Black blood can appear at the beginning or end of a person's period. The color is typically a sign of old blood or blood that has taken longer to leave the uterus and has had time to oxidize, first turning brown or dark red and then eventually becoming black.
Seeing black period blood can be alarming, but like brown blood, it's usually just old blood that's lingered in your body too long. This is most likely to happen during low flow days at the start or end of your period.
Black discharge can be an early sign of pregnancy. It may be caused by implantation bleeding or mild bleeding as a result of the fertilized egg attaching itself to the wall of the uterus. If you suspect you are pregnant, wait until the day of your missed period, or 1-2 days later before taking a home pregnancy test.
It's perfectly normal to notice some clumps from time to time during your period. These are blood clots that may contain tissue. As the uterus sheds its lining, this tissue leaves the body as a natural part of the menstrual cycle. So clots of tissue are usually nothing to be concerned about.
Black blood can appear at the beginning or end of a person's period. The color is typically a sign of old blood or blood that has taken longer to leave the uterus and has had time to oxidize, first turning brown or dark red and then eventually becoming black.
Treating Black Discharge
If the black discharge is a part of your menstrual bleeding, you do not need any treatment. However, if it's not and is accompanied by other signs and symptoms, you may need to see your doctor immediately.
Bleeding during miscarriage can appear brown and resemble coffee grounds. Or it can be pink to bright red. It can alternate between light and heavy or even stop temporarily before starting up again. If you miscarry before you're eight weeks pregnant, it might look the same as a heavy period.
Endometriosis can cause black discharge if there's endometrial tissue causing a blockage within your vaginal cavity. Black discharge can also appear from endometrial tissue that's trapped but still produces blood.
There is no research to indicate that endometriosis period blood looks different from typical period blood. However, people with endometriosis may notice that their periods are heavier and last longer. Endometriosis can also cause a person to have spotting.
On the ovaries endometriosis can form “chocolate cysts” which are full of old blood which has a dark brown colour. The most favoured theory at the moment is that this occurs from blood going backwards through the tubes into the pelvis at the time of a period.
The typical appearance of endometriosis is described as a superficial “powder-burn” or “gunshot” lesion that is black, dark-brown, or blue, but subtle lesions which are red or clear, small, cysts with hemorrhage or white areas of fibrosis may also be endometriosis (1).
You know how long and heavy your typical period is. During a miscarriage, bleeding gets heavier and lasts longer than a period. As your cervix starts to dilate, cramping may become more painful than typical period cramping.
Often, a woman can have an extra heavy menstrual flow and not realize it's a miscarriage because she hadn't known she was pregnant. Some women who miscarry have cramping, spotting, heavier bleeding, abdominal pain, pelvic pain, weakness, or back pain.
The symptoms are usually vaginal bleeding and lower tummy pain. It is important to see your doctor or go to the emergency department if you have signs of a miscarriage. The most common sign of a miscarriage is vaginal bleeding, which can vary from light red or brown spotting to heavy bleeding.
Takeaway. Seeing different shades of red, brown, and even black blood during your period is typically normal and nothing to worry about. Blood contains hemoglobin and iron, a mineral that oxidizes when it comes into contact with air. When this occurs, it causes blood to become darker.
If a woman experiences bleeding and cramping, she might believe she is having a miscarriage. In most cases, when a miscarriage is misdiagnosed, it's due to a date error. If a woman has an irregular menstrual cycle or simply miscalculates the date of her last period, there might be confused when she has an ultrasound.
This can vary from light spotting or brownish discharge to heavy bleeding and bright-red blood or clots. The bleeding may come and go over several days.
Both may look like typical period clots, though it is not uncommon for them to be larger than normal. Actual pregnancy tissue may not be discernible until after the eighth week. Then, the tissue may look like pink, white, or gray tissue. A person may also be able to see a fluid-filled sac in the passed tissue.
Menstrual clots are gel-like blobs of coagulated blood, tissue, and blood that're expelled from the uterus during menstruation. They resemble stewed strawberries or the clumps of fruit you may sometimes find in jam, and vary in color from bright to dark red.
Stage IV. Stage IV is the most severe stage of endometriosis, typically accruing over 40 points. 13 At this stage, a large number of cysts and severe adhesions are present. Small cysts on the back wall of the uterus and rectum may also be found at this stage.
Endometriosis happens when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (womb) grows outside of the uterus. It may affect more than 11% of American women between 15 and 44. It is especially common among women in their 30s and 40s and may make it harder to get pregnant.