POSTMENOPAUSAL BLEEDING CARE IN SHERMAN, TX
Bleeding After Menopause: Evaluation & Treatment in North Texas & Texoma
Any bleeding after menopause should be checked — here's why
Postmenopausal bleeding means any vaginal bleeding that happens 12 months or more after your last period. Even light spotting or brown discharge counts, and it should always be checked. At G. DeAn Strobel, MD, PA in Sherman, TX, we evaluate postmenopausal bleeding for women across North Texas and the Texoma area. Most causes turn out to be something other than cancer — but bleeding after menopause is the most common warning sign of uterine (endometrial) cancer, so it is important to find out why. Call or text 903-957-0275. Our board-certified gynecologists — Dr. Strobel and Dr. Cryer — and our team of nurse practitioners care for women across North Texas and Texoma.
What is postmenopausal bleeding? Menopause is the point when you have gone 12 months in a row without a period. After that, you should not have any more vaginal bleeding. So any bleeding once you are in menopause — even a small amount of spotting, pink or brown discharge, or a single episode — is called postmenopausal bleeding and is worth having checked.
Why it needs to be checked. Most of the time, bleeding after menopause is caused by something that is not cancer. But it is also the most common sign of endometrial (uterine) cancer — about 9 out of 10 women with endometrial cancer have this kind of bleeding. The good news is that when it is found early, endometrial cancer is very treatable. That is exactly why we take every episode seriously and look for the cause. Please do not wait or assume it is nothing.
Common causes. Bleeding after menopause can come from thinning and drying of the vaginal or uterine lining (called atrophy — the most common cause, tied to lower estrogen); polyps (small, usually harmless growths in the uterus or cervix); fibroids (noncancerous muscle growths); a thickened uterine lining (endometrial hyperplasia, which can sometimes lead to cancer); hormone therapy or certain medicines; and, less often, endometrial or cervical cancer.
How it is diagnosed. Your visit starts with a talk about your history and a pelvic exam. Your provider will often do a transvaginal ultrasound (a scan that uses sound waves to look at the lining of the uterus) and, in most cases, take a small tissue sample called an endometrial biopsy to check the cells. Sometimes a hysteroscopy with D&C — looking inside the uterus with a thin camera and gently removing tissue — is used to find the cause more clearly and treat it at the same time. We will explain every step and only do what you need.
How it is treated. Treatment depends on the cause. Atrophy may be eased with vaginal estrogen or moisturizers. Polyps or fibroids can be removed. A thickened lining or precancer may be treated with hormone medicine or a procedure. If cancer is found, we will guide you to the right care quickly. Whatever the cause, our goal is a clear answer and a plan that fits you. To have your bleeding checked, call or text 903-957-0275.