Are you scared after noticing black period blood? I will tell you all you need to know so you can pause the panic button.
During menstruation, your uterus sheds blood and tissue from the vaginal opening. Now the color of your discharge depends on how old it is. It may vary from black, dark brown, or bright red.
When your blood stays in the body for a longer period, the blood oxidizes. Hence the color variation.
Black period blood is not something that you should fear. It is usually very normal during your mensuration cycle.
Generally, black period blood happens during the start and end of your period.
The change in the color of blood is because of blood oxidation, meaning the reaction of iron and hemoglobin mixing with oxygen. This is what makes it brown and eventually black.
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Is black period blood normal
Finding the answers to your questions become very important when it is related to your body. Let us figure out whether black period blood is normal or not.
However, though it is normal to have black period blood, you need to monitor its volume. In cases where the volume is high and lasts longer, it indicates hormonal changes or uterine issues.
If you are thinking, why is my period blood black and thick? Well, it may also range to appear something like a brownish-black or black jelly resembling coffee grounds. The tissue that tears during mensuration gives it a thick jelly-like texture.
As the uterus lining discharge stops, the blood starts to lighten and lessen. However, some residual blood comes out eventually, even after your period has stopped. This residual blood is the oxidized blood which could be brown or black.
Normally, this will last about two days toward the end of your period. But in some cases, it may even go beyond a week, which requires you to take medical help.
What causes black blood
Did you know that your reproductive health is linked to the color of the period blood? Do not panic if you are discharging black blood in your cycles.
There are numerous causes for discharging black blood, starting from age, lifestyle, and environment.
Below are a few of the cause that triggers black period blood:
Indication
As you know, black period blood could either be before the commencement of your cycle or towards the end. As the blood flow gets slower in these two cases, its color transformation also occurs. This is because of the flow and time of blood that has been there in your uterus.
Foreign objects in your vagina
Sometimes, there might be cases where you forget to take out the tampon or some contraceptive device. This is when a problem arises, causing infection and black blood discharge.
STI
When you have an STI, the body rapidly degenerates period blood, transforming into black blood discharge. In this scenario, along with the black blood period, you will experience foul smelly discharge even after your period ends.
Cervical Cancer
Black period blood might also be a warning for cervical cancer. During the initial stage, black period blood is one of the triggering symptoms that should be taken care of. Especially after sex and during periods the black period, blood may happen. Some other symptoms that come along with it are difficulty in passing stool, fatigue, unpleasant odor, etc.
Endometriosis
It is a condition where your endometrial tissue starts growing outside your uterus. These issues may start to give you chronic pelvic pain causing black discharge.
Miscarriage and implantation bleeding
Sometimes, the black discharge could also be a symptom of miscarriage. And if you are planning a baby, it may also be due to implantation bleeding.
How to treat black period blood
As discussed, the black blood period normally has nothing to be worried about, and it is a part of your regular menstruation. And this does not require any treatment.
However, certain symptoms accompanying the black period are fever and abdominal and pelvic pain, when you need to be alert and contact the doctor.
There are a few ways to treat black discharge, depending on its causes. Let’s see what these are:
Foreign objects
If you have injected some vaginal or foreign objects, get them examined and remove them if required. Sometimes these objects may trigger infection, pain, fever, and black discharge.
Ectopic pregnancy and miscarriages
Ectopic pregnancy may sometime result in dark discharge. Likewise, miscarriages also tend to result in dark discharge. Sometimes you may also have to get instant medical assistance. The treatment may include a dilation and curettage procedure to remove the remaining tissues of the uterus.
Blockage
There are cases where if you have blockage due to retained menses, then surgery might need to be done.
Antibiotics
Due to inflammatory diseases, there are instances where you may experience black period blood, and antibiotics are prescribed to cure it.
Apart from the above, you should always stay clean and follow basic hygiene. Also, listen to your body and stay alert if something does not feel right. You need to keep a check on the discharge if it’s unusual.
When to visit a doctor for black period blood
The major concern is to decide when to consult a doctor for your black period blood. Well to make it easier for you, there are a few trigger points when you must see a doctor.
Unusual
Firstly, check for something unusual or some blood discharge that seems new to you.
Grey or whitish discharge
You already know about black discharge, but it’s time to see the doctor if there is excessive thick grey or white vaginal discharge.
Menopause
If you are bleeding during your menopause, immediately contact the doctor because it may indicate some bigger issues.
Missing Periods
Well, now this is something that needs medical intervention. Missing your period is quite common due to hormonal changes, PCOS, pregnancy, or even stress. But if you have missed more than two periods and still don’t know the cause, get connected to your doctor now! Irregular periods also change your period’s flow, color, and length. Normalizing it is very important.
