Is that normal vaginal discharge, isn't it? what causes abnormal vaginal discharge?

Many women are immediately anxious and anxious when they know that they have vaginal discharge. He said, vaginal discharge is a sign of infection and even cervical cancer. In some cases, it is true that infection can be the cause of vaginal discharge. Even so, not all white discharge from your vagina is a sign of danger. For those of you who are still wondering, "Is vaginal discharge normal?", The answer is simple: Leucorrhoea is actually normal, really! Provided you know the difference between abnormal. Here is all the information that all women must know about vaginal discharge - starting from the causes, characteristics of normal and abnormal vaginal discharge, the causes of vaginal discharge during pregnancy, to how to deal with excessive vaginal discharge.

What causes vaginal discharge?

Leucorrhoea is the discharge and cells that come out of the vagina. The discharge is usually influenced by your menstrual cycle. However, you actually don't need to be afraid and worried when you experience vaginal discharge.

Leucorrhoea is normal and common for every woman, because vaginal discharge is the body's natural way of cleaning the vagina and keeping it healthy. Leucorrhoea also functions as a natural vaginal lubricant to protect it from infection and irritation.

Even so, there is also abnormal vaginal discharge. The causes of abnormal vaginal discharge can vary, ranging from bacterial infections such as bacterial vaginosis, vaginal yeast infections, to sexually transmitted disease, such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis. So, it is important to know the difference between normal and abnormal vaginal discharge.

How do you know if my vaginal discharge is normal?

How often and how much discharge, as well as the color and texture of the liquid viscosity can vary for each woman. Some women experience it only occasionally and it comes out very little, while others are more frequent and more frequent. The discharge usually comes out more when you are ovulating, breastfeeding, sexually aroused, using birth control pills, or when you are stressed.

In general, normal vaginal discharge has a clear, transparent color and does not give off a strong odor (it doesn't even smell at all). There is also a liquid like water, and a thick, sticky like jelly.

What does abnormal vaginal discharge look like?

Whether your vaginal discharge is normal or not can be seen from the color, volume, smell, and consistency (thinness or thickness) of the liquid. Signs of abnormal vaginal discharge include:

Has a strong smell, such as a fishy or foul odor.
Thicker, frothy, or lumpy texture like cheesecottages.
The liquid is gray, greenish, yellowish in color.
The discharge from the vagina is accompanied by blood.
They are very large in quantity and sticky, so they easily stick to underwear.

If you experience the above signs along with other accompanying symptoms, such as vaginal itching or feeling hot and sore when urinating or having sex, usually the cause of abnormal vaginal discharge is a bacterial infection.

Immediately consult a doctor if you experience it. The reason is, vaginal discharge due to infection can cause various complications if not treated properly.

What causes abnormal vaginal discharge?

Abnormal vaginal discharge usually results from a bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infection in the vagina. Reporting from the MSD Manual page, the three diseases that most often cause abnormal vaginal discharge are:

Bacterial vaginosis. This condition occurs due to an imbalance of anaerobic bacteria growth in the vagina. This condition usually appears with white or gray characteristics, is not thick, smells fishy, and in large quantities. The vagina also feels itchy.
Candidiasis. One cause of vaginal discharge occurs due to a yeast infection with Candida albicans in the vagina. This condition appears with white and thick characteristics. The vagina feels itchy and hot, the pubic area can also become red and swollen.
Trichomoniasis. Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. This condition usually has the characteristics of a yellowish or greenish color, sometimes foamy, smells fishy, and in large quantities. Your vagina also feels itchy and red. Apart from trichomoniasis, gonorrhea and chlamydial infection are two other sexually transmitted diseases that often cause abnormal vaginal discharge.

In some cases, the cause of abnormal vaginal discharge in women can also be due to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Pelvic inflammatory disease is caused by a bacterial infection that attacks the uterus, cervix, ovaries (ovaries), or fallopian tubes. Pelvic inflammation is transmitted through sexual contact.

If you notice anything unusual, you should immediately consult a doctor to find out the cause of abnormal vaginal discharge. The earlier you know the cause, the easier the treatment will be.

Is vaginal discharge during pregnancy normal?

When you are pregnant, your body will go through a lot of changes. One of the first changes you may experience is vaginal discharge. Yes, vaginal discharge during pregnancy is common. Leucorrhoea is even more common during pregnancy. That is why you don't need to worry if you experience vaginal discharge during pregnancy.

Leucorrhoea during pregnancy becomes more frequent because the body produces more estrogen to soften the cervix (cervix) and vaginal walls. In addition, blood flow around the vaginal area is also smoother during pregnancy. This is what causes vaginal discharge during pregnancy.

You may even experience this in the third trimester of pregnancy, as a sign your body is preparing for labor. Leucorrhoea during late pregnancy can also occur due to the baby's head pressing on your cervix. This time, the fluid looks a little different than usual, resembling raw egg whites, or like the mucus you usually spit out when you have a cold.

When do you need to watch out for vaginal discharge during pregnancy?

