Brown discharge: get rid of your doubts

The woman must always be attentive to her health and, when observing any strange sign, seek professional help to find out what it is about.

The appearance of a brown discharge, for example, is frequent and can cause concerns for some women. And it really shouldn’t be ignored. Below, Alessandra Bedin Rubino, gynecologist at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, answered the most common questions on the subject.

What does brown discharge mean?

Gynecologist Alessandra explains that the so-called brown discharge can occur for several reasons. And without a medical consultation it is not possible to diagnose them. “But it’s usually some very small amount of blood (from the uterus or from the vagina itself) that collects with the vaginal discharge and ends up turning brown,” she says.

Other causes, according to the gynecologist, would be: uterine or vaginal infections, normal early pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy (in the tubes, for example), threatened abortion, pre-menopause, hormonal changes, onset of menstruation in adolescence, cancer of the cervix, endometrial cancer, uterine polyps, uterine fibroids, among others.

Incidence

Because it is something that happens for several reasons, it is very frequent. “For the same reason, there is no way to estimate the number of women who have brown discharge. But, you can say that, at least once in her life, a woman has/will have this type of discharge”, says gynecologist Alessandra.

How to treat it?

Precisely because brown discharge occurs for different reasons, it is impossible to answer this question without a medical diagnosis. However, as the most frequent and relatively simple cause is menstrual leakage, gynecologist Alessandra Bedin makes some observations.

“Menstrual leakage may be related to small hormonal variations, whose rates are not enough to stabilize the endometrium (inner layer of the uterus, variable during the menstrual cycle), and it ends up escaping and leaving”, explains the doctor.

“In the low-dose pills, which are the most used today, this is frequent, and represents more than 50% of cases”, adds the gynecologist. “But if they were taken correctly, daily, respecting the maximum recommended two-hour variation, there is nothing that needs to be done, just observe. If it’s something prolonged, maybe switching the pill would be an interesting idea, as the discharge bothers a woman a lot,” she says.

Is there any way to prevent it?

To prevent menstrual leakage from occurring, “in addition to taking adequate pills, indicated by the gynecologist especially for you, taking them at the correct time is very important”, reminds gynecologist Alessandra.

Seek medical help!

“Because it has numerous causes (and consequences), whenever brown discharge occurs, it is necessary to seek help from the gynecologist”, concludes the doctor.

Maybe it’s just a menstrual leak, but it’s always worth remembering that brown discharge can be a sign of a more serious problem. Only with a professional diagnosis, the case can be treated in the best possible way. Always pay attention to your intimate health!

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.