Published : December 23, 2022 11:06 AM IST
Menstrual problems come in all shapes and sizes. Spotting is one such concern that affects women and many of them might be looking for answers. For those not familiar with it, it might be defined as light bleeding that might happen outside your regular periods. Many women find it difficult to differentiate whether it was spotting or periods.
Spotting usually involves a very small amount of blood. When it happens just before your periods, it might be completely normal. However, when it happens outside your menstrual cycle, then there might be other causes like pregnancy, polyps, hormonal conditions like PCOS and other health conditions. Sometimes spotting between periods might also happen due to frequent consumption of birth control pills.
In pregnant women, implantation spotting is common when a fertilized egg might be attaching itself to the inner uterine lining. The color of the blood is usually light pink to dark brown. This isn’t always dangerous to the fetus but if the bleeding is heavy, it is wise to consult your doctor.
A regular menstrual bleeding has a fixed length and happens around the same time every month, it is often accompanied by other symptoms like breast tenderness, headaches, nausea and cramping in abdomen and legs. Menstrual blood is usually red in color. It can be brown though at the beginning and end of the periods.
Spotting has irregular time pattern and can happen anytime in a month, it might or might not happen before periods. Many times, the blood that characterizes spotting is lighter in color, has a different texture than period blood and might also smell differently. If it is happening due to some injury, it might accompany abdominal pain.