What Color Vaginal Discharge Can Mean!
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Trichomoniasis: Vaginitis caused by trichomoniasis typically presents with a thin, greenish-yellow, foul-smelling discharge associated with the other classic signs of vulvovaginitis, such as painful urination, irritation of the vulva, and bleeding/pain during intercourse.
Bacterial Vaginosis: The typical symptom of vaginosis is thin, grayish vaginal discharge with a very strong odor, like rotten fish. The other symptoms of vulvovaginal inflammation, such as painful urination, itching of the vulva, and pain with intercourse, are much less frequent, being in most cases absent.
Candidiasis: No odor. It is thick (milky in appearance), white in color, and is often accompanied by itching and burning.
Gonorrhea and Chlamydia: They may present with vaginal discharge, usually with a mucopurulent appearance (cloudy yellow). Other associated symptoms include painful urination, pain during intercourse, usually with post-coital bleeding, and irritation of the vulva.
Pink discharge : Pink discharge can indicate the beginning of pregnancy, as it can be caused by the fertilization of the egg and often occurs up to 3 days after intimate contact. Along with this type of discharge, mild abdominal cramps are common, which are normal and end up passing without treatment.
Smelly discharge: Vaginosisand trichomoniasis are the main causes of strong-smelling discharge.
Transparent Discharge: Liquid and transparent discharge, similar to egg white, can indicate that you are in the fertile period of the menstrual cycle, which is why this is the ideal time for a woman to get pregnant if she is not under the influence of contraceptive. This type of discharge lasts approximately 6 days and ends up disappearing naturally after that time.
Brown Discharge: Brown discharge is usually one that contains clotted blood. It can be caused by menstrual debris, trauma, infections, foreign body, gynecological cancer, implantation of the embryo in the uterus in the first days of pregnancy, vaginal atrophy or ectopic pregnancy.
In addition, in more serious cases, this type of discharge can also be signs of cancer of the vagina , cervix or endometrium, which is why it is important to consult the gynecologist when symptoms arise.
White Discharge: White discharge can be normal, especially if it is thin and in small amounts. Thicker, grayish discharge, often associated with irritative symptoms such as vaginal itching and pain, could be thrush . If there is a strong smell, vaginosis is a possibility.
Yellowish discharge: Yellowish discharge is usually a sign of a gynecological infection, especially if accompanied by a bad smell, burning or vaginal itching . Trichomoniasis is perhaps the main cause of this type of discharge, but other infections can also cause it, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia. In addition, yellow, pus-like discharge may indicate the presence of chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease that can cause almost no symptoms.
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How to Prevent: To avoid infections and vaginal diseases that can cause discharge, it is important to do good intimate hygiene daily, 1 to 2 times a day. For this, you should always wash the intimate region with plenty of water and a drop of soap without ever rubbing too much. After washing, you should carefully dry the intimate region and put on clean underwear. That’s why it’s important:
- Do not use daily sunscreen like Carefree for example;
- Wear cotton underwear;
- Avoid rubbing the intimate region too much, even with intimate soap;
- Avoid using wet wipes or perfumed toilet paper;
- Wear cotton panties.