Vaginal bleeding says a lot about your sexual health. If you are bleeding other than periods, then you should talk to a doctor. This can also be due to some kind of infection.

During menstruation, most of us women have vaginal bleeding and back pain. There is no count of the problems caused during menstruation, from cramps, mood swings, fatigue and food cravings. But it seems that this troublesome journey is not limited to those five days of periods, in some cases, women face many problems apart from those five days. Apart from this, they also have to face vaginal bleeding (Vaginal bleeding causes).

But is it okay? (Vaginal bleeding good or bad)

Dr. Anu Vij, Consultant, Obstetrics and Gynecology at Motherhood Hospital, Kharghar, Mumbai, says, "Vaginal bleeding is not normal at any time other than menstruation." She says, "If a woman's vagina bleeds after sex, after menopause, or during pregnancy, apart from periods, it indicates that something is going wrong in your body. If menstruation lasts for a long time and bleeding is excessive, then this is also not normal." Vaginal bleeding can be a sign of an underlying health problem. “Vaginal bleeding can sometimes be caused by certain medications, hormonal imbalances (such as estrogen and progesterone imbalances), thyroid gland problems, and vaginal douching,” says Dr Vij.

“Another cause of vaginal bleeding is uterine fibroids. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which causes inflammation of the reproductive organs, cancer of the vagina, uterus or cervix, and/or taking birth control pills and using intrauterine devices,” says Dr Vij. She adds that if vaginal bleeding occurs during pregnancy, it may be a miscarriage.

“In any of these cases, you should consult your doctor to diagnose vaginal bleeding without delay,” warns Vij.

Can it ever be less problematic? (Stress can cause Vaginal bleeding)

Sometimes, excessive stress or troubles can also cause vaginal bleeding. As mentioned earlier by Dr Vij, some medications can cause vaginal bleeding. In this case, you should adopt a better stress-management strategy. And also change your medications.

However, Dr Vij also says that if vaginal bleeding occurs frequently and is accompanied by itching or redness, your periods are irregular, there is pain and heaviness in the vagina, sex is uncomfortable, then you should take this condition seriously.

How to avoid vaginal bleeding

Once you know the cause of vaginal bleeding, you should take some extra precautions to prevent it in the future.

“If you face heavy bleeding during your period, you should stay hydrated. You should eat foods rich in iron (beans, spinach) and vitamin C (strawberries, kiwi, broccoli). Keep your weight under control and choose birth control pills as per your doctor's instructions. Also manage your stress in a better way. If necessary, you can also take hormone replacement therapy after consulting your doctor.”