Causes of vaginal bleeding in the elderly

There are many reasons for the appearance of postmenopausal vaginal discharge in the elderly: such as endocrine disorders, the occurrence of malignant tumors, senile vaginitis, cervical lesions, endometrial lesions, and ovarian tumors, etc. Due to the decline of ovarian function and lower hormone levels in elderly women, the pH value in the vagina rises, the vaginal mucosa shrinks and becomes thinner, and its elasticity decreases, which makes the local resistance poor, making it easy for pathogens to invade and multiply, causing gynecological diseases. Once an elderly woman has vaginal bleeding, it is a dangerous sign of disease. Most of the time, it happens in cancer patients, so it is best to go to a regular gynecological hospital for a clear diagnosis as soon as possible to avoid delaying the disease.

Elderly women over 60 years old, who have already gone through menopause, may suddenly experience irregular vaginal bleeding, which Western medicine calls "postmenopausal bleeding," and is one of the important early symptoms of gynecological diseases in elderly women. Traditional Chinese medicine has long recognized that this phenomenon of "resuming menstruation in the elderly" is not menstruation, but a reflection of disease. For example, the Qing Dynasty book "Fu Qingzhu's Gynecology" said: "Women over 50 years old, or in their 60s and 70s, may suddenly have menstruation, or pass purple blood clots, or red blood. People may say that this is menstruation in old women, but it is not menstruation." This is because the liver cannot store and the spleen cannot control. ”

Western medicine believes that there are many causes of postmenopausal bleeding, but they can be divided into two categories: benign and malignant diseases. Among benign diseases, atrophic endometritis is the most common, and others include senile vaginitis, cervical polyps, endometrial carcinoma, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, etc. The two types of diseases account for approximately half each. Therefore, once vaginal bleeding occurs in elderly women, no matter how much the first bleeding is, whether it is continuous bleeding or intermittent bleeding, the patient should attach great importance to it and undergo a gynecological examination in time for early diagnosis and timely treatment. Some scholars believe that the longer the vaginal bleeding lasts in elderly women, the greater the possibility of malignant tumors; and those with heavy bleeding are four times more likely to suffer from malignant diseases than those with light bleeding, which should not be taken lightly. Vagina bleeding in elderly women sometimes does not come from the reproductive system. For example, urinary tract infection may cause hematuria, constipation in the elderly may cause anal fissures or hemorrhoidal bleeding, and early intestinal tumors may also cause bleeding. Therefore, it is very important to find out the source of the blood.

Vaginal bleeding in the elderly should be taken seriously, checked in time, and cancer prevented. Pay attention to self-care in daily life, do not use hot water to wash the vulva, change underwear frequently, and do not use medication indiscriminately when you feel unwell, as it will be counterproductive. It is important to have regular gynecological examinations to nip the disease in the bud.