Vaginal discharge is fluid made by glands inside the vagina. Though completely natural and healthy it can be, it also has risks in certain cases. Women fail to understand the difference between “good discharge” and “bad discharge” and hence the subject remains long neglected.

However, if you ignored the discharge that has health risks, it can lead to severe infection of the reproductive organs. Hence, it becomes important to know which vaginal discharge is healthy and which one isn’t.

This blog helps you understand the causes of vaginal discharge and which ones can be alarming.

You should know that most of the time, your vaginal discharge is normal. Ideally, the discharge appears to be transparent and does not have an odor. This is healthy for the reproductive organ as it carries dead tissues from the cervix while it primarily prevents infection.

Some women also experience slightly milky discharge which is often observed around the start of the menstrual cycle or at the time of ovulation. Normal discharge can additionally take place with women who breastfeed or are sexually aroused. Though odor is associated with “bad discharge”, pregnant women may have an odor and that is completely normal.

The following are the causes of vaginal discharge:

The vagina has its natural pH balance which is present for the upkeep of the vagina & normal bacteria. If there’s any change that takes place with the vaginal balance, it reflects in the vaginal discharge in the form of smell, color, or texture. The following could be the possible reasons for changes in vaginal discharge:

None of them causes alarm until the color, smell or texture seems unusually odd. It is important that you monitor your discharge so that you’ll know which one is alarming and when. A normal discharge is typical of about a teaspoon a day and not more than that.

When should you see a doctor?

Do not ignore the symptoms that tell you the vaginal discharge is alarming. Ignoring can lead to severe reproductive health risks.

Unaware of the possible impact of douching on health & body, more than 40% of women in the US use a vaginal douche on a regular basis. The case is especially high in teens and women in their early 20s. These women believe to be clean and feel fresh after douching.

Some women even believe that douching can help them prevent pregnancy if they did it after sexual intercourse. Contrarily, women’s healthcare experts do not encourage such thinking and suggest strictly avoiding douching.

This blog aims to clear all doubts of women regarding vaginal douching.

What Is Douching?

Literally speaking, douche means to wash. Douching is when you wash out your vagina. Most women typically wash their vaginas with a water and vinegar mixture. Some of the douches that you see in supermarkets may be scented and have antiseptics. In some regions, douching could also mean simply washing the vagina thoroughly.

The following are the advantages of douching:

It makes you feel cleaner.

There aren’t any other major benefits of douching apart from making you feel clean and hygienic.

Following are the disadvantages of douching:

Should you douche?

Most women prefer douching due to the vaginal odor that they may have. However, douching should strictly be avoided. Women should note that vaginal odor is not something one should get rid of as it is a normal thing. However, if you come across any strong bad odor, you should visit a doctor and should not try to douche to get rid of it. This could be a sign of infection and douching may not help.