Every girl who is interested in maintaining her women's he alth has repeatedly worried about vaginal discharge. The secretion of the genitals is often a natural process, but it so happens that a change in the normal shade and smell of mucus indicates serious pathological processes or diseases.
Features of the female body
What does mucus discharge mean in women?! Colorless are a biological fluid that is secreted by the body of the fairer sex. Often such manifestations indicate the state of women's he alth. Show the functional features of the ovaries. They are secreted from the cervix, which has special glands.
Mucoid secretions in women consist of:
- A moisturizing fluid that helps lubricate the walls of the vagina.
- Beneficial and negative microorganisms and fungi inhabiting the flora.
- Particles of dead cells that come out ofvagina and uterus.
- Transudate from the lymphatic and circulatory systems.
The adjacent sweat and sebaceous glands in the area of the urethra can also be a component. Remember that mucous discharge without the presence of an unpleasant odor and having a transparent color indicates the correct functioning of the pelvic organs.
Characteristic of secretions
Depending on the features, there are completely different causes of occurrence. Mucous discharge in women, like snot, can change the frequency and nature. Such changes depend on many factors, it can be stress, a change in climatic conditions associated with moving, and so on. But often the girl's age, state of he alth and hormonal background play an important role in this process.
Most common factors:
- Excited.
- Approaching menopause.
- Pregnancy.
- Menstruation.
- Changes that occurred in the body in the period before or after the birth of a child.
- Breastfeeding.
- Change of sexual partner.
- Hormonal and contraceptive use.
Women's doctors came to the conclusion that the norm is the discharge, not exceeding the volume of 4 ml per day. The liquid should be clear in color, odorless, with no blood streaks and discomfort in the vaginal area. This condition indicates the norm, except for the inconvenience of using panty liners.
When the norm
Mucous discharge like snotare often the norm, but only if they meet the following indicators:
- observed for days or hours;
- not regular;
- stretch between fingers;
- no inclusions of lumps, blood and pus;
- no discomfort in the form of itching, burning and other discomfort;
- volume per day does not exceed 4-5 ml;
- no smell or slightly sour present;
- may leave a yellow cast on underwear or panty liners;
- transparent consistency.
In all other cases, it is necessary to consult a gynecologist to identify the problem at an early stage. Do not be afraid if the liquid began to resemble white mucous discharge, often a change in shade in this direction is normal. This is due to the age and hormonal background of the woman.
Possible causes
Most often, the various factors that affect mucus in women, the causes with which they are most often associated, are harmless:
- Beginning of puberty. After that, the ovaries begin to work actively.
- Ovulation. Most often, the onset occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle.
- Climax.
- When preparing a woman's body for the upcoming birth.
- Mucus discharge during pregnancy.
- Sexual arousal before intercourse.
- Breastfeeding.
- Reaction to intimate hygiene gel.
Influence of the menstrual cycle
Selectionsfrom the vagina of a mucous nature, which are normal, most often appear in the middle of the menstrual cycle. This process is called ovulation. It has to do with the release of the egg. Before ovulation, a woman may experience pain of moderate intensity in the abdomen, in addition, her breasts may swell.
Each such process has its own reasons. For example, the stretchy consistency of the discharge contributes to the preservation of spermatozoa during conception. If the discharge occurs after menstruation and has mucous discharge with blood streaks, this indicates the removal of the remaining endometrium in the uterus.
Causes of heavy discharge
Medical experts consider mucous secretions, the causes of which lie in both normal and pathological processes. If a pathological condition has appeared in a woman's body, leucorrhoea can become very plentiful with an unpleasant color and a change in shade. Most often, unfavorable secretions are compared with the liquid secreted from the respiratory organs during a cold or SARS.
Pathologies
If mucous discharge is not accompanied by discomfort, burning sensation and itching, and there are no traces of pus and blood, then they are a physiological norm. The reason for an unscheduled visit to the gynecologist are:
- Discomfort and pain during intercourse.
- Redness, rash on the vulva or mucous membranes.
- General increase in body temperature.
- Irregular menstruation.
- Cutting and aching pain in the perineum.
- Increased urination and related cramps.
- Pain in the lumbar region.
If at least one of the above points occurs, a woman should immediately consult a doctor. Only he, on the basis of tests, can make the correct diagnosis and select an individual treatment strategy. If an infection is detected, antibiotics will most likely be prescribed. If the problems in the pelvic area are due to a virus, then appropriate medications will be prescribed.
