SIGNS OF AN UNHEALTHY VAGINA DISCHARGE

Today, lets move away from the nitty gritty of sex and talk about vaginal discharge and how it affects us as women. Vaginal discharge is perfectly normal and looks and feels different for different women. Vaginal discharge is basically the mixture of cervical mucus and vaginal secretions. This entails that the skin inside the vagina and cervix will produce some kind of discharge which we term vaginal discharge.

Vaginal discharge is healthy normal and physiological condition that keeps the vagina healthy, a normal discharge is healthy and what you would expect to have daily. A normal discharge comes out clear and whitish without any foul odour, although the texture may vary ranging from thin, watery or stringy depending on the time of the month. Normal is relative as it differ following the volume of discharge ,so it is important to understand what normal means for your body.

However, a vagina discharge can have different colours, textures or odours which can be a sign of physiological imbalance or an infection. There are various ways to know when the discharge is unhealthy ranging from a fishy odour, to itching, to the time frame and the question of unprotected sex amongst others. Today, we would be exploring what the colour of your vaginal discharge means, however, it should be known that there are other contributing factors other than the colour that can ascertain how normal your discharge is.

Clear and Watery 

Sometimes a woman may experience a clear and watery discharge. This is completely normal and can happen at any time of the month. It may be particularly heavy after walkouts.

Clear and Stretchy

When your discharge is clear and stretchy or looks like mucous instead of water, it is a sign that you are possibly ovulating. This is a healthy and perfectly normal discharge.

Brown or bloody discharge

If a woman has brown discharge while she is menstruating or towards the tail end of a period; it may be normal. A late discharge at the end of your period can look brown instead of red. This is probably just some blood in the discharge. You may as well witness a tiny bloody discharge between your periods. Depending on when it happens, it could even be spotting in between periods. If you experience spotting the normal time of your period and you have not long had unprotected sex, it could be an indication that you are pregnant. Spotting at an early phase of pregnancy can be a sign of miscarriage.

So, if this happens you should see a doctor, but it may not necessarily be a sign of infection or miscarriage. However, if a patient is postmenopausal, this could raise concern for a potential cancer of the female organs. In uncommon occasions, brown or bloody discharge could be a signal of advanced cervical cancer. This is why it’s significant to get yourself checked every year. Go for routine pelvic exam and Pap smear, so that your gynecologist will examine you for cervical abnormalities.

Yellow discharge

This can also be normal, but could potentially be a sign of an infection. Generally, when a yellow discharge is thick, chunky, or when it has a bad smell is abnormal. This form of discharge may be an indication of the infection known as trichomoniasis, which is frequently transmitted through sexual intercourse. Although many women with chlamydia or gonorrhea have no symptoms at all, those that do may experience this type of discharge.

Green discharge 

I would say this is usually abnormal and suggestive of an infection. A yellow or green thick, chunky and foul smelly discharge is not normal but could be a sign of sexually transmitted disease like trichomoniasis.

Remember: There are also some other contributing factors such as if you are in your reproductive cycle and changes in your vaginal discharge depends on the menstrual cycle.

Source: www.buoyhealth.com