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Whatever is coming out of your body acts as the best indicator of what is happening inside your body. If you pay attention to the symptoms offered by your body, you can get to know about your body's problems in its earlier stages. One such case is vaginal discharge. Its color and consistency are the key indicators of your vaginal health.
Made up of body water, bacteria, yeast, cervical secretions, and dead vaginal cells, vaginal discharge is a fluid that comes out from the vagina. The discharge is considered an amazing thing that secretes the cervix and vagina to protect it and the urinary tract from infection. The fluid also helps keep the vaginal area and its tissues clean and lubricated.
In conversation with Dr. Elsa, a Female Gynaecologist in Dubai, she reveals how vaginal discharge may vary across the menstrual cycle. It may be thick, thin, pasty, watery, clear, cloudy, bloody, white, yellow, pink, odorless, or have a really bad odor, etc.
The consistency of vaginal discharge significantly varies from person to person and as per the menstrual cycle. It can change from day to day in terms of color, volume, and amount. For example
From day 1 to day 5: At the beginning of the cycle, the vaginal discharge is bloody or red in color as it sheds the uterine lining.
From day 6 to day 14: Following a period, one should notice less vaginal discharge because the egg starts to develop and mature. The consistency of vaginal discharge occurring on cycle days 6 to 14 is sticky and cloudy white or yellow in color.
From day 15 to day 25: The few days before ovulation, the consistency of vaginal discharge is thin, slippery, and somewhat similar to egg whites. Once the ovulation is over, the vaginal discharge is back to being cloudy white, or yellow in color, along with being tacky and sticky in nature.
From day 25 to 28: Before getting another period, the vaginal discharge will lighten and will also occur less.
1. Red or brown discharge: The shade of red in vaginal discharge can vary from bright red to something dark brown or rust-colored.
Causes: It is generally caused by menstrual activity, menopause, infections, cervical cancer, and others.
Menstrual cycle: Vaginal discharge in the color of red appears during the menstrual cycle in the form of a spot. It starts days before the periods and ends days after the periods.
Menopause: When a woman is entering the right age of their mid-40s and is approaching menopause, they may experience lighter, shorter, heavier, and longer vaginal discharge in different shades of red and brown.
Cervical cancer: A brown, watery, pale, and smelly vaginal discharge can be caused due to cervical cancer beginning in the cervix.
2. White discharge: In different shades of white, ranging from eggshell white to cream-white different white discharge is common. It is accompanied by different textures and smells.
Cause: Even though a different shade of white discharge is considered normal, it can be caused due to normal lubrication or a yeast infection in the vagina.
Normal lubrication: The discharge is made in the glands found in the cervix. It is considered normal, especially for women of childbearing age.
Yeast infection: With symptoms like an itchy vagina, redness, swelling in the vulva, and a burning feeling while urinating, yeast infection is caused. During yeast infections, the flow of white vaginal discharge is common.
3. Clear discharge: This kind of discharge is clear and whitish in color, which is considered OK. Clear vaginal discharge is produced through the vaginal walls when the blood flow increases to the area. It is slippery in touch and is expected at various times throughout the menstrual cycle.
Causes: It happens before ovulation, during pregnancy, and during sexual arousal.
Ovulation: During the period of ovulation, the body produces a discharge that is clear.
Sexual arousal: The discharge during the periods of sexual arousal is considered totally fine.
Pregnancy: Due to a change in hormones during the period of pregnancy, the flow of clear or white discharge of early pregnancy increases.
4. Yellow and green discharge: Discharge with a light yellow discharge to a green hue indicates a problem. It is considered to appear with a change in diet or dietary supplements. On the other hand, discharge with a darker shade of yellow or green indicates a bacterial or sexually transmitted infection.
Causes: A change in diet or dietary supplements; an infection caused by different bacteria like trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, etc.
Change in diet: This color of vaginal discharge is a sign that what you eat could affect the color. For example, taking new vitamins or certain foods.
Other bacteria: Due to STI, the flow of yellow to green discharge may occur. The discharge can be thin, foamy, greenish, yellow, and foul smelling.
5. Pink discharge: Ranging from blush to deep pink, vaginal discharge can sometimes be normal and can sometimes be a sign of some underlying health problem.
Causes: Implantation bleeding and sexual intercourse are common causes of pink vaginal discharge.
Sexual intercourse: Following intercourse, some people may experience light bleeding after penetration, resulting in pink discharge.
Implantation bleeding: In the period of implantation bleeding following the fertilization of the sperm in an egg, the discharge takes place.
Now that you have all the information on what different colors of vaginal discharge mean, if you are experiencing healthy discharge, then sit tight. But, if you feel like something is wrong and your discharge is out of the ordinary, then do not douche, instead consult the Top Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology in Dubai from New Concept Clinic, a Gynaecology Hospital in Dubai offering the best gynaecology services. To get all the answers to your questions Schedule an Appointment and speak with our doctor now.
