Bleeding After MenopauseYou are officially considered to have reached menopause when you’ve gone at least 12 months without having a menstrual cycle. If after a span of one year, you suddenly start bleeding again, you will want to see your doctor as soon as possible. Post menopausal bleeding could be a sign that something may be wrong with your health. While in many cases, the bleeding could be due to benign causes, chances are it could be more serious and should be checked. Talking with your doctor will allow you to be evaluated and make certain that the risk of diseases such as cancer are ruled out through a blood test, a pap test and pelvic exam. Benign Causes So if it’s not more serious what could be going on? · Thinning of the Uterine Walls: The most common reason for this sort of bleeding is the thinning of the uterine walls once menopause sets in and there are no more menstrual cycles. This is brought on by a decreased level of estrogen in the body. Generally this does not require any treatment and will eventually stop in due time. · Hormone Medications/Fluctuations: Some hormone meds that are used to treat the symptoms of menopause can lead to spotting. This is also true of blood thinners. This sort of spotting or bleeding can also be brought on by fluctuations in the levels progesterone and estrogen in your body. Some women may even find that they have not truly completed menopause. · Uterine Polyps or Fibroids: While uterine polyps and fibroids are usually benign, doctors sometimes recommend surgery for their removal. This is because the location where these polyps are found in the uterus can often be the same site where cancer can develop and grow. Generally fibroids tend to reduce in size as estrogen levels in the body decrease; however, if they do not shrink and instead cause vaginal bleeding, they could be a sign of malignant changes in the uterus. · Endometrial Hyperplasia: This a condition in which the lining of the uterus overgrows. Women of menopausal age as well as those women who have experienced long periods of exposure to estrogen (women whose menstrual cycles began at a young age, women who have polycystic ovarian syndrome, women who have never had children or those who began menopause late) in particular are more at risk for developing this condition. Identifying a treatment for this condition is particularly important as women who have it are at higher risk for developing endometrial cancer. Treatment may involve surgery or in milder cases, medical monitoring and medication. Malignant Causes Cervical, uterine and endometrial cancers often show their presence through post menopausal spotting and warrant the most immediate care possible when they’ve been found. Malignant causes are why seeking medical care is so very important when vaginal bleeding occurs after menopause. Cancer is a terrible disease that often affects women of elder years and is more likely to develop in the reproductive organs (breasts and uterus) rather than any other part of the body. The sooner it can be diagnosed, the better the chances are for elimination of the malignant cells and survival. In the past, one of the reasons that women often died of cancer in their elder years (beyond the more limited knowledge of cancer at the time) was the fact that they kept their uterine health problems to themselves. Never keep something like this a secret! If you have reason for concern see a doctor as soon as possible and ask to be evaluated. Nobody else needs to know, but your doctor very much does need to know, and the sooner the better.
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