Menu 

The main organ in women’s body that acts as ingress to the reproductive system is vagina. Like other body organs it has its own pH balance. The bacterium present in the vagina secretes a vaginal discharge (also known as Leucorrhoea), which maintains the healthy conditions and proper acidic pH in the vagina. This acidic pH element inhibits the occurrence of any infection and maintains a healthy vagina.

What is Vaginal Discharge?

Every woman has vaginal discharge. It’s a part of proper body functioning. In fact, dryness of the vagina is not a healthy sign. There must be fluids present in this genital organ. The tissues present on the walls of the uterus are removed every month through the menstrual cycle likewise the tissues and old cells on the walls of the vagina are eliminated daily through discharge.

The renewing of cells daily occurs due to the estrogen hormones. This hormone helps the glands in the cervix produce a small amount of fluid, which takes away the old cells that line the vagina.  The amount the fluid secreted depends on the age, menstrual cycle and pregnancy. It starts with puberty in girls and ends with menopause. Healthy discharge doesn’t carry any strong odours or colour. The normal discharge keeps the vagina clean, as well as lubricated and free from germs and infection. One may feel wetness, but no irritation or soreness should be there. This is not related to fertility or infertility.

Things that might have a negative effect on discharge are

  • Nutritional imbalance
  • Emotional Stress
  • Menstrual cycle
  • Ovulation
  • Pregnancy

Make sure you take a healthy diet with the proper proteins, carbohydrates and amino acids. Lead a proper lifestyle and exercise daily. Maintain hygiene levels during menstruation and change your sanitary napkin twice daily and avoid using tampons. During the middle of the menstrual cycle you may observe that the discharge is stringy and at the end it might become sticky. If you are going through stress and blood pressure you might have more discharge. Even women with the B+ blood group have a tendency to discharge more fluid. It’s very important to have proper libido to keep away the dryness of vagina.

Dryness of vagina

Dryness of the vagina is not a healthy sign. Women with any ovaries related problem or with athletic built have high levels of testorene (male hormones) and hence face this problem. When male hormone suppresses the female hormone the daily clearing of vaginal tissue stops and the area swells up. This may also lead to cancerous conditions. Even women, who sweat a lot, face this problem. The best way to curb the issue is to consult the doctor, as it is a typical problem and follow their advice.

Simple measures to maintain healthy vagina

  • Wear cotton panty and change it twice daily.
  • Drink loads of water.
  • Maintain proper hygienic conditions.
  • Clean your vagina twice a day.
  • Don’t apply unprescribed creams or lubricants.
  • Do the Pap smear test to rule out any possibility of infection.
  • Maintain your blood sugar levels if you are diabetic.

Vaginal discharge is a naturally occurring phenomenon in women. It helps to keep the vagina healthy and well lubricated. The normal discharge is odourless, but when the smell turns foul it is time to get alert and take action. Some other signs apart from bad smell of an abnormal discharge are:

  • Change in colour or consistency of the fluid
  • Unexpected bleeding
  • Itchiness or rash in and around vagina
  • Burning sensation during urination

Reasons for abnormal discharge

Basically, the process of daily discharge is due to the removal of dead cells and tissues from the walls of the vagina, which creates a healthy environment for the growth of preventive bacteria. During this process there is usually no odour. However, if there is any type of odour, it means the pH balance of the vagina has changed from acidic to alkaline. This alkalinity becomes a breeding ground for parasites and fungi, which lead to abnormal discharge and various infections. Abnormal discharge means thick, brown or greenish coloured and smelly vaginal discharge.

The main causes of abnormal and smelly discharge are:

  • It could be the compression of veins in the genital region. When such congestion happens there are high chances of infections
  • Infection from bladder to vagina
  • Infection from the rectum to the vagina
  • Abnormal fluid draining from the abdomen to the uterus and vagina.

All these conditions inhibit the growth of healthy bacteria and destroy them. Also, the above mentioned causes prevent favourable environment for healthy discharge. However, there is no reason to panic. One must understand that there is a solution for every problem.

Outlined below are the main vaginal infections that are accompanied by odour and also their treatments.

  • Yeast infection- This is mainly due to the overgrowth of yeast. Such infections are caused by high stress levels, use of oral contraceptives, diabetes or use of high dosage of antibiotics. It can be treated with over the counter medicines to bring down the overgrowth of yeast.
  • Thrush- It’s a fungal infection, which destroys preventive bacteria in the vagina and causes rash and intense itchiness in the region. It can be treated with antifungal medicines.
  • Grey fishy smelling discharge- This is due to the bacterial Vaginosis (BV). It can easily be treated with antibiotics.
  • Trichomoniasis: This is a common Sexually Transferred Infection (STI) caused by a parasite. It changes the colour of the discharge from yellow to green. It swells up the vagina and leads to congestion of veins in vagina, which becomes painful. For its treatment you should visit your gynaecologist.
  • Chlamydia or Gonorrhoea (both STI’s) – These infections cause pain and itchiness in the vagina and also have strong smell and greenish discharge. Sometimes bleeding also occurs. With such symptoms you should visit the gynaecologist.

If these infections are not treated properly they may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which is an infection of the womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries.

