It is unlikely that in the modern world there is a woman who would never be puzzled by the nature of the appeared vaginal discharge. Young women do not even know what is the norm and what is a deviation, as a result of which many ambiguous questions arise. That is why it is important to understand the nature of the occurrence of certain vaginal discharge in order to timely prevent the development of serious inflammation.

Description and characteristics of vaginal discharge

Allocations or, as they are also called, leucorrhoea, appear in a woman even during puberty, when hormonal restructuring of the whole organism occurs. Their intensity varies throughout the menstrual cycle, and the consistency and shade depend on the concentration of female hormones estrogen. Now let's take a closer look at what constitutes a healthy discharge, which are considered a sign of norm.

At the very beginning of the cycle, the level of estrogen in the blood is minimal, therefore, the intensity of vaginal discharge at this stage is reduced and amounts to no more than 2 mg per day. Leucorrhoea has a clear or whitish texture, which has no pronounced odor. Already in the middle of the cycle, when ovulation occurs, the amount of discharge increases significantly to 4 mg per day.

It is during this period that the level of female hormones reaches its peak, which means that there is a more intensive production of mucus.Such a quantity of leucorrhoea can leave a spot with a diameter of 4-5 cm on the underwear. In the next phase of the cycle after maturation of the egg, the production of white secretions from the vagina gradually decreases. Leucorrhoea is characterized by a more viscous dense texture resembling egg white.

Types of discharge

Modification of the vaginal secretion can be caused by a wide variety of factors, ranging from hormonal changes to inflammatory processes of the genital organs. Earlier, we already examined the natural secret development process, which is considered a sign of norm.

The following types are also considered normal:

  • spotting with a brown tint may appear in the first months after the start of oral contraceptives. They are considered the norm;
  • abundant transparent, white or yellow discharge forms immediately after unprotected sex;
  • a minimal amount of discharge with a creamy consistency is noted after intercourse using a condom;
  • liquid secretion of a white hue without any smell and burning sensation is formed during pregnancy;
  • pink discharge or lochia is considered normal for several months after birth.

Reasons for the appearance

A change in the consistency and hue of the discharge is noted due to a variety of factors. These include hormonal changes, a change in sexual partner, climate change, as well as the period of pregnancy and lactation. In addition, a change in secret may be due to the intake of various medicines, whether it be antibiotics or hormones.

However, most often, such changes are a symptom of an infectious or inflammatory disease of the pelvic organs. Among the most common are gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia, thrush and vaginal dysbiosis. If infectious diseases are transmitted exclusively through sexual contact, then vaginitis, dysbiosis and thrush can provoke endocrine disorders, improper genital hygiene, the use of synthetic or tight underwear, as well as nervous overwork, stress and increased physical activity.

Important! If the discharge has an unpleasant odor or is accompanied by a feeling of pain and burning, in this case, you should seek help from a gynecologist as soon as possible. In time untreated infections flow into a chronic form, thereby becoming the main culprits for the development of serious gynecological disorders.

Female discharge with dangerous signs

There are frequent cases when the resulting discharge signals the presence of an inflammatory-infectious process.

  1. Bloody discharge should alert a woman if they are not caused by the onset of menstruation. But even during menstruation, pathological processes can be noticed. So, if spotting has an unpleasant odor or lasts more than 10 days, then this is a serious reason to seek the help of a doctor. Symptoms like this can indicate the presence of diseases such as polycystic, endometriosis, or cervical erosion.
  2. White discharge, with a curdled consistency, is often a sign of vulvovaginal candidiasis. Thrush is recognized as the most common gynecological disease. As a rule, discharge is accompanied by an uncomfortable feeling of itching and burning in the genital area.
  3. Green discharge is formed due to the development of an infectious disease. It can be gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, salpingitis and other sexually transmitted infections. Typically, such disorders are accompanied by high fever, aching pain in the lower abdomen and general weakness of the whole organism.
  4. Purulent discharge from the vagina is always the result of an infectious-inflammatory process and needs timely treatment by an appropriate specialist.

