Any bleeding after menopause needs to get looked at
- One spot counts. Once counts. Months ago counts
- There is no cycle any more, so there is nothing it should be
- Most of it turns out to be thinning or a harmless growth
- That is a conclusion someone reaches after looking, not before
Even one spot?
Yes, and that is not us being dramatic. Tell us when it happened and where you live. The first consultation is free, and a female doctor can be arranged.
No referral needed. Most women who come with this leave having been told it is something simple.
The rule
6 reasons women give for not coming
Every one of these is reasonable, every one is common, and none of them changes the answer. That is not a scare tactic. It is just what happens when there is no cycle left to measure bleeding against.
- “It was only one spot.”Still needs checking.
- “It only happened once.”Still needs checking.
- “It was two months ago.”Still needs checking.
- “It was probably my tablets.”Still needs checking.
- “I feel completely well.”Still needs checking.
- “It is probably just dryness.”Still needs checking.
Dryness is the commonest answer of all and it is very often the right one. But it is a conclusion somebody reaches after looking, not a reason to skip the looking. The next section is what it usually turns out to be.
What it usually is
4 causes, and the first one is much the commonest
Now the reassuring part, and it is genuine. Most women who come in with this are told it is one of these and go home.
Thinning and dryness
Tissues become thinner and more fragile after menopause and can bleed with very little provocation. It is harmless and it is treatable, and it accounts for a great many of these.
A thin womb lining
The lining of the womb becomes thin after menopause and a thin lining can shed a little blood. A scan measures it, and a thin measurement is often the whole answer.
A harmless growth
A soft growth in the womb or on the cervix that bleeds on and off. It is not cancer, it shows up on a scan, and it is usually removed straightforwardly.
Hormone treatment
Some regimes cause predictable bleeding and you will have been told to expect it. Bleeding that does not match what you were told still gets checked.
What happens
4 steps, and the scan often ends it
One visit, and for many women the scan answers the whole question without anything further.
When it happened, and what you take
One episode or several, how long ago, how much, and any hormone treatment you are on. Most of the appointment is this part.
A look at the cervix
An instrument holds the walls apart so the surface can be seen. Uncomfortable rather than painful, over in a couple of minutes.
A scan of the womb lining
An ultrasound measures how thick the lining is. A thin lining is frequently the end of the matter, and it is painless.
A small sample
If the lining is thicker than expected, a very slim tube collects a little of it. Under a minute, crampy rather than sharp, and usually done at the same visit.
The real barrier
3 things that make this easier to walk into
The reason this gets delayed is rarely that women do not know it matters. It is that the examination feels hard to face. All 3 of these are ordinary requests.
For a female doctor
Say so when you book and it is arranged. It is asked for constantly and nobody finds it awkward except the person asking.
Someone with you
A daughter, a sister, a friend. They can wait outside or stay in the room, whichever gets you through the door.
Shorter than you are imagining
The examination and the scan together take a few minutes. You can stop at any point and say so, and that is not a difficult thing to do.
Questions
8 questions people ask, and the honest answers
Starting with the one this whole page depends on, and ending with the one that decides whether you are on the right page at all.
01Why does even a single spot need checking?
Because after menopause there is nothing it should be. Before menopause there is a cycle, so bleeding can be measured against it and some of it is normal. Afterwards there is no cycle at all. Any bleeding is outside the pattern by definition, which is why the rule is simple rather than harsh.
02It stopped on its own. Do I still need to come?
Yes, and stopping is not evidence of anything. Most of the causes bleed once and settle, including the ones you would want found early. Whether it stopped tells you nothing useful, which is exactly why nobody uses it to decide.
03I am on HRT. Isn’t some bleeding expected?
Some is, and it is still reported. Certain regimes cause predictable bleeding and your doctor will have told you what to expect. Bleeding that does not match what you were told, or that starts after a settled period without any, is checked like any other.
04How soon should I be seen?
Weeks rather than months, and sooner is better. This is not an emergency and it does not need a hospital today unless the bleeding is heavy. But it is the one gynaecological symptom nobody suggests watching, so book rather than wait.
05What will actually be done?
A conversation, a look, a scan, and often a small sample. The scan measures the lining of the womb. If it is thin, that is frequently the end of it. If it is thicker than expected, a small sample is taken to find out why, usually at the same visit.
06Will the sample hurt?
Crampy for a minute or so, like a strong period pain. A very slim tube passes through the neck of the womb and collects a little of the lining. It takes under a minute. Most women find the anticipation worse than the thing itself, and you can ask to stop at any point.
07I am too embarrassed. Can I bring someone?
Yes, and you can ask for a female doctor. Both are ordinary requests, made constantly, and neither needs explaining. Say so when you book. Embarrassment is the commonest reason this gets delayed and it is the easiest one to remove.
08What if my bleeding was after sex, or I still have periods?
Then a different page fits better. Bleeding that reliably follows sex is covered on the bleeding after sex page. If your periods have not stopped, bleeding between periods is the one you want.
Where
Seen at all 10 Hyderabad centres
The consultation and examination run anywhere. Where a scan or a sample is needed, that is arranged from the same visit rather than as a separate trip.
- CION Ameerpet
HMDA Maitrivanam, Ameerpet
- CION Kukatpally
Mumbai Highway, Kukatpally
- CION Tolichowki
Khader Bagh, Tolichowki
- CION Masab Tank
AC Guards, Masab Tank
- CION L.B. Nagar
Anu Arcade, near the Metro, L.B. Nagar
- CION Banjara Hills
Road No. 12, Banjara Hills
- CION Kompally
NH-44, Suchitra Road, Jeedimetla
- CION Balanagar
Balanagar Main Rd, Ferozguda, Balanagar
- CION Pragathi Nagar
Pragathi Nagar Rd, near JNTU, Kukatpally
- CION Nacharam
Behind Telephone Exchange, IDA Nacharam
Beyond the city, 31 more towns across 16 districts of Telangana and north Andhra Pradesh. Ask for the closest when you call.
One spot, once, months ago. Still the visit to make.
Give us your name, number and where you live, and say roughly when the bleeding happened. Say if you would prefer a female doctor and it will be arranged.
Toll free 1800 202 8726 · No referral needed · Telugu, Hindi and English