According to experts, the smell before, during and after critical days is the norm for the fairer sex. During menstruation, there is a discharge of the mucous layer of the inner lining of the uterus, which is rejected in the form of blood clots. This liquid contains iron. For this reason, the discharge has a characteristic smell of raw meat. Normally, it is weakly expressed. Why do periods stink? The reasons for this phenomenon are discussed in the article.
When should a woman not worry?
Critical days are a normal process, which consists in the discharge of the inner layer of the uterus, and it occurs every month, provided there is no pregnancy. In he althy women, the bloody discharge has a meaty or metallic odor. It usually does not cause discomfort and is felt only when changing hygiene items. The period of use of one pad should notexceed four hours. Otherwise, the rapid multiplication of harmful microorganisms will begin to occur in the menstrual blood. This process will accelerate even more if the girl has not washed off the vaginal discharge for a long time. Some representatives of the weaker sex are interested in the question of why menstruation stinks.
An unpleasant odor can be associated with both pathologies and other causes not related to disruption of the body.
Ignoring hygiene rules
Speaking about why menstruation stinks, it should be noted: this phenomenon is often explained by the fact that a woman does not pay due attention to the cleanliness of her body. During critical days, each representative of the weaker sex needs to wash herself at least twice a day and regularly change pads or tampons.
If a girl has a keen sense of smell, in order to avoid discomfort, she is recommended to choose scented hygiene items. They contain a deodorizing gel. This substance helps to absorb the smell of bloody discharge. Any tool should be replaced as it fills up. The optimal period for using one pad (tampon) should be four hours. Why do periods smell so bad? Subject to hygiene standards, any pungent smell of spotting is not the norm. It indicates the presence of inflammation or other pathological process in the body.
Associated featuresdiseases
Often, the unpleasant smell of discharge during critical days is accompanied by discomfort and a significant deterioration in well-being. The woman has the following symptoms:
- Sensation of itching, burning and redness of the vulva.
- Discomfort in the lower part of the peritoneum, ache in the region of the lumbar spine.
- Irregular menses, changes in bleeding volume.
- Feeling shattered with fever.
If the above symptoms are present, a woman is advised to consult a doctor and undergo an examination. After laboratory tests and other diagnostic procedures, the specialist will be able to determine why menstruation stinks and prescribe adequate therapy for the disease identified in the patient.
Inflammatory process in the vaginal mucosa
In many cases, the unpleasant and pronounced smell of menstrual blood is accompanied by a change in the general condition of the organs of the reproductive system, the consistency and shade of the discharge. One of the causes of this symptomatology is colpitis. Such a pathology can be provoked by various microbes, bacteria, fungi. This disease causes a change in the microflora in the vaginal area. It is often found in women who ignore hygiene rules, have suffered mechanical damage or surgery, have latent foci of infection in the body, diseases of the urinary system, intestines.
Before the onset of critical days, a hormonal restructuring takes place. As a resultDuring this process, bacteria begin to multiply rapidly. Bloody discharge during menstruation also has a negative effect on the inflamed walls of the vagina.
Colpitis is one of the reasons why menstruation stinks of rot. Pathology is accompanied by swelling, a red tint of tissues, a feeling of discomfort.
Gardenelez
This disease is also called bacterial vaginosis. In the genital tract of a he althy girl, there are bacteria that do not adversely affect the organs of the reproductive system. Imbalance leads to gardenelosis. The factors that provoke the development of the disease include: weakening of the immune system, exposure to low temperatures, emotional overstrain, hormonal disruptions. Too frequent hygiene procedures (douching), the use of intimate cosmetics, which include artificial components, as well as the uncontrolled use of antibiotics also increase the likelihood of the growth of harmful microflora.
The condition of patients with gardenelosis worsens during critical days. In this case, the blood has the smell of stale fish or meat, contains yellow or greenish blotches. A woman feels a burning sensation in the vaginal area, discomfort during intercourse. Gardenelez is one of the possible reasons why menstruation stinks rotten. If there are signs of pathology, it is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner and begin treatment in order to avoid complications.
