Brown discharge during periods

If there is one subject that affects every woman at some point in her life, it is certainly her periods. Even though it is something we all face countless times throughout our lives, we never run out of questions! Today we are tackling the big question of brown periods!

Periods come in all colours

Just as their appearance can vary throughout the menstrual flow, periods can surprise you with the wide range of colours they can take on! Indeed, while the base colour is always red, they can present in a variety of shades. So you might see them bright red, but also burgundy, dark red, or in our case, brown. Do not be alarmed either if you notice them appearing almost black. There is an explanation for all of them — let us look here at what causes a brown colour.

What exactly causes brown periods?

Well, rest assured, brown periods simply correspond to a discharge of oxidised blood. In plain terms, upon contact with oxygen, the blood has transformed and taken on a darker colour. And it is worth noting that in most cases, brown menstruation is completely normal and is nothing to worry about. We should also note that brown blood loss comes from the expulsion of "old blood", which comes directly from the endometrium, the cervix, or the vagina. Let us now look at whether there are certain times when this is more likely to occur.

When might brown periods appear?

First of all, brown periods are most commonly observed on the first and last days of the cycle. Before menstruation, they are a sign that your period is on its way, and at the end they signal that it is nearly over. These early and late stages are more prone to oxidation — meaning the blood mixes more easily with the air, especially as it tends to blend with normal vaginal discharge.

Still on the theme of beginnings and endings, brown discharge can also appear with the very first and last periods of one's life — in other words, at puberty and during the perimenopause. Both of these life stages are characterised, in terms of menstruation, by irregular cycles, which explains the appearance of brown periods. Finally, certain contraceptives can cause this too. This is simply explained by the hormonal changes brought about by contraception, whatever form it takes. But what does it mean if you experience this during pregnancy?

Brown discharge during pregnancy

Here there are two scenarios: brown discharge you do not need to worry about, and cases where it is much better to seek medical advice. During pregnancy, the former can be caused by:

• The physiological elimination of old blood that has remained in the uterus.
• Irritation of the cervix, which can occur following an endovaginal ultrasound, or simply after sexual intercourse.
• And also implantation — that is, when the fertilised egg implants itself in the uterine cavity.

As for the more concerning causes, brown discharge during pregnancy can be explained by:

• A molar pregnancy: this means the embryo is not developing correctly.
• Also, an ectopic pregnancy — meaning the fertilised egg has implanted outside the uterus. This is often accompanied by abdominal pain.
• Finally, it can also be a sign of miscarriage.

In all of these latter cases, of course, we recommend that you seek medical advice promptly at the first sign of doubt.

When should you see a doctor in the case of brown periods?

In addition to all the pregnancy-related cases we have just covered: seek medical advice promptly, in particular, if you regularly notice brown discharge outside of your normal periods. And all the more so if this discharge is accompanied by other symptoms such as pain, a burning sensation, fever, or an unpleasant smell. Seeing a gynaecologist or doctor in these cases is essential, as these signs may be your body alerting you to the presence of, for example, a fibroid, a uterine polyp, or an ovarian cyst — amongst other things. Finally, we cannot say it enough: it is always better to get checked, even if nothing is wrong, and leave with peace of mind.