What does your vaginal discharge say?
The vaginal discharge can be a good indicator of your vaginal and cervical health. It is a fluid discharge which is secreted by the glands in the vagina and cervix and is necessary to clear dead cells and organisms from the vagina, to maintain moistness and over-all health of your vagina. Most of the time the vaginal discharge is normal or physiological. A physiological discharge is clear moist and doesn’t have any odour along with it and is commonly seen before menses, at the time of your ovulation or during pregnancy.
What is an abnormal vaginal discharge?
An excessive vaginal discharge which has any change in colour or smell and presents along with burning and itching is described as an abnormal discharge. The vaginal discharge varies in quantity, smell and consistency depending upon the cause behind it such as infections or irregular menses. Abnormal vaginal discharges could be due to sexually transmitted and non-sexually transmitted infections. It could also be an indicator of cervical cancer. The common age group for abnormal vaginal discharge is between 16 to 45 years in India and is second most common problem after abnormal uterine bleeding. At Home of Homeo at least 17 % of the total female patients in that age group present with abnormal vaginal discharge/leucorrhoea. Let us see the different types of vaginal discharges, their causes and their homoeopathic management.
White like curd
A bit of white discharge before or after your menses is normal but a thick white non smelling discharge which is usually associated with vulval itching and soreness and burning sensation while urination is due to candidiasis or commonly called as yeast infection. Homoeopathic medicines like Borax, Alumina, Graphites will be beneficial in treatment of such infections.
Yellow frothy discharge
A yellow frothy discharge which might turn into a green tinge is often indicative of a Trichomonal infection. It is a common sexually transmitted parasitic infection and occurs due to having unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected partner. This discharge is foul smelling and is associated with lot of genital itching and burning especially during urination. Here both partners need to be treated to prevent reinfection. Homoeopathic remedies like Calcarea Carb, Nitric Acid and Merc Sol are useful in treatment of trichomonal vaginalis infections.
Green-Yellow discharge
A thick greenish yellow pus like discharge always indicates sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhoea and chlamydia infections. These infections are associated with lower abdominal pain, painful urination, painful sexual intercourse and intermenstrual bleeding. If you experience any of these symptoms it is time to visit a sexual health clinic near you. Homoeopathic medicines like Thuja and Medorrhinum and excellent for treatment of these sexually transmitted infections.
Blood stained or brown discharge
A brown or blood-stained vaginal discharge may ring alarm bells but is common after your menses. A blood-stained discharge or spotting is common before menses. Around 3 percent women experience spotting at the time of ovulation. But a blood-stained discharge occurring in between menses is indicative of hormonal dysfunction and needs to be further investigated and treated. The common causes of this could be ovarian cysts, polycystic ovaries and also in perimenopausal age group. Homoeopathic remedies such as Sabina, Nitric-Acid, Secale Cor are used for treatment of brown stained discharges.
Fishy smelling discharge
At times the vaginal discharge is scanty doesn’t change much is colour but gives off a typical fishy smell. The discharge may be thin and milky at times. This type of fishy smelling discharge is seen in bacterial vaginosis which is a common bacterial infection of the vagina. The discharge is associated with itching and redness of the genital region. Homoeopathic medicines such as Medorrhinum, Sanicula and Sepia are beneficial for such cases.
Self-Care
- Personal hygiene by washing of the genital area with warm water is important.
- Use 100% cotton underwear and change frequently. Synthetic garments cause dampness in the genital area and aggravate the problem.
- A nutritious diet rich in fruits and vegetables ensures protection against multiple infections.
- Unprotected sexual intercourse must be avoided. Use of condoms would be the best way for protection for both partners.
- Regular exercise and pranayama help keep hormonal disturbances at bay.
- Drink plenty of water to prevent urinary tract infections.
References
- DC Dutta’s tectbook of gynaeocology
- Comparative Materia Medica by E.A.Farrington.
- Analysis of leucorrhoea in tertiary care hospital by Rudra Bai IM, Manju Vijay and DharmaVijaya MN