Simple measures to avoid various infections

  • Have protected sex
  • Adopt proper hygiene
  • Eat well balanced diet.
  • Be alert about any significant changes in the vaginal discharge
  • Wear cotton panty and clean them properly

By adopting such precautions in one’s lifestyle, women will be able to avoid such infections.

Vaginal discharge usually performs vital roles in a female’s body. Bacteria and dead cells are cleaned by vagina through the fluid discharge. A healthy vagina naturally removes insanitary substances to prevent any harmful infections. A normal vaginal discharge during ovulation has no smell and is mostly white in color. The release amount varies from one woman to another.

Many times, women fear when they see such a discharge from their body. They misunderstand it to be a disease. You got nothing to worry about it, if the discharge is not smelling bad. Nor you have to feasr about anything, it is whitish in color.

You can handle the discharge, by cleaning it properly. Use slightly warm water to clean it. Females experiencing vaginal discharge are recommended to wear cotton panties. Regular exercises and healthy diet will keep this condition under control.

Different color of discharge:

  • White: If you are experiencing white color discharge during ovulation, that doesn’t smell or accompanied by severe pain and irritation then it’s perfectly normal and healthy. If the discharge is stretchy and clear in nature, then it is the indication that the lady is ovulating.
  • Brown: During ovulation a female can experience spotty brown discharge. The Brown color discharge comes out straight after the period ends. If the brown discharge is not smelly or has slight odor, then it’s normal. However it is recommended that you get the medical checkup done.
  • Watery: If you regularly visit the gym and perform hard exercises, then you are likely to experience watery vaginal discharge. If you are regularly experiencing such discharge then its perfectly normal. Just keep the vaginal area clean.

When need help?  

If you are feeling slight pain in your lower abdomen and experiencing dark yellowish color smelly discharge, then you need expert gynecologist help. The dark discharge can due to the consumption of anti-pregnancy medications. Talk to your doctor and discuss the matter as soon as possible. Avoiding the symptoms can lead into serious health problems.

Worry or relax?

Most women in their reproductive age experience vaginal discharge during ovulation. It’s normal, as almost every woman experiences this. However if you feel something weird or not natural, instantly contact medical experts. No need to fear. Even if this condition is completely curable, you should not take it lightly. Never try to ignore the condition as it can get serious if unattended.

It is quite understandable that you feel shy and don’t want to talk such condition even with a doctor. It should be realized that time will not heal the condition and without any medical assistance it will go worse. Hence, sooner or later, you have to see a doctor.

Treatments:

Doctors will suggest you to stay clean all the time. A vaginal discharge during ovulation can be easily treated. If the condition is chronic, then experts suggest various anti-biotic medications. Don’t wait until the condition gets chronic. Seek the medical assistance instantly and stay fit and healthy.

Bacteria are everywhere, even in the vagina, which has both good and bad bacteria. When good bacteria are outnumbered by the bad ones then a condition known as bacterial vaginosis occurs. Because of bacterial infection a fetid vaginal discharge after period can be experienced. Women worry a lot when they experience abnormal vaginal discharge.

Most females freak out seeing the vaginal discharge. However, everything is absolutely perfect as long as it does not smell bad. White color vaginal discharge without any odor is part of normal body function. If you are experiencing such discharge then you shouldn’t take it seriously. Through vaginal discharge a female body gets rid of old cells and unnecessary fluid. The quantity of discharge, its color and smell can change. The main roles of healthy vaginal discharge are:

  • Keep the vaginal area infection free
  • Signs of normal pregnancy
  • Ovulation starting signals
  • Beginning of female’s menstrual period

Time to get alert:

Once the vagina is infected by bacteria then the discharge gets affected. You start experiencing smelly discharge accompanied with pain and itchiness. Listed below are some other symptoms that occur with smelly vaginal release:

  • Swelling of the vagina
  • Uncomfortable feeling around genitals
  • Gray color discharge
  • Pain around genitals

Stress, illnesses, various exercises, lots of water intake, special diets, or hormonal changes can easily result in vagina discharge after period. You may wait for a few days and see how things go. If any of the symptoms persist for a week or two, it’s time to visit a gynecologist, who will examine the condition and find out the root cause of the abnormal discharge.

Never avoid:

Most girls experiencing abnormal discharge, usually do not discuss or talk with their family doctor about the problem. It is necessary to know about normal and abnormal body functions. It helps living a healthy lifestyle. Abnormal discharge can easily be cured if you seek the medical attention early.

There are endless health websites, which can notify you about the condition. You are free to skim through every bit of information online. Some are handled by medical experts and some are not. Never ever diagnose your condition by reading such information. Your symptoms might tally with online information, but the causes may vary. It’s highly advisable to seek medical attention before the treatment.

Causes and treatments:

Apart from the bacterial infection, an abnormal vaginal ejection can be caused by other factors as well. In most cases females consuming anti-pregnancy over-the-counter pills experience abnormal discharge. Even certain medical conditions such as diabetes, yeast infection, Chlamydia and others can cause abnormal vaginal release.

The unusual vaginal discharge after period can be treated according to the underlying cause. It is very important to know the exact cause of vaginal discharge. Certain medical examination can be done to find out the cause. Once it is known, the condition can be treated appropriately. Generally, doctors suggest their patients to stay clean. During the bath, cleaning the vagina with warm water can help reduce the effects. In chronic cases, experts may treat the condition with antibiotic medications.