Normal and abnormal menstrual blood color, according to experts

Different colors of vaginal discharge (vaginal discharge) can indicate special health conditions that a woman may have. Likewise with the color of your menstrual blood. Want to know what a normal color of menstrual blood should look like and what might indicate a problem? Check out the explanations from the following experts, yes!

What is the color of normal menstrual blood?

According to an expert on hormones and women's reproductive health from John Hopkins University, Alisa Vitti, normal menstrual blood should be bright red.

Red here means ripe cherries. However, the hue of the red color may also vary from woman to woman. Different colors of menstrual blood will depend on the thickness of the blood or how much volume is released.

Bright red color is usually most visible on the first and second day of menstruation, as explained by dr. Raquel B. Dardik, an obstetrician from Langone Medical Center. The reason is, the blood that comes out in the first two days of menstruation is usually still fresh and the flow is quite heavy.

Variations in blood color during normal and not menstruation

Color illustration of normal and not menstrual blood

In general, a cherry-colored blood indicates that your periods are regular and healthy. However, menstrual blood has other colorful variations. Some are still normal while others can be a sign of trouble. Here's the explanation:

The color of menstrual blood is pink

According to a nursing expert from New York, Margaret Romero, pink menstrual blood color can sometimes indicate that you lack estrogen levels in the body. Especially if your menstrual blood volume is very small.

It is common for people who exercise regularly and professional athletes to have pink menstrual bleeding. In addition, pay attention to other symptoms that appear such as irregular periods or no menstruation for several months.

Estrogen deficiency should not be tolerated. This condition can increase the risk of vaginal dryness, loss of sex drive, and the risk of osteoporosis. Don't get used to exercising too intensely. Check with your doctor if you experience the symptoms above.

Apart from these two triggers, pink blood often appears midway through the menstrual cycle. This is normal and indicates that you are ovulating. When ovulation, menstrual blood mixes with cervical fluid so that the color looks younger.

Menstrual blood is also often pink at the beginning or end of a cycle. This condition is fairly normal

Orange menstrual blood color

Menstrual blood can also be orange. This condition occurs when blood mixes with cervical fluid so that the color fades.

The orange color can also appear as a sign of implantation bleeding when a fertilized egg attaches to the uterus. This condition usually occurs 10 to 14 days after conception. Sometimes, the color of the blood that appears can also be brown. If you experience this bleeding when it's been a long time late, it's a good idea to have a pregnancy checkup.

On the other hand, orange patches don't always bode well. Sometimes, orange patches that you think are menstrual blood can signal an infection. Actually what comes out may be abnormal vaginal discharge that is orange in color, not blood. It could be due to a bacterial infection of the vagina or a sexually transmitted disease.

Menstrual blood color light or dark brown

Brown blood color means that the blood has been sitting in the uterus for a long time before it is expelled. Don't panic just yet. According to dr. Raquel Dardik, this is natural. Maybe this blood is left over from last month's menstruation that hasn't been shed completely.

Brown or dark brown blood also usually appears in the last days of menstruation when blood flow has started to slow down.

In addition, brown blood can sometimes be a sign of pregnancy (implantation bleeding). Therefore, you need to visit a gynecologist if your period comes late and when it comes out brown.

The color of menstrual blood is bright red

As mentioned earlier, a bright red color indicates fresh, healthy blood. This blood color generally appears at the beginning of menstruation and will darken towards the end of menstruation.

However, some women may experience bright red blood throughout the first day until the end.

If you experience bright red bleeding between menstrual cycles, be careful. We recommend that you check with a doctor because this can indicate health problems, one of which is sexually transmitted diseases.

The color of menstrual blood is dark red

Dark red menstrual blood color can appear when you just wake up or have just laid down for a while while having your period. The dark color can mean that menstrual blood flow has been retained in the uterus, but not long enough for it to turn brown.

Dark red menstrual blood color can also appear at the end of menstruation, when menstrual blood flow begins to slow down.

The color dark red can also mean lochia. Lokia is bleeding from the vagina after giving birth. The bleeding can be quite a lot and contain clots. During the first 3 days, lochia may appear dark red and then change color.

If you have a cesarean section, this bleeding only lasts for about 24 hours.

The color of menstrual blood is grayish red

If the color of your menstrual blood looks gray-red, you may have a certain infection. For example, a bacterial infection or sexually transmitted disease. Especially if your blood also smells bad. We recommend that you immediately check with your doctor to find out the cause and get treatment as early as possible.

Apart from infection, dr. Alyssa Dweck said that the grayish color of menstrual blood could be a sign of a miscarriage. You may not even realize that you are pregnant and have had a miscarriage. Immediately contact the doctor or the nearest hospital emergency room if you suspect you are pregnant.

Is it normal for menstrual blood to change color every month?

No need to worry. It is very normal if the color of menstrual blood changes every month. In fact, different colors often appear in one period. The reason is, there are many factors that can trigger it and it is often not a big problem.

In general, women will have their periods starting with a bright red color and ending with a dark red or brown. The flow will also be very heavy at the beginning and slow down when entering the last days.

However, of course you also need to be more sensitive to your own body. The reason is, not all of these color changes are normal. As already mentioned, orange or red-gray menstrual blood can indicate serious health problems.

Apart from a different blood color than usual, health problems are also often marked by the appearance of other symptoms in the body. For this reason, don't be lazy to see a doctor when many symptoms appear that you are not used to.