The Most Common Causes of Menstrual Spotting
Your period is an invaluable indicator of the overall health of your body. Think of it like a monthly report card providing a brutally honest evaluation of your diet, lifestyle, and environment. If you are suffering from painful periods, horrible mood swings, or perhaps not having periods at all, these are all indicators that something is wrong.
Your period is your 5th vital sign.
Your period is so important that the American College of Obstetricians and Gyenecologists (ACOG) recommends that menstrual history be used as a vital sign when evaluating the health of females.
Basically, we should be paying close attention to our periods because they give us important feedback on our overall health.
Before we dive into reasons for spotting, let’s outline what a healthy period looks like:
●21-35 day cycles
●Bleed 3-7 days
●25 ml- 80 ml of blood loss. Average 50 ml. (80 mls about 16 tampons)
●Pain-free but mild cramping on first day can be present (if you have pain on the first or second day a few Advil should take it away so you can go about your day normally. Ideally you don’t want to have to take Advil)
●It should “sneak up” on you.
●Blood should be a bright cranberry red, consistency of maple syrup
● 3 or fewer days of spotting. Ideally, there will be no spotting at all.
The color of your period blood is also very important.
Observing your period blood is the easiest way to get a report on how things are going down there. There is nothing to be squeamish about, ladies. Every woman bleeds; it's a normal bodily function.
The appearance, frequency, and consistency of your menstrual blood provides a window into your overall health, and if you want to have a balanced mood, clear skin, a healthy weight, and pain-free periods, it’s time you get up close and personal with it.
What your period blood says about your period:
The color: Bright, cranberry-red
The consistency: Like jello mix that hasn’t set (medium viscosity: not too thin, not too thick)
The length: 5-7 days
What it means: This is what’s considered a normal, healthy period. Continue to eat healthy fats and lots of plant based foods, and to get appropriate exercise.
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The color: Brown
The consistency: Thin/streaky
What it means: Low progesterone. That brown stuff is old oxidized blood that didn’t make it out of your uterus last cycle and it’s caused by low progesterone levels. These low levels may be at the root of your period symptoms and may also cause you to struggle with regular ovulation.
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The color: Dark, purple/blue
The consistency: Thick with clots
The length: Longer than a week
What it means: This blueberry color is a sign of too much estrogen. Estrogen dominance causes a lot of the typical symptoms associated with problematic periods, and potentially lead to endometriosis, cysts, or fibroids. Over the long term, excess estrogen can lead to more serious health consequences
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The color: Barely-there pink
The consistency: Too light to tell
The length: 3 days or less
What it means: A super-short period and extra light bleeding may indicate low estrogen levels. Your hormones are made from the food you eat, so your low estrogen is likely due to vitamin and nutrient deficiencies from improper and extreme dieting as well as from HPA Axis Dysfunction.Spotting a few days before the period is normal (but not ideal) but if it’s more than three days consistently this should eventually be investigated by your health care provider. A hormone test can also be greatly beneficial to pin point what could be causing this.
So now that you know what a healthy period looks like, let's break down the common causes of spotting, shall we?
Common causes of spotting:
1) Ovulation. A little spotting mixed in cervical fluid during this time is normal and a sign of fertility. Not all menstruators have spotting at ovulation. This is all due to fluctuating levels of estrogen. Estrogen is low at the beginning of your cycle and then it rises eventually reaching a peak where it signals the release of luteinizing hormone, signaling the ovaries to release an egg.
This surge of luteinizing hormone brings a drop in estrogen which destabilizes the endometrium, the lining of the uterus, and can cause a little of the lining to shed, resulting in spotting. This is entirely normal and signifies your hormones are working as they should. It’s estimated that up to 9% of menstruating women experience spotting with ovulation.
2) Spotting with the copper IUD. The copper IUD can cause spotting (as well as heavier and longer periods) but if it’s chronic perhaps it’s time to look into other birth control options
3) Inflammation: If spotting is chronic it could be from a source of inflammation in the body due to an STI, bacteria infection, fibroid, polyps, ovarian cyst, and one should seek medical attention ASAP.
4) Hormone imbalance- Common hormone imbalances for spotting are:
Low progesterone- this causes the uterine lining to shed early and if you chart your cycles this usually manifests as a short luteal phase.
Elevated cortisol- because stress, eh? High levels of cortisol can deplete your steroid hormones and can reduce fertility. This sometimes leads to spotting.
Low thyroid- we need healthy progesterone for healthy levels of thyroid hormone, so if you have low progesterone you may also have low thyroid. these go together. This might manifest on your cycle chart in low basal body temperatures (below 97.2 in follicular phase and below 98.4 in your luteal phase) Other symptoms of low thyroid you might experience are cold feet and hands, fatigue, and constipation.
Tips to reduce spotting
Supplement with Vitamin C- vitamin C is required for making catecholamines (stress hormones). In times of stress, our adrenal glands increase production of stress hormones, and because of this require more vitamin C. A safe dose is anywhere from 500mg-1,000mg a day. I personally use Paleo Valley’s Essential C Complex because it’s a food based source of vitamin C.
Adaptogens- adaptogens make us more resilient to stress and help our HPA Axis (hypothalamic adrenal axis) get back to homeostasis quicker. My favorite adaptogens are Ashwaghanda and holy basil. I personally use Four Sigmatic’s Adaptogen blend each morning which has a mixture of these & adaptogenic mushrooms. Use code "PERIODGURU' for 10% off.
Deep breathing- Deep breathing helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and relax) by toning the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the nerve that connects the gut to the brain. By stimulating the vagus nerve, you can send a message to your body that it's time to relax and de-stress, . I recommend at least 10-20 minutes a day of conscious deep breathing. Some great options are box breathing (inhale 5, hold 5, exhale 7, hold 5 and repeat 5 times), or you can download The Breathing App for free to practice resonance breathing.
For more help on your hormone balancing journey, check out my self-paced online course, The Period Solution, which can help you balance your hormones and start feeling better ASAP! This 6-module course comes with all the resources, recipes, and exercise videos you need to balance your hormones and regulate your periods.
Your partner in health,