Candidiasis
This common ailment is provokedfungi. It occurs as a result of a deterioration in the functions of the immune system, hormonal failure, latent infection, improperly selected intimate cosmetics or contraceptive methods. The cause of the onset of the disease can also be the abuse of medicines, primarily antibiotics, exposure to excessively low temperatures. Fungi contribute to a decrease in the number of beneficial bacteria, a violation of the microflora in the vulva.
This is why candidiasis patients ask why their periods stink of sour milk. Women with this ailment feel itching, discomfort and burning in the vaginal area, suffer from sharp pain in the process of urination and during intimate contacts. During the critical days, the symptoms increase significantly. The unpleasant sour smell becomes especially pronounced. After the end of menstruation, a white coating appears on the vaginal mucosa, resembling grains of cottage cheese.
Diseases transmitted through sexual intercourse
The main symptom of these infections are greenish or yellow discharge, which occurs between periods of menstruation. The remaining symptoms practically do not differ from those that occur with other pathologies of the reproductive system. Such diseases are one of the reasons why menstruation stinks of rotten or rotten fish. An unpleasant and pungent odor is associated with the growth of harmful bacteria in the vagina.
Before menstruation, patients with genital infections experience lethargy, discomfort in the lower abdomen and lower back, nausea, increasedtemperature. Allocations after critical days are plentiful, especially in the morning. They smell unpleasant, have a yellowish or green tint. The process of urination is accompanied by pain.
Such discomfort indicates a pronounced inflammatory process. Without adequate therapy, the infection becomes chronic or latent. A woman's cycle fails, the amount of bloody discharge during menstruation increases.
The appearance of an unpleasant odor after critical days
This symptom is also explained by various pathologies (thrush, sexual infections, inflammatory processes in the reproductive organs). However, it can be caused by ignoring the rules of hygiene, overweight, douching too often, indiscriminate intimate contacts.
Why does discharge stink after menstruation? It is not uncommon for women to smell urine in the vaginal area. In some cases, it is explained by emotional shock. Stress incontinence often occurs in overweight sensitive girls. Even a small volume of urine causes an increase in pressure in the peritoneal region, which is released during coughing or sneezing, during physical exertion. However, in some cases, the strong smell of ammonia in the vaginal area indicates the development of diabetes.
Concomitant circumstances
A woman who is interested in the question of why menstruation stinks should pay attention to the following aspects:
- Presence of non-gynecological pathologies.
- Formerlydiagnosed defects in the development of the reproductive system.
- Mechanical damage to the genital organs, surgical interventions.
These circumstances can cause various dysfunctions of the reproductive system. Only a specialist can explain why blood stinks during menstruation.
Therefore, if a pungent odor regularly occurs during critical days and is accompanied by discomfort, then a woman needs to see a doctor. Unpleasant sensations can be reduced by following a few simple rules.
How to get rid of the strong smell of discharge?
If this phenomenon is not accompanied by discomfort, the girl should just pay more attention to hygiene measures. It is necessary to wash with warm and clean water (you can add a small amount of potassium permanganate to it). The procedure should be carried out two to four times a day, depending on the intensity of bleeding. During critical days, it is advisable to stop using intimate cosmetics.
Gaskets should be changed regularly. Tampons should not be used for more than two hours.
If hygiene procedures fail to solve the problem
Why do periods smell like rot even after washing? The presence of an unpleasant odor that cannot be eliminated even in the case of regular washing, as well as the presence of concomitant symptoms of pathology, is a reason to contact a specialist. The woman herself is not able to determine the causeailment. After performing laboratory tests of blood and secretions, an ultrasound and a gynecological examination, the doctor can make a diagnosis.
Unpleasant smell - a symptom indicating the presence of pathology. The reason why menstruation smells very bad may be an infection of the reproductive system or inflammation. Lack of therapy leads to complications.
