Brown Vaginal Discharge : Causes, Treatment, Frequently Asked Question

The brown vaginal discharge refers to spotting in the brown or in reddish brown color from the vagina. The blood which remains present in the fluid turns to be brown as it gets older. Usually, brown discharge is not a matter of concern for most of the women but in the cases, if it is observed because of some infection then the treatment of brown vaginal discharge is necessary.

There are many general concerns of a woman which causes to generate brown spotting or discharge from the vagina. Like if a woman is in her older age or in perimenopause phase, hormonal changes, an initial phase of pregnancy, ovulation etc. then she can normally notice a brown color vaginal discharge. Apart from these normal reasons, there are some reasons which don’t indicate a normal health condition and needs to be cured for avoiding further complications.

Causes of Brown Vaginal Discharge

Brown or Reddish brown discharge occurs due to some normal reasons whereas in some cases it occurs due to some severe health concerns like infection, symptoms of vaginal cancer, PID etc. which should not be left untreated otherwise it can be life threatening too. Below we have mentioned the most probable reasons behind the brown vaginal discharge.

Ovulation

Ovulation is the state or condition in which a woman secretes fertilized eggs from the vagina which if gets merged with sperm then there exist very high chances of pregnancy. Due to the high level of generation of productive hormones, a brownish discharge appears from the vagina.

In the initial time of ovulation phase estrogen hormone are increased causing to grow the uterine lining. After some time the progesterone hormone levels get increased which thicken the uterine lining. The reason for brown discharge during the ovulation phase is because the growth of uterine lining which is not thickened yet, in initial time because of the high amount of estrogen generation.

Peri-Menopause

Perimenopause phase is the state of a woman’s life circle where she is moving slowly towards the menopause phase in which the menstrual cycle gets over or completed means there would be no more further period or blood flow. So in the perimenopause phase, the period becomes irregular. Sometimes you can get period at two to three months interval whereas sometimes period comes after a year.

To fill the gap of a big interval between two periods a brown discharge appears from the vagina which is generally because of a stagnant blood flow which gets mature with time and secreted as a brown spotting. Perimenopause phase starts from the age of 45 and lasts till 55 whereas in few women it starts since the age of 35 which is a very rare case.

Period

You might have observed that in some months the period flow discharge starts with a brown color discharge also in some months at the end time of period days like the 4^th day or on 5^th day instead of normal blood flow a brown color discharge appears which is not a matter of concern or tension. This is a normal state which happens sometimes and it doesn’t indicate any severe disease.

Implantation

Implantation is the early pregnancy phase where lots of changes occur due to the implant of a new baby in your womb and these changes cause sometimes the brownish discharge or spotting. Not all women notice brown discharge during the implantation time but if some woman is observing it then it is not a matter of worry as it is normal.

The moment when you are expecting your period but instead of that a brown vaginal discharge appears then a very high chance exists that you are in your early stage of pregnancy and this spotting is an outcome of sudden internal changes in the body. This mainly happens with the woman who does unprotected sex. For confirming the pregnancy you require to take its test, only brown spotting before period cannot be a sign of pregnancy.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

The pelvic inflammatory disease or PID is a sexually transmitted disease which is a severe health condition that immediate requires medical help otherwise it can be malicious if remains untreated. It causes infection in the reproductive system of women who are affected by it and it can even destroy the fertility power and further complications occur if not treated in the initial phase of infection.

PID is the most dangerous form of the sexually transmitted disease which is transmitted during sex from one partner to another. The woman who is affected by the PID observes pain in the abdomen, pain during sex and urination, burning sensation while urination, foul-smelling etc.

Hormonal Changes

Changes or fluctuation of hormones causes to brown vaginal discharge. There are many occasions in which your hormonal level fluctuates at a very high rate and these sudden changes inside the reproductive system cause brownish discharge.

Hormonal fluctuation mainly occurs during the menstrual cycle, ovulation phase, during implantation, polycystic ovary syndrome, perimenopause etc. In all these phases hormones like estrogen and progesterone rises in a high level which causes to generate a brown vaginal discharge.

Stress

It is been seen in many cases that the woman who is taking over stress or tension observes brown discharge occasionally. This is a temporary condition which can get disappear completely if the stress level is reduced.

Overstress affects our health and this causes to change in hormonal level in a very rapid way. As a result instead of your regular period or during the ends days of the period you can see a brown spotting. Stress can affect your health many ways so you need to apply some effective stress bursting methods like yoga, meditation etc. to get rid out of it.

Treatment Procedure of Brown Vaginal Discharge

If someone is noticing the brown vaginal discharge for one or two days then it is not a matter of concern, but yes if the brown spotting or discharge lasts for more than three days then don’t ignore it at all as this might be an indication of some severe internal health-related problem. Also if the brown vaginal discharge is accompanied by the swollen, pain and itching in the vagina, cramps, back pain, heavy flow more than three days, darker blood flow during the period then it simply depicts that an abnormal health sign and medical attention required.

