Sometimes, vaginal discharge is completely normal. A normal vaginal discharge helps to clean the female reproductive system. The discharge is secretions made by the glands inside the vagina and cervix. The secretions help to carry away dead cells and bacteria. It is like exfoliating the inside! This process helps keep it clean and helps to prevent infections.
Vaginal discharge may be normal
Most of the time, vaginal discharge is normal. The amount of discharge can vary based on many different factors. A normal vaginal discharge will vary in color from clear to milky, depending on the stage of your menstrual cycle. There will be more discharge when you are breastfeeding, ovulating or sexually aroused. The odor of the discharge can vary during the different stages of you menstrual cycle too. This is because hormones are one variable that can change throughout the month. Increased levels of estrogen are responsible for the increased amount of clear, stretchy cervical secretions seen around ovulation. After ovulation, the vaginal discharge tends to become less watery and may look more like paste. The odor may be different during pregnancy or with bad personal hygiene. None of those changes is cause for alarm.
You want to be concerned if there is a significantly unusual color, odor or consistency of the vaginal discharge, or if there is any itching or burning. There are many different things that can happen to cause a change in the balance of the normal bacteria in the vagina. When this happens, it can affect the smell, color and texture of the discharge. Some of the many things that can upset this balance are medications, diabetes, menopause, douching, soaps, lotions, bubble baths and cervical cancer. Infections that will upset the balance are bacterial vaginosis, PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) and yeast infections. Some STD’s will also cause change in vaginal discharge. The STD’s that commonly cause this are gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis.
There are some things that you can do to prevent vaginal infections that can lead to abnormal vaginal discharge. Good personal hygiene is the most important, keep the vagina clean with regular bathing using a gentle soap and warm water. Always make sure that all of the soaps, feminine sprays and bubble baths are not scented. Do not douche. Douching is linked to an increased incidence of bacterial vaginosis. Douching decreases the concentrations of good bacteria in the vagina. After using the restroom, always wipe from front to back, to make sure bacteria is not wiped from the rectum to the vagina. Make sure to wear white, all cotton panties. These are just some of the simple things that can be done daily for good personal hygiene.
Tags: Pregnancy, Prenant with STD, std testing during pregnancy, vaginal discharge