What Does It Mean If I'm Bleeding After Menopause?

During pre or peri-menopause, in a woman's late forties or early fifties, she will have her periods on a very erratic basis, heavy, light, short or long. This is very common.

After the menstrual cycle has stopped and a woman has gone twelve consecutive months without a period or a menstrual cycle she is considered to be fully menopausal.

Any bleeding after menopause, even erratic bleeding, is not considered normal.

The most common causes of bleeding after menopause is when the tissue inside the vagina becomes swollen or torn which may occur via a pelvic exam or sex. Sexual intercourse while that tissue is in poor condition can make the bleeding much worse.

If you have any bleeding, you should immediately make an appointment with your family doctor or your gynecologist for an examination.

Your doctor will likely want to run some blood tests and do a pelvic exam. In most cases, the bleeding is not severe and is easily controlled.

Although it may only be something minor, be safe and get it checked out by your doctor, it is possible that is is the first sign of something serious.

• Many women continue to experience a hormonal imbalance in their systems.
  
• Some women have benign growths in the lining of the uterus that can get irritated or irritate the tissue around them that causes bleeding
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• Uterine fibroid tumors can also cause mild to serious bleeding.
  
• It may be an indicator of a cancer.

If the bleeding is related to cancer, you and your doctor will have caught quite early and catching cancer early allows immediate treatment, one of the keys to beating the cancer.

To many women are under the mistaken belief that menopause means they do not need their yearly pap smear any longer.

This mistaken belief has caused the deaths of many women because they believe this exam is no longer necessary. Even though a post menopausal woman no longer menstruates does not mean that not at risk for uterine, vaginal cancer, or other serious cancers.And primary reason for a pap smear is to be checking for potential cancers.