Why is my period blood pouring out like water?

Key takeaways

• Watery period blood is usually not a cause for concern. It often occurs at the start or end of your period.
• Period blood can change in color and consistency every month due to factors like diet, lifestyle, aging, and hormonal changes.
• In some cases, watery period blood may indicate underlying conditions like low estrogen levels, menopause, or infections.

Overview

The appearance of your period blood can vary each month, and this is generally not a cause for concern. The color and consistency of period blood can change based on whether you are beginning or ending the menstrual phase in your cycle.

You might experience a watery period due to various factors, such as starting hormonal birth control and having low estrogen levels.

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Why is my period blood watery?

Toward the start or the end of your period, the blood may appear watery. This can sometimes occur due to taking hormonal birth control. It makes the lining in your uterus thinner, which means that your body has a smaller amount of tissue to discharge during your period. As a result, it may result in a more watery period.

Keep in mind that everyone’s body is different, and your period blood may not appear watery at either the start or end of your period. This is also generally not a cause for concern.

Yet sometimes, if the blood looks watery, it may be a sign of an underlying health condition, including:

• low estrogen levels
• menopause
• infections

What does a different color of period blood mean?

Period blood can change in color and consistency every month. You may have variations in the volume of menstrual blood you discharge from one menstrual cycle to the next. The average amount of blood a person loses during their period is between 2 and 3 tablespoons.

The changes in color and consistency of period blood can come down to various factors, such as:

• diet
• lifestyle
• aging
• hormonal changes

The color of period blood can range from pink to bright red or dark brown. While changes in color and volume of period blood are common, this may be a sign of an underlying condition, such as infections or a miscarriage.

In rare cases, people may experience irregular bleeding or unusual period blood color due to cervical cancer.

Brown

Brown discharge may be a sign of pregnancy, or it may occur after giving birth and usually lasts 5 to 9 days. This is typically not a cause for concern.

It may also mean that you are discharging old blood that has had time to oxidize before leaving your body.

In some instances, brown discharge may be an early sign of a miscarriage.

Dark red

You may notice dark red period blood during the final days of your period due to the flow slowing down. Period blood may also look dark red when you wake up after sleeping. The darker color is because the blood started oxidizing while sitting in the uterus, but it did not have enough time to finish its oxidation and turn brown.

Dark red blood discharge can typically happen 1 to 4 days after giving birth.

Bright red

Bright red blood is more common at the start of your period. The bright color means that the blood is fresh.

It’s important to know that bleeding and spotting may also be signs of infection, such as sexually transmitted infections, or miscarriage.

Pink

You may notice pink blood at the beginning or the end of your period. You may also notice some pink spotting during ovulation. Pink blood may also be a sign of low estrogen levels or miscarriage.

Black

Black discharge may suggest that the blood has had enough time to oxidize in the uterus. This may happen after the implantation of a diaphragm or if any object has been left in the vagina by mistake, such as condoms, tampons, or sex toys.

Black discharge that resembles coffee grounds may be a sign of a missed miscarriage.

When should I be worried about clotting?

If you tend to experience heavy periods, you may sometimes notice clots in your blood. This is expected, and they are typically not a cause of concern as long as the clots are smaller than 25 millimeters, similar to the size of a U.S. quarter. If the blood clots are bigger than this, consider speaking with a doctor.

The cause of heavy periods and large blood clots may include:

• hormone-related concerns
• uterus or cervix cancer
• fibroids or polyps growth in the uterus
• miscarriage 
• pelvic inflammatory disease
• certain types of birth control devices, such as intrauterine device (IUD)

Treatment options

If you experience heavy periods, doctors may recommend you take some medications and make some changes in your lifestyle to improve your symptoms. This may include:

• birth control medications to reduce bleeding and make periods more regular, such as norethindrone (Camila) or tyblume (Levora)
• iron supplements
• pain medications, such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and naproxen (Aleve)
• antifibrinolytic medications to reduce bleeding
• intrauterine contraception to make periods more regular and reduce bleeding
• hormone therapy to reduce bleeding

A doctor can recommend the most appropriate treatment plan to improve your heavy periods based on your health conditions, age, and needs.

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When to speak with a doctor

While a change in color, texture, or volume is typically not a cause for concern and is not unusual, this may be a sign of an underlying health condition or infection.

You should consult a doctor or a gynecologist if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• bleeding after menopause
• missing 3 or more periods
• consistently irregular periods that change in length and volume every month
• a new or unusual vagina discharge
• fever
• itching inside or around the vagina
• foul smell coming from the vagina
• thick white- or gray-colored vaginal discharge, similar in texture to cottage cheese

If you experience bleeding or unusual vaginal discharge while you are pregnant, you should seek medical help immediately, as this may be a sign of miscarriage.

Summary

The color, volume, and consistency of period blood can vary each month. A watery discharge is more common at the beginning and at the end of your period.

The color of healthy menstrual blood typically varies from bright red to dark brown. A gray or black discharge may indicate an infection or another underlying condition. Vaginal infections may also cause a foul odor or itching.

If you experience bleeding or spotting during pregnancy, seek medical support immediately.

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