Even though vaginal discharge during pregnancy is normal, that doesn't mean you can let go of your hands when you notice something unusual. You should check your condition immediately, if:

You are unsure whether the discharge is vaginal discharge or the water has broken.
The discharge from the vagina is very fluid, slimy, or even mixed with blood, when you haven't even entered the 37th week of pregnancy.
The appearance of accompanying symptoms such as pain, itching, heat, even the lips of the vagina look like they are inflamed. This could be a sign that you have a yeast infection.
The discharge from the vagina is grayish-white in color and has a fishy smell after sexual intercourse.
The discharge from the vagina is yellow or even green, with a strong odor. This could be a symptom that you have trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted disease.

How to deal with vaginal discharge?

The key to dealing with vaginal discharge is to maintain the cleanliness and health of your vagina at all times. A clean vagina is able to maintain a balance of good bacteria in the vagina to prevent the risk of infection.

Maintaining vaginal hygiene can be done in many ways. Here are some ways you can treat vaginal discharge:

If you have too much fluid, change your underwear as often as possible. This is done to keep the vagina dry, thereby reducing the risk of infection. Choose underwear made of 100 percent sweat absorbent cotton and avoid wearing pants that are too tight.
Avoid using scented soaps, gels, antiseptics, as welldouching because it can affect the pH balance and bacteria in the vagina. If you want to use soap, go for a plain, unscented soap.
Wash your feminine area gently with warm water. Always wash from front to back to prevent bacteria from entering the vagina.
After urinating, don't forget to always dry your vagina using a soft tissue or towel and gently pat it dry. Remember not to rub or rub your vagina too hard, as this can irritate it.
If it is caused by a yeast infection, then you can treat it with antifungal drugs in the form of creams or gels. Consult first before you use antifungal drugs to treat vaginal discharge.
Use condoms or delay sexual intercourse for up to a week after treatment to prevent the infection from getting worse.
Consume yogurt if you are on antibiotics to reduce your risk of developing a yeast infection.
If your condition does not improve after doing the methods above, immediately consult a doctor.

What are the options for leucorrhoea with or without a doctor's prescription?

Basically the choice of drug will depend on the cause. Always consult a doctor if you want to use or take certain drugs to treat vaginal discharge.

Medicine for vaginal discharge due to fungal infection

If it is caused by a fungus, then an antifungal vaginal discharge medication is the best choice. You can buy this type of vaginal discharge without a prescription at the nearest pharmacy or drug store. Usually, antifungal vaginal discharge medications come in the form of creams, gels, or suppositories that are inserted through the vagina or urethra. This type of drug is easy to melt, softens, and dissolves at body temperature.

Some of the over-the-counter antifungal vaginal discharge medications are clotrimazole, miconazole nitrate, and thioconazole. Although it can be purchased without a doctor's prescription, make sure you read the instructions for use listed on the product packaging. If necessary, ask the pharmacist.

Meanwhile, if you often experience severe yeast infections, you may need vaginal antifungal drugs by prescription. Anti-fungal vaginal discharge medications that must be prescribed by a doctor include butoconazole and terponazole.

Your doctor may also prescribe a steroid cream for a few days to relieve inflammation, redness, and more severe pain in the vaginal lips and surrounding tissue.

Medicine for vaginal discharge due to bacterial infection

If it is caused by a bacterial infection, using creams or drinking antibiotics can help treat vaginal discharge that is excessive and smelly. This medicine usually requires a doctor's prescription.

Some vaginal discharge medications that are usually prescribed by doctors include:

Metronidazole (Flagyl, Metrogel-Vaginal, others)
Metronidazole
Clindamycin (Cleocin, Clindesse, others)
Tinidazole (Tindamax)

If you are pregnant and have this condition, it is very important for you to treat it immediately. This is done to reduce the risk of complications such as premature birth or low birth weight. Take your medication or use a cream or gel as long as your doctor prescribes it - even if your symptoms have gone away. Stopping treatment early can increase the risk of recurrence later in life.

How to prevent vaginal discharge?

To avoid abnormal discharge from the vagina, here are some precautions you can take:

Wash your hands before and after touching the vaginal area.
After urinating, always flush your vagina from front to back to prevent bacteria from entering the vagina and causing infection.
Make sure the vagina is wet enough before you have sexual intercourse to prevent infection.
Use unscented detergent to wash your clothes. Also, make sure you rinse the clothes thoroughly.
Use cotton underwear that absorbs sweat and avoid tight clothing.
Avoid using scented wipes, scented soaps, or powders in the vagina as they can irritate the skin and disrupt the natural bacterial balance in the vagina.
It is very important for you to maintain vaginal cleanliness while menstruating. For that, you need to change pads several times a day to keep your vagina from infection.

So, how do you deal with this condition during pregnancy?

How to deal with vaginal discharge during pregnancy is basically the same as how to deal with vaginal discharge as a whole. The key, always keep your vagina clean. Some things you can do to treat vaginal discharge during pregnancy include:

When cleaning, always wipe the vaginal area from front to back.
Avoid wearing pants that are too tight and exposure to liquids as wellsprayscented on the vagina.
Instead, use cotton underwear.
Keep the pubic area dry. Change the underwear when it feels damp.
Avoid doing vaginal douching on the inside of the vagina.
Avoid using bath soap to clean the vagina. Instead, use a special feminine cleanser containing povidone-iodine on the outside of the vagina which can treat and relieve symptoms of vaginal irritation.