Vaginal Discharge- What is normal and what is not
Vaginal discharge serves an important housekeeping function in the female reproductive system. Vaginal discharge keeps the vagina moist and acidic which helps in preventing infections.
Most of the time, vaginal discharge is perfectly normal. The amount can vary, as can odour and colour (which can range from clear to white-ish mucoid), depending on the time in your menstrual cycle. However, if the colour, smell, or consistency seems quite different than usual, especially if you also have vaginal itching or burning, you could be dealing with an infection or other condition.
What causes abnormal discharge?
Any change in the vagina's balance of normal bacteria can affect the smell, colour, or discharge texture. These are a few of the things that can upset that balance:
1) Antibiotic or steroid use
2) Bacterial vaginosis, a bacterial infection more common in pregnant women or women who have multiple sexual partners
3) Birth control pills
4) Cervical cancer
5) Chlamydia or gonorrhoea (STDs), sexually transmitted infections
6) Diabetes
7) Douches, scented soaps or lotions, bubble bath
8) Pelvic infection after surgery
9) Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
10)Trichomoniasis, a parasitic infection typically contracted and caused by having unprotected sex
11) Vaginal atrophy, the thinning and drying out of the vaginal walls during menopause
12) Vaginitis, irritation in or around the vagina
13) Yeast infections
#drsarikagupta #vaginaldischarge #oncologist #apollohospital #delhi
