Bleeding after menopause, or post menopausal bleeding (PBM), is any vaginal bleeding that occurs at least 6 months after your last menstrual period. There are many causes of PBM including hormone therapy, thinning of the uterine lining, polyps, endometrial hyperplasia, infection of the uterus or cervix, certain medications and cancer.
Instructions
1. Make an appointment to see your gynecologist if you experience any vaginal bleeding after menopause. While going through menopause you may experience a slow down of periods and irregular bleeding, but if you have not had a menstrual period for at least 6 months and vaginal bleeding begins, it is important to see the doctor.
2. Think about your medical history. If you are taking hormones, it is likely your doctor will find them to be the cause of the bleeding. If you have switched doctors and your doctor does not have your complete medical history, be sure to tell him if you have a history of polyps, or uterine fibroids.
3. Inform your gynecologist of all medications you are taking, including vitamins and herbs. This information is necessary to determine if the bleeding is a side effect of a medication.
4. Get a thorough pelvic exam including a pap smear. An examination of your vulva, vagina and cervix can identify or rule out problems associated with the lower genital tract.
5. Have a uterine biopsy or an ultrasound examination, as recommended by your doctor if the cause has yet to be determined. Both of these procedures can help to determine the thickness of the uterine lining as well as look for polyps and fibroids.
6. Consider a hysteroscopy. A tiny telescope is inserted into the uterine cavity so the doctor can see and remove polyps, fibroids and other suspicious areas, which can then be biopsied for cancer.
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