Age variants of the norm

The mistake of many women is that they consider the vaginal secret a manifestation of uncleanliness. In fact, such a physiological process is as natural as the production of gastric juice, skin sebum or saliva. The first mucous discharge appears in a girl aged 10-13 years, when the formation of a hormonal background occurs. At an earlier age, there should not be any abundant secretion in the vagina.

The most active production occurs between 18 and 35 years, when a period of high reproductive ability is noted. With the approach of menopause, the amount of leucorrhoea gradually decreases, and after 50 years, spotting brown discharge is a sign of normal and indicate a gradual cessation of the menstrual cycle.

Color highlight for STIs

The danger of sexually transmitted infections lies in the fact that they lead to the most sad consequences, up to infertility. Some of them, such as HIV or genital herpes, are not treatable, and chlamydia can even be completely asymptomatic.

  1. Syphilis. This disease is characterized by a discharge of a yellow or greenish tint. The main distinguishing feature is the formation of ulcers in the genital area.
  2. Trichomoniasis In this case, an abundant foaming secret of a white or greenish tint with an unpleasant odor appears.
  3. Gonorrhea. In addition to greenish mucus, spotting spotting is also observed, accompanied by pain and burning.
  4. Chlamydia It is accompanied by purulent vaginal discharge, which is characterized by an unpleasant rotten odor. Periodic bleeding is also observed throughout the cycle.

Features of discharge during pregnancy

After a successful conception, a global restructuring of the hormonal background occurs in the body of the expectant mother, as a result of which the consistency of the vaginal secretion changes. In the early stages, when a fertilized egg is fixed in the walls of the uterus, a minimal amount of mucus is produced. In later trimesters, the intensity of secretion increases as a result of an increase in the level of the female hormone progesterone.

Transparent or white mucous discharges without any smell are considered normal. If they have a greenish, pink or brown tint, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible. A sign of the norm is considered to be scarce brown discharge, which can appear after sex, examination by a doctor or in later pregnancy. It’s worthwhile to sound the alarm if you are disturbed by painful sensations and a plentiful amount of brown mucus is observed.

Which doctor to contact

Often, patients do not like to see their doctors, hoping that the painful symptoms go away by themselves. In addition, it is not clear to whom exactly the specialist should make an appointment - to a gynecologist or venereologist.

Girls who do not have sex, in case of detection of abnormal discharge, should seek the help of a gynecologist. The doctor will conduct a detailed examination, make the necessary smears on the microflora, and also, if necessary, prescribe a number of other additional tests. If a modified secret appeared a few days after a doubtful sexual intercourse, then it is recommended to undergo an appropriate examination by a venereologist to more accurately establish the causative agent of the infection.

In any case, the fair sex must visit the gynecologist once every 6-12 months.

Diagnostics

Identification of pathogenic pathogens of infectious diseases is carried out using a special bacterial sowing. For this, the specialist takes the appropriate smear from the patient for microflora, after which a microscopic examination of the biological material is carried out. Currently, the polymerase chain reaction method is becoming increasingly popular.With its help it is possible to identify even the smallest number of dangerous bacteria.

There are frequent cases when the causes of gynecological diseases are endocrine disorders. A special blood test will help identify a shortage or excess of certain hormones. The patient also undergoes an ultrasound scan to exclude the risk of developing other diseases of the pelvic organs.

Treatment

Based on the analysis, a further course of treatment is compiled. If an infectious disease is detected, the patient is prescribed antibiotics in the form of suppositories, tablets and ointments. The duration of therapy will depend on how timely the patient turned to a specialist for help. The average duration of treatment does not exceed 1 week.

If specific vaginal discharge was provoked by diseases such as thrush or vaginitis, then the gynecologist prescribes antifungal agents, as well as special prebiotics that normalize the vaginal microflora. Diseases caused by disorders of the endocrine system require long-term treatment based on hormonal drugs.

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