Spotting Between Periods: Is It Ever Normal?

Periods that come and go without incident are the best kinds of periods, but lately you’ve been experiencing spotting in between your regular menstrual cycles. While spotting that catches you unprepared is certainly a hassle in terms of cleaning and laundry, could it signal a health issue that needs addressing?

The reality is that abnormal bleeding is fairly common and a recent study found that more than 16% of women experience the issue. Of this number, slightly more than 6% of participants pointed to spotting as the reason behind their abnormal bleeding.

To gain more clarity about the issue, board-certified OB/GYN Dr. Sridevi Panchamukhi and the team at Eveskare take a closer look at spotting between periods here.

Hormone imbalances or fluctuations

One of the most common reasons why women experience spotting between periods is due to hormone imbalances or fluctuations.

For example, if you start hormonal birth control, such as an intrauterine device (IUD) or the birth control pill, you might experience spotting between your periods as your body adjusts to the outside introduction of reproductive hormones. Typically, this spotting should only last for a few cycles.

As well, adolescents who are just entering puberty might experience spotting as their hormones come on line and adjust. On the other end of the reproductive spectrum, many women experience spotting during perimenopause as hormones fluctuate.

Ovulation disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), also count spotting between periods among their symptoms.

Uterine fibroids

It might surprise you to learn that 77% of women develop uterine fibroids during their reproductive years. The good news is that, in most cases, these growths inside the uterus are mostly harmless and don’t lead to symptoms.

For fibroids that become problematic in terms of number, size, and/or location, spotting between periods isn’t uncommon.

Sexually transmitted infections

Another potential road to spotting between periods are sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially those that go untreated and lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

Reproductive cancers

One of the signs of reproductive cancer, such as endometrial, ovarian, or cervical cancer, is spotting between periods. This driver of spotting between periods isn’t all that common, but it should be included on our list of possible causes.

The bottom line is that spotting between periods, especially if it persists and is accompanied by other symptoms, such as pelvic pain, is very much worth having us investigate. If you experience spotting once or twice, it’s likely not problematic, but we still want you to let us know during your well woman exam.

Ultimately, it’s OK to err on the side of caution when it comes to menstrual disorders like spotting. If you have more questions about the issue or you’d like to go ahead and schedule an appointment with us, we invite you to contact our office in Frisco, Texas, today by calling 469-966-2423 or requesting an appointment using our online scheduling tool.