Spotting In Between Menses - Know Why It Happens!

On an average, a woman’s menstrual cycle lasts for 21-35 days. However, sometimes, you may notice a little bleeding even though you weren’t expecting your period. Firstly, you should know that is commonly experienced by a number of women. Secondly, spotting or bleeding between your period and is usually not a serious condition, but if it recurs often, then you should consult a doctor. There are many factors that may cause bleeding between periods.

Some of them are:

1. Ovulation: While many women are unaware of when they ovulate, for others ovulation is marked by light spotting. This is not something to worry about and should last only a day or two after ovulation.
2. Implantation bleeding: If you are trying to get pregnant and experience bleeding between periods, it may be a sign of conception. When the egg is fertilized by the sperm, the women’s body begins preparing for pregnancy and the walls of the uterus begin to change. This can cause bleeding known as implantation bleeding.
3. Contraction side effects: Birth control pills can affect your hormones. If the oestrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate too much, they can cause disturbance sin your menstrual cycle leading to spotting between periods. This usually occurs when you start or stop taking birth control medication such as pills, hormonal IUDs, patches, shots and patches. Consult your gynaecologist to find the best birth control method suited to you.
4. Fibroids: Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths on the walls of the uterus. Fibroids can affect women of all ages and are quite common among women who have already given birth. Bleeding between periods and heavy spotting are the most common symptoms of fibroids. Small fibroids usually resolve themselves without medication but in cases of large fibroids, surgery may be needed to remove them.
5. Infections: Vaginal bleeding in between periods may also be caused by vaginal infections. Infections of the reproductive organs can cause inflammation of the uterine lining leading to spotting and bleeding. Some of the common causes of vaginal infections are:
   • Douching the vagina
   • Unprotected intercourse
   • Sexually transmitted diseases
   • Pelvic inflammatory diseases

Pregnancy complications
Skipping a period is when most women know that they are pregnant. However, light spotting is quite common in the first trimester of pregnancy. This is usually harmless but it is always better to consult your gynaecologist to ensure that this bleeding is not a symptom of something more serious like an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy refers to cases where the fertilized egg is implanted in the fallopian tubes instead of in the uterus. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!