Many women don't know that the colour and consistency of their menstrual blood can tell them a lot about their health. It's worth taking a closer look and keeping an eye on your periods for more than just their regularity.
What colour your menstrual blood can be, what it means and when you should be concerned about your health is explained below.
The most important facts about the colour of your period blood at a glance
- The colour of menstrual blood can vary from light pink to various shades of red to dark brown.
- Brown menstrual blood is harmless in most cases and is merely a sign that the blood has oxidized.
- If the menstrual blood has a light red to medium red colour, it can usually be assumed that everything is fine, and the period is normal.
- Dark red menstrual blood, which may also contain clots, is usually a sign of high estrogen levels.
- If menstrual blood is pink, it may indicate low estrogen levels, which can be caused by stress or dieting, for example.
- Recurrent pink interstitial bleeding may be a symptom of cervical cancer and requires medical evaluation.
- Gray vaginal discharge may indicate infection or miscarriage and should be examined by a physician.
- Every period is different, and changes in the colour of blood are usually something normal during menstruation.
- In case of doubt, you should always consult your gynaecologist in case of abnormalities during your menstruation.
Every period is different
The period is something very individual. It can vary from woman to woman. This concerns both the strength of the bleeding and the colour of the menstrual blood. One factor that plays a very important role in connection with the colour of the blood is the level of estrogen.
The female sex hormone estrogen is responsible for controlling your menstrual cycle. If too much or too little of it is produced, this can quickly have obvious effects on your menstruation. These effects do not always have to be serious. But changes in the colour of menstrual blood are of course easily noticed and quickly cause women concern.
How much blood do you lose during your period?
On average, a woman loses a total of 30 to 70 millilitres of blood during her period. Even though you may occasionally have a different impression, the actual blood loss during your period is actually not that great. A period pants, like the ones you can find in our store, is therefore perfectly sufficient in many cases to reliably protect women during their period.
What does brown period blood during the mean?
It is common knowledge that blood is normally red. Therefore, when menstrual blood suddenly turns brown, the shock is often very great. It may be that menstrual blood is brown every period, only sometimes or never. In the vast majority of cases, however, worries about this are completely unfounded. This is because blood oxidizes when it comes into contact with oxygen.
This changes its colour from red to brown. A brown period is usually simply a sign that your bleeding is slow, which means that the blood is in contact with oxygen for longer. Most often, brown blood occurs at the beginning as well as at the end of menstruation, since bleeding is comparatively light during this time.
Often, dark brown to black menstrual blood is simply parts of your uterine lining. This tissue and the blood that comes out with it take a comparatively long time to get out of your body through the cervix and vagina.
Another possible cause of brown or even black menstrual blood is blood residue that was not excreted during your last period. If this does not happen regularly, it is usually not a problem. If it happens more often, however, you should talk to your gynaecologist about it to be on the safe side.
What does light red to medium red menstrual blood mean?
If your menstrual blood is bright red, it usually means that the blood is still very fresh. On the second to third day of your period, the lining of the uterus usually detaches particularly quickly and the bleeding becomes heavier. As a result, menstrual blood leaves the body in a relatively short time and therefore has no opportunity to change its colour through oxidation.
If the blood is not bright red, but instead has a strong red colour, that is also perfectly fine. So in this case, you can remain relaxed. If there are no other abnormalities, your period should be normal and there should be no reason to worry.
What does dark red period blood mean?
Dark red menstrual blood may indicate increased estrogen levels. Often the blood is also somewhat viscous and lumpy. This is because your uterus builds up a particularly thick layer of mucus, which naturally has to be expelled during your period.
This is perfectly normal for women who are going through menopause. However, if you are still quite young and you often have noticeably dark red or lumpy menstrual blood, we recommend that you contact your gynaecologist for a check-up to be on the safe side.
What does pink period blood mean?
If your menstrual blood has a light pink colour, this can have several causes. Often it is a sign of low estrogen levels. You may have had a lot of stress lately or not enough sleep. Or maybe you're on a very strict diet at the moment, which is having a negative effect on your estrogen levels.
If the noticeable lighter colouration is a temporary phenomenon, you can rest assured. However, if your menstrual blood is pink for several cycles, we recommend that you consult your gynaecologist. Keep in mind that light-colored bleeding may be a sign of pregnancy. As you know for sure, bleeding during pregnancy is not always absent, even if it is not menstrual bleeding.
Apart from that, light pink menstrual blood can also be a so-called ovulation bleeding. Ovulation bleeding can occur in the middle of the period. In this case, the strikingly light colour of the blood is caused by mixing with cervical mucus.
Caution with pink interstitial bleeding
If you experience pink, watery bleeding at irregular intervals outside your period, this may indicate that you have cervical cancer. In this case, it is essential that you contact your gynaecologist as soon as possible for an examination and consultation.
What does gray period blood mean?
If you notice gray vaginal discharge, it may mean that you are suffering from an infection. Pieces of gray tissue in combination with heavy bleeding can also be an indication of a possible miscarriage. Therefore, if you notice gray menstrual blood, be sure to contact your gynaecologist.
If you think you have caught an infection, we recommend that you temporarily stop using tampons. In this case, use sanitary pads or sustainable period underwear. In this way, you will ensure that you do not further upset the vaginal environment.
Why does the colour of the blood change during the period?
You will certainly notice that the colour of the blood changes during your period and is sometimes a little lighter and sometimes a little darker. This is perfectly normal and has nothing to do with any health problems.
Just keep an eye on your menstrual blood. However, if it has a conspicuous colouration over a longer period of time, the blood is suddenly gray or something else seems strange to you, do not hesitate and contact your gynaecologist as soon as possible. Apart from that, if you are unsure, it can often be helpful to talk to other women.
Do not ignore disturbances of the cycle
It is quite normal that the female cycle and the period do not always run absolutely the same. Nevertheless, you should not ignore any disturbances that occur. After all, it may well be that they are based on health problems that need to be treated. Therefore, if you are in any doubt, contact your gynaecologist and let her advise you to be on the safe side.
A menstrual cup can help detect changes
If you have the feeling that the colour and consistency of your menstrual blood has changed and would like to keep a closer eye on it, the use of a menstrual cup can be useful. This is because the blood is collected in it, so that you can easily see not only the amount but also changes in colour, for example.
Similar to our period panties, a menstrual cup is also a reusable product. If you value sustainability and want to avoid unnecessary waste from disposable products, a menstrual cup is also a good choice. For optimal protection during your heavy days, you can also combine it with a period pants.
Colour of menstrual blood and health - our conclusion ❤️
As you can see, a look at your menstrual blood can actually tell you a lot about your health. Basically, different colourations are completely normal and in most cases there is no reason to worry.
However, under certain circumstances, the colour and consistency of your menstrual blood may indicate a health problem. Therefore, if in doubt, do not hesitate to contact your gynaecologist to take early action if necessary.
