Vaginal Discharge: What’s
Abnormal?
Vaginal
discharge serves an important housekeeping function in the female reproductive
system. Fluid made by glands inside the vagina and cervix carries away dead
cells and bacteria. This keeps the vagina clean and helps prevent infection.
Most of
the time, vaginal discharge is perfectly normal. The amount can vary, as can
odor and color (which can range from clear to a milky white-ish), depending on
the time in your menstrual cycle. For example, there will be more discharge
when you're ovulating, breastfeeding , or sexually aroused. It may smell
different when you're pregnant or you've been letting your personal hygiene
slide.
None of
those changes is cause for alarm. However, if the color, 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, color, or
discharge texture. These are a few of the things that can upset that balance:
- Antibiotic or steroid use
- Bacterial vaginosis, a bacterial infection more common in pregnant women or women who have multiple sexual partners
- Birth control pills
- Cervical cancer
- Chlamydia or gonorrhea (STDs ), sexually transmitted infections
- Diabetes
- Douches, scented soaps or lotions, bubble bath
- Pelvic infection after surgery
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
- Trichomoniasis, a parasitic infection typically contracted and caused by having unprotected sex
- Vaginal atrophy, the thinning and drying out of the vaginal walls during menopause
- Vaginitis, irritation in or around the vagina
- Yeast infections
Source: Healthcare web
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