P.losses of blood that can be mistaken for those of the cycle without being, however: these are what are commonly called “False menstruation”, a phenomenon that can occur, in the course of fertile life, under certain conditions. And if in some cases it is a physiological event which should not cause any concern, in others, however, the menstrual-like blood loss they can be there warning of a problem which is worth investigating from a clinical point of view.
In which cases, therefore, can false menstruation occur? And when should you worry? To clarify, we spoke with the Dr. Alessandro Bulfoni, head of obstetrics and gynecology of Humanitas San Pio X.
False menstruation: what are they?
“It should be noted that the term” false menstruation “is not used from a medical point of view – emphasizes Dr. Bulfoni – however in common jargon it can define all those blood losses outside of regular menstruationthat is, which occur during the month, not corresponding to the expected frequency and not due to the physiological flaking of the endometrium “.
False menstruation: what characteristics they have
But how to understand then if it is a question of false menstruation or blood loss perhaps due to an irregular cycle?
“Generally they manifest themselves in an unexpected space of time – specifies the gynecologist – also false menstruation can have some characteristics different both in terms of durationand therefore last longer as conversely be shorter, both in terms of quantity, with less or more abundant flow than usual. Finally also the color it can be different: we are talking about leaks that can appear darker or lighter than normal ».
False menstruation and implantation losses
One of the most frequent cases in which false menstruation occurs is early pregnancy.
«In this case we speak of blood loss due to embryo implantation – explains Dr. Bulfoni – they are usually scarce and often occur in the first days of menstrual delay, about 4/5 days after the expected arrival of the period. Some women may mistake these losses for those of the menstrual cycle, thus discovering only later that they are pregnant ».
Menstruation in pregnancy
But beware: false menstruation is physiological only in early pregnancy precisely because they are due to the implantation of the embryo. In the following months of gestation any losses must be investigated.
“Exist blood loss related to early pregnancy which may be the spy of one threat of abortion – underlines the gynecologist – In the patient who has not yet discovered that she is pregnant, these losses can be confused with those of the cycle but in the case of pregnancy already ascertained, they must always induce the woman to go to a specialist for a control. In the first trimester, moreover, abundant blood loss accompanied by a painful symptomsdue to contractions of the uterus, can lead to the hypothesis of a spontaneous abortion ».
False menstruation or spotting
Small blood loss that cannot be traced back to normal menstruation can then occur in childbearing age also in other phases of the cycle.
“In the ovulatory periodIn the patient who does not take the pill, there may be some blood loss which we refer to as intermenstrual spotting – explains the specialist – They have different characteristics from the regular cycle, they are more scarce, they last a day or two at most, those of ovulation, and therefore should not cause concern “.
False menstruation: when to worry?
But if at the beginning of pregnancy or in the days of ovulation, small blood losses are physiological, there are instead cases in which bleeding that occurs outside the regular cycle should be considered a wake-up call.
“False menstruation can be the indicator of some pathologies – emphasizes Dr. Bulfoni – it can in fact be abnormal bleeding due to the presence of uterine fibroids, polyps of the uterusboth endometrial and cervical, but also ovarian cysts. In some cases, abnormal blood loss may also indicate the presence of a tumor in the uterus: for this reason, a check is always a must ».
False menstruation and menopause
As for the period of the menopauseis it possible for menstrual-like bleeding to occur?
«We cannot properly speak of false menstruation – specifies the gynecologist – however there is what we call abnormal bleeding in menopause, or the appearance of more or less abundant blood losses, when the patient has not had a period for several years. This always is an important symptom that must to alarm the woman and induce her to do a gynecological checkup or assessment why it is never a physiological condition“.
And in premenopause?
In the period preceding menopauseFinally, many women come to terms with what appears to be blood loss that is different from normal periods.
«In this case we are not talking about false menstruation but about irregular menstruation – concludes the specialist – in what we call perimenopause, or the transition phase from childbearing age to menopause, the woman has irregular cycles, both in terms of time interval and in terms of quantity and duration. Menstruation can, for example, last 7 or 9 days. This phenomenon is due to hormonal changes that characterize perimenopause, specifically in anovulatory cycles. That is, the woman manages to menstruate but she no longer ovulates, so the peak of estrogen and the other hormonal changes that usually occur are altered and for this reason they also alter the type of menstrual flow“.
iO Donna © REPRODUCTION RESERVED