Itchy vagina
Are you feeling itchy around your vagina? Well, you must see a doctor now, as it might be an infection and you need to be on antibiotics.
Fever
Along with fever, if you have severe pelvic pain with black discharge, you need to be examined.
Foul-smelly vagina
Many products in the market promise to give your vagina freshness throughout the day. But these products have a lot of chemicals which might imbalance the PH levels. Hence if you do have a smelly vagina, consult a doctor now.
Pregnancy discharge
If you are pregnant, you need to urgently connect to your gynecologist if you have black blood discharge.
Lastly, it is your body; you know the best, trust your instincts, and get help when needed.
Can you have black period blood at beginning of period?
One thing that you need to understand is that every person’s period is different. Your period pain, length, and color will differ from your mother, sister, or best friend. So never take advice and decide. Always listen to them but do not start assuming things from their experience. Remember, it’s you who knows your body the best.
And most importantly, your period can change its color throughout your cycle. Starting from the beginning of the period till the end, the color and consistency change.
In most common scenarios, the color may vary from dark red to bright red, then brown, and eventually black. But it all depends on your flow, how old the blood is, and how long it’s been in your uterus. At the start, your period begins with full flow and gradually the flow decreases. During your witchy days, when the flow is at its peak, the blood may seem bright red. But the days where you discharge the lowest, the darker it is because the lowest days have residual blood, which has been there for quite some time.
However, this doesn’t justify that you should be okay with all color variations. When you see some unusual color like orange or grey and other symptoms like fever, you must examine it. There’s no harm in checking, right? And in case you are pregnant, you must not wait for anything. Any discharge during pregnancy is a matter of concern.
How to prevent black period blood
Are you thinking about how you can prevent black period blood?
Let’s see what can be done to prevent black period blood:
No sex on periods
The first thing you can avoid during periods is sex. Because during your periods, you have the highest risk of getting infected. You are susceptible to STIs and other UTIs during this time. Sex during periods may cause black blood discharge, which can be prevented without sex.
No contraceptives
If you don’t want to bleed black, you must stop taking emergency contraceptives. As per research, contraceptives have been causing the black period in many women. Also, if you have been on sex hormone medicine, stop taking them. Anything you do to stop your body from acting naturally will have an effect.
No stress during the period
Did you know stress can influence your period? You need to relax and let the period be smooth so that all the residuals are out of your body without having anything left in your system, causing a black period.
No bad hygiene
You need to make sure that you clean your intimate area regularly. Always change your tampons or pads for a maximum of 4 hours.
Do have regular gynecological sessions to help you in detecting gynecological diseases. The black period may not be something to be concerned about, but getting yourself regularly checked helps prevent any kind of disease.
The effect of the black period on you
You already know how important menstruation is and how it affects your overall health. The menstruation cycle shows a clear picture of the health of your sex organs. If you have a great menstruation cycle, you have a great reproductive system!
Regular menstruation helps regenerate the uterine lining and also stimulates the sex hormones, which helps in developing the ovaries and ovulation naturally.
However black period often causes hormonal disbalance in your body along with psychological disturbances like anxiety. You may also feel sleepy and tired most of the time because of the unusual discharge.
Black period blood may also reduce your sexual desire, harming your relationship with your partner. This happens because the black period also restricts the development of your follicles, affecting your ovulation cycle.
How to regularize your period naturally
One of the major causes of your black period blood is irregular periods. Hence once you regularize your period, most of the problem is solved. Let us see what natural practices you can adapt to make your periods normal:
Yoga: you will be amazed to know that yoga can cure all your menstrual issues, including black period blood. In 12 weeks, you will notice that your body feels lighter, and the pelvic pain is reduced along with a smooth period.
Maintaining weight: Obesity has a major role in your menstruation cycle. If your weight is on the higher side, you will experience a black blood period more often, along with pain. This is because of the impact of your fat cells, which disbalances insulin and hormones.
Exercising regularly and eating healthy: The most common problem you may face with irregular bleeding is PCOS. And in black period blood, PCOS is one of the main causes. But the good news is that this can be cured with an active and healthy lifestyle. Avoid fried and fatty food items in your diet, and add more fibrous-rich food, which will help make you feel lighter and more active.
Final Thoughts
Now that you are at the end of this article, I hope it clears all your queries on black period blood. Now you know why and when it happens, try adapting the changes, and you may see some amazing results. Most importantly, trust your body, act accordingly, and get help from a doctor if needed. Happy periods!