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 the “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 to 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 one can be alarming.

You should know that most of the times, 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 starting 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.

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:

• Steroid use
• Bacterial vaginosis, bacterial infection through sexual intercourse
• Contraceptive medications
• Yeast infections
• Discomfort around the vagina
• Dryness of the vagina
• Infection through sexual intercourse
• Diabetes
• Pelvic Infection after surgery
• Douching or washing the vagina using scented soaps

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?

• Pain & discomfort with the discharge
• Itching that continues
• Burning sensation around the vaginal area
• Rashes or bumps along with the heavy vaginal discharge
• The discharge has a bad odor that doesn’t go
• The color of the discharge is brown, pink or unreasonably dark

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 vagina with 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.

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:

• Douching makes the vagina prone to infections, primarily bacterial vaginosis.
• Your vagina has a pH level which is called vaginal flora. It has a natural balance which encourages the growth of favorable bacteria. Douching can disturb its balance making it prone to infection.
• Infections due to douching can also increase the risks of premature birth or the spread of STIs.
• Douching is said to be one of the causes of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. PID is a type of disease wherein there’s an infection to the ovary, fallopian tubes or the uterus.
• Frequent douching could also lead to pregnancy complications. In a recent survey conducted, it was found that women who douche regularly were facing difficulties in conceiving. The chances of ectopic pregnancy due to douching cannot be neglected.
• Women’s healthcare expert suggest that frequent douching with scented soaps and other material can increase the risks of developing cervical cancer. Though there’s no strong evidence on this point, the disease could be linked with douching habit.

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.