Before starting the treatment procedure the doctor will do a thorough examination first of the uterus in order to find out the real cause of brown discharge then and only he can recommend for the needed treatment as per your current condition.

Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis treatment process is applied to the pregnant women. As brown vaginal discharge can lead a pregnant woman in a difficult condition so its treatment procedure is different than the non-pregnant woman. A regular brown vaginal discharge during the pregnancy period can often cause miscarriage or other complications while giving birth to the baby.

Medications which is suggested by the gynecologists to the pregnant women for getting relieved from brown discharge are metronidazole, topical, medical therapy etc. In the BV treatment process, the treatment of partner has also included which in no way affect the pregnant woman’s health.

Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

The vulvovaginal candidiasis is another process of treating the brown vaginal discharge which is applicable for non-pregnant women. The medications which are suggested by the gynecologist under this treatment process are azoles or fluconazole which make relived the woman from frequent unusual brown discharge.

Under the condition even after the application of these medications, the vaginal discharge is appearing after two to three months on a frequent basis then further clinical help is required to treat it and for avoiding further complications associated with it. Partner’s treatment is not required in this type of treatment process.

Apart from the above mentioned medical treatment procedures; there are few natural home remedies which can relieve you from unusual brown vaginal discharge. Some effective home based remedies are mentioned below to get rid of difficulties associated with the brown discharge.

• Maintain hygiene, if you are observing or noticing a brown discharge after or before your period for more than three days. Clean you internal parts nicely and always wear cleaned or hygienic undergarments.
• If you are using tampons then make sure that it is changed frequently otherwise a long time used tampons can cause infection to the vagina which in further becomes a reason of brownish discharge.
• Don’t douche the vagina.
• Nylon or mixed cotton undergarments should be avoided as these clothes can cause harm to your skin and later on may give birth to harmful bacteria which are not good for your vaginal health. So always prefer to wear cotton undergarments and lose one on the safer side.
• Scented soaps and talcum powders are harmful to the vaginal health as these products are rich with some chemicals which are not good and sometimes cause infection too.
• Blood disorder often occurs due to lack of iron in your body. So for avoiding the brown vaginal discharge, you should include iron-rich foods in your daily intake.
• If you have gone through some cervical examination then make sure that you are using the prescribed washer for cleaning your internal part.
• Take less stress as in most of the cases after proper verification it is found by the doctors that overstress in behavior is become the reason of the brownish vaginal discharge which gets disappear with the time if you reduce your stress level.
• Healthy diet taking habit is the key to a successful and a healthy body. The women who are weak by health or have very weaker immunity power are most likely the victim of any unusual vaginal discharge such as brown discharge.
• Don’t put or insert an object inside the vagina as it can cause severe infection and many side effects can be seen as an outcome. Brown vaginal discharge can appear after the insertion of some object inside the vagina.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Women have often some common queries regarding the brown vaginal discharge. They want to know why this kind of discharge appears or how does it can affect their health further. Some common and recent frequently asked questions regarding brown discharge are enlisted below.

Why is the color of my discharge brown?

Ans.- The color of discharge looks brown as because it is nothing but the old stagnant blood which is getting discharged after a long time so its color is tuned to brown instead of red.

Am I pregnant?

Ans.- Certain section of women has a myth that brown vaginal discharge is a  sign of pregnancy which is not 100% correct. Yes, it is true that during implantation phase some woman notices brown discharge but these cases are rare. Only after the medical test or home pregnancy test kit, you should conform to your pregnancy.

Why am I noticing the smelling brown discharge?

Ans.-  Some women often make a query that why they are observing a brown discharge along with some bad smell. If your discharge is smelling then it is not an indication of good health and this is might be happening because of the Pelvic Inflammatory disease, a sexually transmitted infection which requires immediate treatment otherwise severe complications can be generated.

Why is brown discharge appearing during the end days of the period?

Ans.- Brown discharge during the end days or after the period, occurs due to some remaining endometrial tissues which are left and not excreting from the uterus. This is a temporary phenomenon which is normal and nothing to worry about it.

Why is brown discharge appearing before the starting of my period?

Ans.- if you have not shred all the endometrial tissues in your last menstrual cycle then chances exists that before the starting of your current month period some brown spotting or discharge appears.

Why is brown color discharge appearing between two periods?

Ans.– Brown discharge between two periods mainly appears because of your ovulation. This is quite normal and not need any medical help.

Depending upon the woman’s current and previous medical history it depends that the brown discharge is normal or it is because of some abnormal health condition. Whatever the reason lies behind it, the treatment of brown vaginal discharge can relive you completely and saves you from further complications associated with it.