A vaginal discharge is abnormal vaginal discharge. The discharge can be gray, yellow, green, abundant, foamy, watery, have an unpleasant odor - foul, fishy, and also have a cheesy or slimy consistency. Vaginal discharge is usually a symptom of an infection but can also indicate an allergy. You can easily tell them from normal vaginal discharge.
Vaginal dischargeor normalvaginal discharge ? It's not always easy to recognize. However, it is better to go to the gynecologist unnecessarily than to allow the disease signaled by the vaginal discharge to develop.
Normal discharge or vaginal discharge?
Clear to slightly off-white discharge, odorless or with a slight pleasant smell in the first half of the cycle. After drying, it resembles a yellowish starch. This discharge is normal. Its outflow should not be perceptible. Even though we can feel it clearly, it doesn't have to mean illness.
The amount of vaginal discharge increases in times of stress and when we wear tight, windproof underwear, tight jeans or thongs. If you observe something like that, it is worth wearing a skirt more often, buying cotton or pure silk underwear with a cotton insert in the crotch and giving up thongs completely. For washing, use intimate hygiene liquids with a pH of at most 5.5. Do not use soaps and bath lotions.
Abundant, colorless, flowing mucus in the period of ovulation. This discharge is normal, it signifies fertile days, and is a clue to the woman that she has entered her period around ovulation.
Thick, whitish and lumpy mucus in the third phase of the cycle, preceding menstruation. This type of discharge is also normal. Thick mucus has protective tasks. After drying, it looks similar to the one from the first phase of the cycle: it resembles a yellowish starch.
If the discharge is abundant, accompanied by pain, swelling, itching and pain in the vulva - it may be an allergy. Allergens are washing powders, washing agents, sanitary napkins and condoms, especially latex ones. Then, first of all, you need to avoid allergens. Use soap or soap flakes for washing linen, you can also try organic liquids and powders with vegetable detergents. Using the method of trial and error, select sanitary pads that will not cause allergies.
Vaginal discharge is a symptom of the disease
Any abnormal discharge with a changed odor ora consistency clearly different from what our vagina usually gives off, may indicate an illness. Vaginal discharge most often signals vaginal infections. However, they can also be a sign of uterine mucosa infections, hydrocele of the fallopian tubes or even vaginal and uterine cancers.
- white, dense, cheese-like dischargeor, as is often said,with the consistency of cottage cheese, without a distinct smell . This discharge is a typical symptom of a yeast infection or vaginal mycosis. Most often they are accompanied by severe itching and burning. It is worth washing up with chamomile infusion and making a bath with chamomile infusion and oak bark infusion. You also need to apply an antifungal ointment or cream topically. If the symptoms do not disappear after two or three days, or they recur in a short time, you should go to the gynecologist or consult a pharmacist.
- abundant, sparseor evenwatery vaginal discharge- may also indicate a fungal infection.
- abundant, gray-white discharge with an unpleasant fishy smell , especially intensifying after intercourse, is a symptom of bacterial vaginosis, the so-called vaginosis. It is better not to self-medicate, because bacterial infection requires intravaginal (or vaginally and orally) administration of an antibiotic or other preparation. In a situation where we cannot go to a doctor, we can follow the current recommendations of the Polish Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians and use the recommended substances in the auxiliary treatment of intimate infections. Abundant gray-white discharge may also be a symptom of vaginal trichomoniasis.
- yellow-green, abundant , sometimesfoamyand usuallyfoul-smelling vaginal dischargeare the most common symptom of trichomoniasis - infection caused by the intrusion of the parasite - trichomoniasis. You must see a doctor.
- slimy, purulent dischargeare not common; may signal chlamydia - infectionChlamydia trachomatis , especially when accompanied by a burning sensation when urinating. Chlamydiosis can also be indicated by other unusual vaginal discharge as well as intermenstrual bleeding and bleeding after intercourse.