Abnormal Uterine Bleeding can occur at any age. A common cause of abnormal bleeding in young women and teenagers is pregnancy. Although usually a woman will stop menstruating if she is pregnant, bleeding during pregnancy is not uncommon.
Women who experience bleeding in the first few months of a normal pregnancy may have too much estrogen, progesterone polyps or fibroids. If the pregnancy is abnormal, such as a tubal pregnancy or impending miscarriage, the bleeding may be interpreted as being from a menstrual period rather than a complication of pregnancy.
Other causes include a thickened endometrium and uterine cancer. Uterine cancer is more common in older women than in younger women. But cancer is not always the cause of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding.
In the years before menopause, there are months when ovulation does not take place, which might result in Abnormal Uterine Bleeding. Thickening of the lining of the uterus is another cause of bleeding in women in their 40s. This thickening can be a warning of uterine cancer.
Menorrhagia (excessive uterine bleeding) most commonly results from a hormonal imbalance in adolescents in the years following onset of menstruation and in women who are approaching menopause.
Birth control pills or the Norplant birth control device can also cause abnormal bleeding. If an egg isn't released during the menstrual cycle, abnormal bleeding either light spotting between periods or heavy bleeding during the period, may be experienced. Women using intrauterine devices for birth control may also experience excessive or prolonged periods.
