Do you know that the normal vaginal discharge is for cleaning and moistening of the vagina, and helping to prevent and fight infections?

Emobileclinic Trending Topic: Vaginal Discharge

Vaginal discharge is a clear or whitish fluid that comes out of the vagina. The uterus, cervix, or vagina can produce the fluid. Normal vaginal discharge is for cleaning and moistening of the vagina, and helping to prevent and fight infections. Although it’s normal for the color, texture, and amount of vaginal fluids to vary throughout a girl’s menstrual cycle, some changes in discharge may indicate a problem.

Normal vaginal fluids can vary somewhat in texture and color. They can be somewhat thin, sticky, and elastic or thick and gooey. 

Changes that may indicate a problem:

Change in odor: discharge of offensive or unpleasant odor

Colour change: greenish, grayish, or anything looking like pus)

Textural change  (such as foamy or looking like cottage cheese)

itching, burning, swelling, or redness of the vagina

Bleeding or spotting  from the vagina when you are not in menstrual period

When all these happen, it is described as abnormal vaginal discharge.

Causes

Vaginal infections, such as bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis (yeast infection), and trichomoniasis are common causes of abnormal vaginal discharge. Some infections that can cause changes in vaginal discharge are spread by having sex, such as gonorrhea. Other infections can occur with or without having sex, such as bacterial vaginosis or a yeast infection.

Symptoms

The symptoms of these infections can be very similar, but there are some differences to look for:

Yeast infections may cause your discharge to become very white and thick, resembling cottage cheese. A yeast infection usually does not cause a strong odor, but it may cause severe itching and burning.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) may cause your discharge to have an unpleasant, fishy odor. The fluids may be thin and grayish in color.

Trichomoniasis, a common sexually transmitted disease (STD), may cause strong odor. Discharge may become yellow-green and may become frothy. It also causes vaginal itching and pain during urination.

Diagnosis

Prompt medical consultation must be sought for proper diagnosis. Delay in treatment may cause spread of infection to other people or to your reproductive organs, leading to complications like infertility. Diagnosis is usually established after the doctor takes a history, performs a pelvic examination and obtains a sample of the discharge for microscopic analysis.

Treatment 

Use of appropriate antibiotics which may be inserted in the vagina, taken orally or given intravenously for serious cases.

 Informing your sexual partners to get adequate diagnosis and medical treatment.

Removal of foreign bodies if found in the vagina.

Post treatment evaluation should be done to determine the potency of the treatment.