Is Menopause Bleeding A Cause For Concern
Rebecca Prescott
If you haven't had a period for a long time and think you are well into
the menopause, bleeding can cause you a great deal of concern.
Don't panic though; there are a number of possible reasons for your
bleed. Even if the bleeding does turn out to be a sign of something
more serious, getting a diagnosis and early treatment should ensure you
can solve the problem.
The first possibility is that you are still having occasional periods.
As women go through the menopause their cycles often become irregular
and missed periods are common. They can become lighter and shorter or
heavier and longer; all women are different. Although women are classed
as being post menopausal when they haven't had a period for a year,
they may still have an occasional period after this time.
Once you really are post menopausal, there are other possible reasons
for bleeding. Decreased levels of estrogen mean the walls of the
vaginal become thinner and generally more prone to bleeding, especially
after sexual intercourse. You may also experience bleeding due to a
vaginal infection, or growths in the uterus. A trip to your doctor or
gynecologist should put your mind at rest in these cases.
The most serious possible cause of bleeding is cancer of the
uterus, known as endometrial cancer. There is a fairly high incidence
of this cancer in North America, with 40,000 new endometrial cancer
cases and 7,500 deaths predicted for 2007. Women are more at risk when
they are undergoing Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) that only
involves estrogen and not progesterone, as progesterone protects the
lining of the uterus.
The sooner endometrial cancer is diagnosed, the more chance there is of
an effective cure. Bleeding is a very early indicator of this
disease, so you should always consult your doctor if you experience
unexplained vaginal bleeding.
Typically, bleeding caused by endometrial cancer has certain
characteristics. Women usually experience a watery, blood streaked
flow, with the proportion of blood gradually increasing over time. This
may be accompanied by pain whilst passing urine, pain in the pelvis and
pain during sexual intercourse. Of course these three additional
symptoms can be indicators of other post menopause problems so don't
panic, but do mention them to your doctor.
If your doctor suspects possible endometrial cancer they will usually
perform a transvaginal ultrasound so see if the endometrium, or uterus
lining, is unusually thick. If it is they will then recommend a biopsy
where a sample of the tissue form the lining of the uterus is removed
and sent for laboratory testing.
If you experience post menopausal bleeding, there is most likely a
simple explanation. However, if you are worried you should always
consult your doctor or gynecologist. At the very least they will be
able to put your mind at rest, or prescribe something to ease your
symptoms. In the worst case, a trip to the doctor for early diagnosis
and treatment could actually save your life.
For those women who are post-menopausal, find out more here about
bleeding after menopause:
http://www.menopausetohealth.com/Bleeding_After_Menopause .
html Rebecca has many articles on the various stages of menopause here:
http://www.menopausetohealth.com
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