Bleeding After Menopause

Know What To Look For To Determine If Your Bleeding After Menopause Is Serious Or Not

Menopause is a stressful enough time in any woman's life where their body is going through all sorts of physical and hormonal changes. The one thing that should be a given, and to many a relief, is the cessation of menstrual periods, but this is not as clear cut as many women think.

Bleeding after menopause is actually a very common occurrance and could be something totally normal or something to look out for. If you experience bleeding after menopause, you first need to consult a doctor to be sure it isn't indicative of something more serious, but chances are, it is nothing to worry about.

Many women spot, that is have light blood spots, for up to 2 years after menopause. This is quite common and may be caused by changing hormone levels, the result of a vaginal infection, tumors, fibroids, polyps, cancer or STDs.

However, it is also possible that none of these things cause it, and they should simply be ruled out by a doctor to be sure. Generally, the lack of estrogen during menopause can cause vaginal irritation, and either being on hormone replacements or not can trigger bleeding.

On hormone replacement, the estrogen that the woman ingests could trigger a growth in the endometrium, as it is very sensitive at this point, and that endometrium can then shed if it grows enough, causing spotting. If a woman is not on hormones, then the missing estrogen could result in the deterioration of the uterus wall, creating weak blood vessels that can easily break and cause bleeding. Either way, spotting for these factors is very common and probably likely.

There is also the possibility that a woman experiences a type of period after menopause. In many cases it could mean that menstruation has continued and the woman has an irregular cycle, but it could also be caused by a fluctuation of hormones. If it does continue though and the woman is certain to be post menopausal, then she certainly needs to consult a doctor.

The key is to properly detect and define post menopausal. In general, if a woman has not had a period in over 12 months, then she is classified as post menopausal, but periods can skip months before and during menopause, so if a woman gets her period back after 4 months, then she is not through with menopause yet. She is simply irregular.

In truly post menopausal women, culprits in period type bleeding could be hormone replacements, poor diet which can result in an imbalance of hormones and therefore trigger a period, excess stress, which can do the same thing, and rapid weight loss since the fat you lose could contain estrogen, and if it's lost quickly, it doesn't have time be released into the bloodstream.

All of these causes have one thing in common, a hormonal imbalance, so to prevent these occurrances, try to eat well and keep your system as balanced, normal and calm as can be.

Bleeding after menopause is rarely something to be concerned about, but the risks are there and you should consult a doctor if you experience it. Once a professional can rule out any serious dangers, you need to concentrate on your health and well-being and start making lifestyle choices that will balance your system and control your hormone levels. Our state of mind and daily habits affect our bodies in more ways than we realize, so be aware of how you're affecting yours.