What causes vaginal discharge?

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.