Yellow vaginal discharge as with any other vaginal discharge should be identified as soon as possible. Try to distinguish the color, consistency and odor of the discharge. Is it really a yellow discharge Vaginal discharge. Is it bright yellow or is it thick or watery, does it have a strong of fishy odor. These are all questions you should ask yourself to determine what the causes of the problem could be. Yellow vaginal discharge is not necessarily a bad thing but you must make the right decisions on treatments.
As you will already know it is important for the vagina to keep clean and secreting unwanted fluids is one way of doing this. The color, type and smell of the discharge will determine your response. A normal vaginal discharge would be clear may be a little white depending on the time of month, it becomes more white and a little bit thicker at the beginning and end of your menstral cycle.
yellow vaginal discharge
So my number one tip is to identify the vaginal discharge by its color, consistency and odor as soon as you can.
So you have identified a yellow vaginal discharge what next. Well there are a few main causes of yellow vaginal discharge. One is Gonorrhoea caused by the gonococcus bacterium. The normal symptoms for Gonorrhoea are a bad smelling yellow or sometime greenish discharge maybe some discomfort during sexual intercourse and occasionally lower abdominal pain. It must be noted though that some women will have no symptoms at all so it can be difficult to diagnose. The problem with Gonorrhoea is that left untreated it can spread in to the Fallopian tubes and cause infertility problems. I am not trying to worry you here and Gonorrhoea is not the only cause of a yellow vaginal discharge. Sometimes diagnosing over the internet is not the best thing to do and it can get you worried unnecessarily.
The second possibility is Trichomoniasis, this is not that common but can produce a yellow discharge and make the vulva sensitive, itchy and some what sore
Another likely cause of a yellow vaginal discharge is Bacterial Vaginosis. Although BV is more commonly linked to a grayish watery discharge it can also at times be yellow. This will come along with a fishy odor that is at its strongest after sexual intercourse. Sometimes burning, itching and general irritation occur.
Other lesser causes of a yellow vaginal discharge are Cervicitis, Vulvovaginitis and Chlamydia.
As you can see deciding the exact cause of the yellow vaginal discharge can be tricky and as always a trip to the doctors may be your best bet. I have added some general advice to bear in mind to keep your vagina as healthy as possible below.
Change your sanitary pads, towels or tampons regularly during your period. After using the toilet always wipe from front to back this will stop the spread of bacteria. Salt water baths work wonders, salt is a natural healer. Add salt to your bath water or just bath your vagina in salted water. Do not use strong scented bubble bath, shower gel or soap. These can cause extra irritation as can any for of disinfectant in the bath. Stick to unscented and soaps labelled for sensitive skin. Do not use any type of deodorant around the vagina. Do not douche, the vagina doesn’t require cleaning inside it is perfectly good at doing that by itself. Do not wear overly tight or nylon underwear, try to stick to natural fibers such as cotton and where practical wear nothing at all to allow your vagina to breath.
A visit to the doctor for a check over is always a good idea. Even if you think there’s not too much to worry about. Getting a quick check over can put your mind at rest and you never know that discharge may be caused by an underlying problem that you hadn’t thought about or realised.
The examination will consist of the doctor asking you a number of questions about your general health and sexual activity. Usually the doctor will then have a look at your vagina/vulva. They will insert a speculum which is a small plastic hollow tube in to the vagina to enable them to see inside and take a swab of the yellow vaginal discharge. Most sexual health clinics can provide results there and then after examination under a microscope. Your local GP doctor will more than likely have to send and samples of to the labs which may take a few days to get the results back.
What ever the cause of your yellow vaginal discharge please do not worry. Get yourself checked out by a doctor and get yourself on the road to recovery.
Good Luck.
