and during your menstrual cycle tell about your overall health. Among these signs, the colour and texture of period discharge could tell a lot about your health. Let us know more about it.
My Period Blood is Light Pink and Watery What Does It Mean?
Generally speaking, it is quite normal to see period blood in red, pink, or brown coloured shades. If you witness pink blood, it is when your period has just started or is about to end, and it could be either of the two reasons.
One could be irregular menstrual cycles, and another could be due to the dilution of the fresh blood with some of the vaginal discharge. Due to this, the red colour of the blood lightens, which eventually leads to light pink colour with a watery texture. It occurs when you have light periods and lasts no more than two days.
Vaginal discharge is a mixture of cells and fluid that are removed during periods, and it helps keep the vagina moist and free of any irritation and infections.
When is It Normal to See Pink Discharge?
If you see pink blood during your period, do not worry. You would normally witness pink and watery period discharge in some instances. Some other instances when you will observe pink spotting discharge include:
- When you release an egg, the drop in estrogen levels causes blood colour to lighten.
- If you see such spotting after ovulation, it might indicate signs of pregnancy. This is called implant bleeding.
Is It Normal for the Color to Be Different at the Beginning and End of My Period?
During the duration of the period, you might see colour changes ranging from deep red to pink, orange and black. In most cases, it depends on how long the blood has been inside the uterus. It might seem deep red on heavy days, while on light days, it might seem brown.
Period Blood Color Meaning
Different blood colours would mean different aspects about your period, such as how far you have been, the age of your blood and more. It also tells about your overall health. Here are some things that your period blood colour could mean:
1. Bright Red/Deep Red/Dark Brown
A bright or deep red or a dark brown colour could mean different things. Some of these things include:
- A healthy period
- Early stages of pregnancy
- Lochia - Natural bleeding after having a baby
- Ovarian Cysts
2. Pink/ Light Pink/ White
A pink, light pink, or white discharge could mean either of the three reasons mentioned below. It could be severe if you’re experiencing it when not on your period days.
- The start or end of your menstrual cycle
- It means low estrogen levels if seen during multiple periods and seen majorly.
- When not on periods, spotting of pink flow may be due to mid-cycle, i.e. ovulatory bleeding. It is a common and normal phenomenon.
- When not on period, it might be a sign of cervical cancer.
3. Grey/Black
- A common reason for this blood type is due to older blood which takes longer to leave the uterus.
- Grey colour could be an indication of an infection. However, it will be accompanied by other factors such as irritation, fever and foul odour.
- Heavy bleeding with grey tissue may mean miscarriage.
When to See Your Doctor
Knowing about period discharge and what is normal helps to prevent any abnormalities. Minor changes in the vaginal colour and discharge do not necessarily mean anything alarming. However, It is advised you reach out to your doctor when experiencing any of these signs:
- Bleeding in-between menstrual cycle.
- Notably, irregular cycles differ in length, shorter than 24 days and longer than 38 days.
- No periods for over three months.
- Pregnant and profuse bleeding.
- Menopause and profuse bleeding.
- Unusual pain during your period.
Conclusion
Noticing your period discharge would tell about your overall health conditions. For various reasons, the blood texture and colour could vary throughout the cycle. It may not mean anything significant for a short time; prolonged abnormal changes might be a cause for worry. In such instances, visit your doctor for check-ups and consultations. Otherwise, it is entirely normal with no cause for concern.
It is important to note that a specific observation could mean one of several causes. So, if you notice anything unusual for a notable time, consider getting confirmation from a medical expert before panicking or making abrupt decisions.
References
Bleeding after menopause: A concern? - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/expert-answers/bleeding-after-menopause/faq-20058396
Sonya S. Dasharathy, March 2012; Menstrual Bleeding Patterns Among Regularly Menstruating Women - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3299419/
Irregular Periods - https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14633-abnormal-menstruation-periods
Grace Shih, September 2011; Side effect spotlight: What's up with spotting? - https://www.bedsider.org/features/113-side-effect-spotlight-what-s-up-with-spotting
Andrew W Horne, Diagnosis and management of ectopic pregnancy - https://srh.bmj.com/content/37/4/231
