Bleeding After Menopause

As a woman nears menopause sometime in her late 40’s or early 50’s, she will begin to menstruate erratically, which is perfectly normal. Usually during post-menopause, the first signs of change will be noticed. After the woman has stopped menstruating for one year, she is considered in full-blown menopause. Therefore, it is important to understand that during the change of life, on and off again bleeding is expected.

Now, while bleeding during menopause is normal, bleeding after menopause is not normal and should be taken as a sign that something potentially serious could be occurring. First, the least of the concerns would be due to a reduction in estrogen production. This happens during the post-menopause phase and is caused when the lining of the vagina becomes dry, thin, and loses its elasticity. Typically what happens is that vaginal tissue becomes inflamed or broken and thus, the bleeding after menopause. The problem with this is that sometimes, sexual intercourse can cause more severe injury.

If at any time a woman experiences bleeding after menopause, she should meet with her healthcare provider for a thorough examination. Although the bleeding might be something very minor, it could also be the first sign of something quite serious. For example, bleeding after menopause could also be associated with a hormonal imbalance, use of birth control pills, benign growths in the uterus lining, and uterine fibroid tumors. However, this could also be a sign of serious malignant cancer that could prove to be deadly.

In many cases, when these cancerous cells are identified, they can be controlled with the proper treatment. For this reason, it is imperative that any unusual bleeding associated with menopause be taken seriously. In addition, just because a women has entered post-menopause or menopause does not mean she should stop having annual pap smears. This misnomer has sadly caused many women to lose their lives due to cancer. Just because a women is no longer menstruating does not mean she is protected from uterine or vaginal cancer. Therefore, being proactive is always better than having to be reactive.

If you are heading toward your late 40’s and have begun to notice symptoms of menopause, know you are not alone. The best thing you can do is educate yourself on the types of symptoms that commonly follow menopause along with the various forms of treatment. While you should not worry about bleeding after menopause, you should at least be aware that this is not normal so if you should experience this situation, you know what to do.

See Also: Postmenopausal Bleeding | Bleeding After Menopause