Definition
Vaginal discharge, also called leukorrhea, is made up of both fluid and cells. Your vagina sheds discharge throughout the day.
Typical discharge helps keep the vagina healthy and clean. By keeping the tissues wet, it protects against infection and irritation. Vaginal discharge might seem different at times. It could be whitish and sticky or clear and watery. These changes usually depend on where you are in your period cycle. It’s common for the amount, color and consistency all to change.
Sometimes though, vaginal discharge can be a symptom that something’s wrong. You might have discharge that smells bad or looks strange to you. Or you might feel itching or pain. If so, contact your health care provider to see if you might need to have the discharge checked.
Causes
Yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis and menopause all can change vaginal discharge. These conditions can make you uncomfortable, but there are treatments that can help.
Sometimes, differences in your discharge can be a symptom of something more serious. Some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can cause changes to vaginal discharge. STIs can be a danger to your body’s health and to others. So knowing if you have an STI is important.
Brownish or blood-tinged discharge can be a sign of cervical cancer. But this is rare.
Causes related to infection or inflammation
Possible causes of unusual vaginal discharge linked to infections or inflammation include:
Bacterial vaginosis (irritation of the vagina)
Cervicitis
Chlamydia trachomatis
Gonorrhea
Forgotten, also called retained, tampon
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Trichomoniasis
Vaginitis
Yeast infection (vaginal)
Other causes
Other causes of unusual vaginal discharge include:
Certain hygiene practices, such as douching or using scented sprays or soaps
Cervical cancer
Pregnancy
Vaginal atrophy , also called genitourinary syndrome of menopause
Vaginal cancer
Vaginal fistula
It’s rare for changes to vaginal discharge to be a sign of cancer.
