15 Reasons why you may be spotting before your period

Seema Thakur

How do you make out the difference between ovulation bleeding, implantation bleeding, and period blood?

It can be very challenging to distinguish between spotting due to implantation, ovulatory spotting, and the beginning of your period. Here are a few tips to distinguish the three conditions.

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Factor	Spotting		Regular Period Flow
Factor	Implantation Bleeding	Ovulation bleeding	Regular Period Flow
Reason	It occurs when a fertilized egg attaches to the inner uterine lining or endometrium, signaling the start of pregnancy.	It occurs when the ovary releases an egg from a mature follicle.	It occurs when ovulation has taken place, but the egg isn't fertilized. The uterine lining sheds through the vagina due to changes in hormone levels, causing period blood flow.
Color	Light pink to dark brown	Light pink or red	Bright red (some people may have brownish discharge at the beginning or the end of their period)
Clotting	No clots	No clots	Clots of varying sizes may be present
Time	Lasts only 1-2 days	Lasts only 1-2 days	Usually lasts 4-7days
Pattern	Irregular and unpredictable	Irregular and unpredictable	Usually with predictable regular pattern
Amount	Small amount of blood causes light spotting, which may require a panty liner for collection.	Small amount of blood causes light spotting, which may require a panty liner for collection.	Regular to heavy blood flow which needs pads, tampons, or a menstrual cup for collection.
Symptoms	Nausea, light cramps, frequent urination	Increase in cervical mucus, with the look and consistency of egg whites.Increase in basal body temperature.Increased sex drive. Ovulatory pain or cramping.	Heavier cramps, breast tenderness, PMS, acne breakouts

3. Perimenopause

The most common sign that you may be approaching menopause is irregular or missed periods. Still, some women may also experience spotting as their cycles get lighter or heavier than usual.

4. Cancer

Certain cancers that affect the female genital organs like uterine, cervical, ovarian, or vaginal cancer can cause abnormal bleeding, spotting, and vaginal discharge. While spotting is not always a sign of cancer, repeated spotting after menopause should be checked out.

5. Trauma

Some people may experience spotting after sustaining injuries to the vaginal area. The most common causes are after a procedure like a pelvic exam or inserting a condom. In other cases, rough sex or sexual assault can irritate and damage the delicate tissues of the vagina.

6. Uterine or cervical polyps

Cervical polyps are small finger-like growths that arise from the inner lining of the uterus and cervix. Your doctor can see polyps during a routine examination, and you may not always need treatment if they aren't causing any symptoms. But, in some cases, they can cause irregular and heavy periods, light bleeding between periods, spotting after sex, and unusual discharge from your vagina.

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