Changes in the nature of secretion may indicate both physiological and pathological process in the body. Observing the brown discharge without smell and pain, you don’t have to assume the harmlessness of symptom (even in the absence of additional symptoms). In this article, you will find out what the discharge indicates. Brown discharge without smell and pain: where the threat lies?
General characteristic of the symptom
Brown shade of mucus is a collective term for dark yellow, dark, brown, dark- and light-brown discharge in women. This liquid is based on the mucous secretion, produced by the glands of female genitals and cervical fluid. This color is caused by clotted and oxidized blood that entered the composition for certain reasons. Such secretion may be odorless and not cause discomfort in the form of painful feelings.
often, this symptom indicates a normal sign of A CERTAIN PERIOD of menstrual cycle or physiological state of the female body.
Studying the comments at the gynecological forums, it can be concluded that many women mistakenly believe that absence of unpleasant smell and pain excludes the disease. Herein lies the veiled threat of brown vaginal discharge.
What are the reasons for such secretion?
- Course of menstrual cycle. Odorless brown discharge after period usually indicate the end of menstruation.
- Complete ovulation.
- Climax.
- The use of hormonal drugs.
- Installation of the intrauterine device.
- Postoperative period.
- Allergic reaction.
- Mechanical microtraumas of vaginal walls during sex.
- Introduction of ovum into the uterus.
- The risk of miscarriage.
- Cervical erosion.
- Endometriosis.
- Endometrial hyperplasia.
- Polyps.
- Neoplasms.
Relatively safe causes of brown discharge without smell and pain
Before menstruation
Light- and dark-brown secretion without smell and pain can appear one or two days before period. They are caused by hormonal changes or the fact that the uterus prepares for the rejection of swollen endometrium. If this phenomenon manifested earlier than two days before period, everything points to the reproductive system disease.
From the beginning of climax and until the menopause, brown mucus is a frequent symptom of the end of the reproductive period. It appears before period and instead of it.
After menstruation
Brown smearing secretion after period without smell has a natural origin: these are the rests of endometrium particles and clotted blood. At first, spotting has a dark-brown color. Then it changes to light and has a smearing nature. They don’t cause pain, have a neutral smell and must disappear within 2–3 days. If such symptom lasts more than 3 days after the end of menstruation, this is a sign of violation.
Light-brown postmenstrual smear can be released from uterus during the first menstruation after delivery. If the woman is not breastfeeding or (for some other reasons) period returns too soon, weakened and stretched uterine walls can lead to such symptom until the tone returns to its previous condition.
Hormonal contraception
Hormonal preparations can trigger different discharge, including the brown one. Many women who started to use hormonal contraceptives, note the brown smear for the first three months. This is a normal phenomenon, not accompanied by other symptoms. After passing this period, the body adapts, and the smear disappears.
Such color of discharge is characteristic after the installation of intrauterine device. If it is accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen, IUD should be removed.
After medical intervention
Any damage to the genital tissues is accompanied by bleeding. It can be made with such medical purposes as abortion (medical, vacuum, curettage), uterine cleaning and other types of surgery. The greater tissue area was affected, the longer the rehabilitation period will be. In the first several days after the manipulation, the bloody discharge disappears, then becomes brown, while pain and symptoms go away. Duration of brown discharge after medical abortion is 3–5 days, vacuum — 5–7 days, curettage or cleaning — up to two weeks.
Necessary condition in this period is a compliance with all hygiene standards and rehabilitation rules to avoid possible complications in the form of inflammatory or infectious process. They are expressed by unpleasant smell and pain.
Allergic reaction
Allergy can be caused by contraceptives, lubricants, synthetic underwear, means of intimate hygiene with dyes and fragrances, generic drugs, and even food. Reaction to these irritants in the light-brown smear and burning and itching in the vagina. In most cases, symptoms disappear when you eliminate the trigger.
During and after sex
Absence of lubricant in the vagina or excessively intense or rough sexual intercourse can produce moderate discharge of brown or reddish color. This reflects the trauma of the vaginal walls. Beige and pink discharge after sex passes quickly and doesn’t cause discomfort. Specific smell or pain indicate the disorders.
During ovulation
One of the most common reasons of odorless brown discharge between menstruations is ovulation. It occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle and indicates the release of mature eggs from the follicle. During the rupture of follicular walls, small vessels get injured, and a small amount of blood flows out. Mixing with secretion, which is produced in abundance in the ovulatory period, oxidizes and comes out in the form of brown smear of the light or dark color. This mucus is odorless and sometimes accompanied by nagging pain in the lower abdomen. Such sign defines the period of highest fertility.
During pregnancy
Completed egg fertilization is followed by its integration into the uterus, which is often accompanied by minor excretion of blood, which comes out in the form of brown smear, i.e. light-brown discharge indicates the successful conception. You don’t need to worry if this happened in the first days of pregnancy and is not accompanied by pain and other attendant symptoms.
When the discharge becomes abundant, lasts a few days, is accompanied by aching and dull pain in the lower abdomen, weakness, nausea, you should see a gynecologist immediately. These symptoms may indicate the placental detachment, sinking of the fetus, ectopic pregnancy and pathologies that have extremely serious consequences for women’s health and life.
In the last month of gestation, brown discharge may indicate the beginning of labor activity.
When the discharge indicates the pathology
There are many pathologic factors that cause such discharge. Some of them are asymptomatic and pain-free (only occasionally manifested by scarce brown smear), while the other are reflected in the abundant production of dark (or even black) mucus. Mainly, such diseases are related to the uterus and aggravate before or after period. However, they can activate at any point of the cycle.
Cervical erosion
We are dealing with the defects of epithelium. Often, the disease hides in the body without manifesting itself; it is marked only sporadically by the brown smear after intercourse and period. When the disease affects a large area of tissues or lasts long, discharge during erosion obtains an unpleasant purulent smell.
Endometriosis
Brown discharge without smell and pain after period can indicate endometriosis. This is a gynecological pathology, in which endometrial cells grow outside it. In this case, blood from the uterus is not excreted completely, but accumulated in the genital tract, and then goes out in the form of dark or black spotting. Discharge during endometriosis manifests itself upon the completion of menstruation or more than two days before menstruation.
Endometrial hyperplasia
Endometrial hyperplasia is thickening and growth of tissues of endometrium, relating to the benign processes. It is often asymptomatic, occasionally manifested in the brown discharge instead of period or after its delay.
Polyps
Presence of abundant dark-brown discharge without smell after period (one week after it) often indicates polyps. Upon detection of such signs, you should immediately make an appointment with a gynecologist. Polyps of the cervix and uterine body are the growths on the tissues of this organ. Apart from smearing intermenstrual secretions, they can delay menstruation. If the polyp has a large size (or if there are a few of them), you can feel pain and see the purulent mucus.
Neoplasms
Both benign and malignant neoplasms often generate the excretion of dark mucus, regardless of the phase of menstrual cycle. Menopausal women are especially susceptible to their formation. Therefore, if such sign is observed in women over 45, you should see a doctor not to miss the disease or get proper treatment.
