Contents:
- Medical Video: 10 Signs You Might Have a Yeast Infection - Did You Experience These?
- What is normal vaginal discharge like?
- What is abnormal vaginal discharge like?
- Leucorrhoea due to vaginal yeast infection
- Leucorrhoea due to bacterial vaginosis (vaginal bacterial infection)
- Leucorrhoea due to trichomoniasis
- Leucorrhoea due to gonorrhea and chlamydia
- Leucorrhoea due to cancer
- When to check vaginal discharge?
Medical Video: 10 Signs You Might Have a Yeast Infection - Did You Experience These?
Leucorrhoea is often regarded as something bad and needs to be "eliminated". In fact, fluid from the vagina is a normal part of the female reproductive system.
Leucorrhoea comes from glands in the cervix and vaginal wall, which carry dead cells and bacteria out of our body. Therefore, vaginal discharge actually helps keep vagians clean and prevents infection.
What is normal vaginal discharge like?
Some women only experience occasional vaginal discharge, but some also experience it quite often. There are women who only spend a little bit of vaginal discharge, but there are also those with more volume.
Leucorrhoea usually will tend to be more when you are ovulating, breastfeeding, sexually aroused, using birth control pills, or when you are stressed.
In addition to fluid volume, which also varies in each woman is the aroma, color, and whitish texture. Some are liquid, some are sticky, some are elastic, and some are thick. However, normal vaginal discharge is usually clear (transparent) or white.
What is abnormal vaginal discharge like?
In general, if your vaginal discharge suddenly changes and the aroma or texture is no longer as usual, this indicates a possible problem with your vaginal health.
Different diseases, the characteristics of vaginal discharge are different symptoms. For more information, please refer to the explanation below.
Leucorrhoea due to vaginal yeast infection
The following symptoms can indicate that your vaginal discharge is caused by a vaginal infection, for example due to a fungus:
- Whitish texture becomes thicker, foamy, or lumpy like cheese cottage
- Bright white vaginal discharge
- Leucorrhoea is accompanied by itching or heat in the vagina
Leucorrhoea due to bacterial vaginosis (vaginal bacterial infection)
Bacterial vaginosis is the most common bacterial infection in the vagina, which is characterized by:
- Fishy smell
- Leucorrhoea is semi-gray white
Leucorrhoea due to trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis is a venereal disease that is quite common in women, and can be characterized by changes in vaginal discharge, such as:
- Leucorrhoea is foul-smelling
- Leucorrhoea can become thick or foamy
- The whitish color turns greenish yellow
- Accompanied by vaginal itching and pain when urinating
Leucorrhoea due to gonorrhea and chlamydia
These two venereal diseases can also cause discoloration of leucorrhoea, increase in the volume of leucorrhoea, or odor of leucorrhoea. However, gonorrhea and chlamydia also often show no symptoms so that their presence is only detected after you have been tested.
Leucorrhoea due to cancer
Most cancers do not affect vaginal discharge. Even cancer that occurs in the area of the vagina and reproductive system of women often will not show any symptoms of your vaginal discharge.
However, fallopian tube cancer is classified as rare, usually characterized by an increase in vaginal discharge volume with a liquid texture like water.
Again, this type of cancer is very rare, but if you find a change in vaginal discharge from the vagina, it is better to immediately consult a doctor to detect the cause.
When to check vaginal discharge?
You should see a doctor if you experience the following symptoms that can indicate vaginal infections:
- There are sudden changes in the volume, color, aroma, and texture of vaginal discharge.
- Your vaginal discharge is accompanied by itching, or swelling, or redness in the vaginal area.
- Your vaginal discharge changes since you drink / use certain drugs.
- Your vaginal discharge occurs after you have unprotected sex.
- Your vaginal discharge is getting worse or not gone after one week.
- Your vaginal discharge is accompanied by resilience, abrasions, or sores in the vaginal area.
- Your vaginal discharge is accompanied by a feeling of heat or pain when urinating.
- Your vaginal discharge is accompanied by fever or pain in the abdominal area.
