vaginal discharge
Vaginal discharge is entirely natural, and in most cases it’s a sign of healthy body. Normal vaginal discharge is usually clear or milky white and doesn’t have a noticeable odor, but it’s when these normalities change that you are likely to need to arrange a trip to your doctor.
The glands inside your vagina and cervix make small amounts of fluid every day, and this fluid flows out of the vagina, carrying with it old cells that have lined the vagina. This process cleans your body, keeping your vagina balanced and healthy.
Slight changes in vaginal discharge are also entirely normal, with it likely to fluctuate in thickness and quantity every month. For example, discharge is usually thicker and more like an egg-white consistency when you ovulate, breastfeed or get sexually aroused.
One thing that isn’t normal, however, is a sudden change in smell or color. For example, a sign of a yeast infection is for your vaginal discharge to start to smell bad, increase in quantity and become like a white ‘cottage cheese’ consistency. Usually this particular symptom is also accompanied by itchiness and a red or inflamed vulva.
vaginal discharge info
The sudden change in your vagina’s health occurs if the healthy balance of bacteria is disturbed. This disruption can be caused by a number of factors, from sexually transmitted infections to feminine hygiene, like scented sprays, soaps, bubble baths and douching, as well as antibiotics, pregnancy or diabetes.
Bacterial vaginosis usually presents symptoms such as a white, gray or yellow vaginal discharge that smells bad. The cause is unknown, but using soaps, sprays, bubble baths and antibiotics are the main noticeable contributory factors, much as it is with a Yeast Infection (commonly known as Thrush).
A bubbly, watery, yellow vaginal discharge or green vaginal discharge is usually associated with Trichomoniasis – an infection usually caught during unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person. Symptoms can take a while to develop, but it is easily treated with antibiotics.
Brown vaginal discharge is usually a form of blood discharge, and can be relatively common amongst women, especially if it follows a period. It can also be a sign of ovulation, or can follow sexual intercourse or childbirth. However, brown vaginal discharge can also be symptomatic of cervical erosion, infection (such as pelvic inflammatory disease, genital warts, gonorrhea and chlamydia), and even cervical cancer. For all of these more serious causes it’s likely the brown or bloody vaginal discharge will be prolonged, and if this is the case then you need to get yourself down to your doctor asap.
Lastly, clear vaginal discharge is usually normal, but if it is suddenly very watery then it could be a sign that you’re pregnant. Cervical and vaginal discharge can change a lot when you fall pregnant, and vaginal discharge can change so much as a woman on a daily basis that it’s sometimes hard to keep up! Remember that smell is also a tell-tale sign, and that if you suspect something is wrong or ‘different’ then it’s a good idea to get yourself checked out, even if it’s just to put your mind at ease.
normal vaginal discharge