When you need to see a doctor urgently
Yellow discharge is most often associated with infections, although inflammatory processes are often the cause. Also, medical workers in the field of women's he alth attribute this shade to the initial reaction to taking hormonal drugs.
Yellow-green and gray mucus has its characteristic secretion in the following cases:
- A large amount of mucous discharge with a predominant fishy smell often indicates gardnerellosis.
- Copious amount of yellow and green discharge with the presence of pus characterizes the disease trichomoniasis.
- A mucopurulent discharge with or without a foul odor most often indicates chlamydia.
- Watery fluid with blisters on genitals confirms genital herpes.
- Transparent slime with veryan unpleasant and pungent odor most often indicates ureaplasmosis.
In addition to the above, green discharge has been linked to vaginitis, high white blood cell counts (inflammation), vaginal dysbiosis, cervical erosion, and gonorrhea.
To maintain women's he alth, it is necessary to constantly observe hygiene, regularly visit a gynecologist and take a responsible approach to treatment if it is prescribed by a doctor. And remember that the presence of pathological secretions negatively affects the microflora and in the future may adversely affect the conception of a child.
Pregnancy and childbirth
When a woman is in position, the work of her body is tuned to fully provide optimal conditions for the development of the fetus. In this regard, a complex hormonal restructuring is launched. One of the consequences is mucous discharge, which can continue to accompany the fair sex after the birth of a child.
After the fertilized egg "attaches" to the wall of the uterus, the process begins to be accompanied by thick mucous discharge without color. They look like raw egg whites. An expectant mother can accompany such discharge during the first 3 months of pregnancy.
After that, they form a mucous plug, which prevents infection and bacteria from entering the uterine cavity, where the baby develops. Before childbirth, the mucus becomes yellowish and increases significantly in volume.
Exit cork before the onset of laboractivity can take place in whole or in part. If a woman notices an unpleasant odor or a characteristic change in color, then she should definitely consult a doctor for the necessary tests. Moreover, snot-like discharge mixed with blood may indicate premature placental abruption, and this situation threatens the he alth and life of both the expectant mother and the child.
Intimate relationship
When a woman is sexually aroused, a large amount of watery fluid is released from the vagina. This feature is a natural process and provides comfort during intercourse. After sex, a discharge of a transparent and thick consistency also appears from the vagina, if it was not protected by a contraceptive. When using a condom, you may notice a not very abundant discharge of white and yellowish tint.
Climax
Before the onset of menopause, women may notice dryness in the vaginal area. This is due to the fact that the hormonal background is disturbed, and with it there is a change in the nature and amount of mucous secretions. Unfortunately, this leads to the fact that the fair sex begins to feel discomfort and sometimes pain.
The vaginal lining undergoes a natural process of thinning, becoming dry and producing virtually no natural lubrication. If menopause, on the contrary, began to be accompanied by copious discharge, then this is also a cause for concern and an immediate appeal to a gynecologist.
Change of sexual partner
Situations often occur when a woman changes her sexual partner, and for this reason, the fluid secreted by the vagina is replaced by a thick and viscous one, which begins to be produced in large quantities. This is due to the settlement of new microflora in the cervical region, which occurs after intercourse with a new man.
The microflora of a new sexual partner enters the vagina, and the process of getting used to unfamiliar fungi, bacteria and microorganisms is carried out. Sometimes situations occur when a woman's body rejects a new microflora, and the process of active mucus production begins with a change in external properties and characteristics. After some time, getting used to a new man. However, one should not lose sight of the fact that a frequent change of sexual partners sooner or later can lead not only to gynecological diseases, but also to infertility.
Prevention
So that the female microflora does not experience negative changes, it is necessary to take preventive measures. First of all, you need to regularly take care of the hygiene of the genital organs. Use gels for intimate hygiene, which include extracts from medicinal plants, components that promote moisture, have an optimal level of PH and contain lactic acid.
Don't panic ahead of time. After all, transparent vaginal discharge, odorless, is normal and only indicates that women's he alth is in perfect order. Need to follow upchanges in mucus, if an unpleasant odor, shade or consistency appears, you should immediately consult a doctor. Do not risk your he alth, because seemingly minor changes can be a harbinger of a serious illness.
