White cheesy discharge and itching of the female genital organs are common complaints during a visit to the gynecologist. These may be the only symptoms or accompanied by other complaints. Approximately half of the patients who consulted a doctor indicate recurring discharge of a curdled consistency. During pregnancy, their number increases by 2-3 times.
Most of the women, about 70%, including completely he althy ones, at least once in their lives have experienced white curdled discharge and vaginal itching. Such episodic manifestations appear as a physiological norm. Short curdled discharge, which arose for the first time and stopped without taking additional measures, can be considered the norm. The development of pathological processes is indicated by curdled discharge, which is accompanied by a constant feeling of discomfort and burning of the labia.
What discharge is considered normal?
Every adult woman has an opinion about what normal people should bevaginal discharge in a he althy body. Meanwhile, there are long-known aspects for determining the norm.
Vaginal discharge with the following characteristics is considered normal:
- The consistency is more like jelly or slime, in other words, watery.
- Colorless, translucent or whitish.
- Volume of discharge is insignificant but noticeable.
- No bad smell.
- Secrets do not irritate the skin and mucous membranes.
- The patient does not experience pain, itching and burning during discharge.
The amount of allocations is not always constant. The increase is affected by the woman's cycle, namely its middle, when ovulation occurs. At the time of lactation and sexual arousal, the volume of secretions can also increase, such phenomena should not frighten a woman.
Other reasons that affect the amount of vaginal discharge in he althy women:
- stress situations;
- hormone therapy;
- hypothermia;
- acclimatization.
Pregnant women note that the discharge becomes the most liquid and plentiful - this also applies to the norm.
As a rule, normal vaginal discharge is not felt, does not leave too noticeable marks on underwear.
White cheesy discharge and itching in most cases indicate the development of a pathological process in the body, which is caused by infection of the mucosavagina with yeast-like fungi as a result of reduced immunity.
Vaginal candidiasis
Yeast-like fungi Candida (Candida) are found on the skin and mucous membranes, including the vagina, of he althy women in an amount that is not capable of causing the development of pathologies. The protective properties of the body do not allow microorganisms to multiply in the vagina. When conditions favorable for fungi occur - a decrease in immunity - conditionally pathogenic microorganisms multiply intensively and provoke the development of an infectious-inflammatory process.
Varieties of discharge in candidiasis:
- Waterish whitish discharge of a cheesy nature, resembling fermented milk in appearance.
- Dense, like cottage cheese, discharge containing white lumps.
Their color is not always white. The color of curdled discharge depends on the presence of foreign microorganisms that are involved in the inflammatory process. For example, in trichomoniasis and gonorrhea, the discharge turns yellowish or rather green, indicating the presence of purulent contents in them.
Additionally, vaginal discharge has a specific musty odor. Often, infection of the vaginal mucosa with Candida fungi awakens severe itching and burning of the labia.
Causes of candidiasis
The causes of the pathology are quite diverse, for example:
- Incorrect or insufficient intimate hygiene.
- Too frequent douching with chamomile at home. The procedure is able to change the acid-base balance of the vagina, destroying beneficial bacteria. Pathogenic fungi are actively growing in their place.
- Severe stress.
- Antibiotic therapy.
- Intimate hygiene products with a high content of alcohol, dyes and flavors.
- Inappropriate hormonal contraceptives.
- Hormonal disorders.
Diagnosis of candidiasis
Diagnosis of candidiasis is not particularly difficult, it should be carried out if a woman observes white curdled discharge, feels itchy. The diagnosis is confirmed with the help of a laboratory test - a smear in the gynecological office. Unlike diagnosing by symptoms, thrush is often difficult to treat. In patients with a weakened immune system, candidal inflammation can provoke complications.
Treatment of thrush
As a therapy, you need to choose the right drug. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the presence of concomitant infections.
It is not uncommon when a patient, having discovered symptoms of thrush, prescribes treatment for herself. The advice of friends is used, as well as advertised medicinal products for candidiasis.
Self-treatment very rarely gives positive dynamics. Often a woman suppresses the symptoms of the disease, and the infection itself remains inside the body. For a while, a woman lives an ordinary life, rejoicing in the victory over inflammation, but the pathology returns withthe formation of an infectious chronic process. No one can guarantee successful treatment without increasing the patient's immunity.
Is thrush contagious?
Many women are concerned about the transmission of a fungal infection to their sexual partner. To date, infection of a partner with Candida fungi is considered only theoretically and has no confirmation. Therefore, the patient's sexual partner does not receive specific treatment.
What other highlights are there?
Many women believe that curdled discharge of white, green and other shades comes from the vagina, but this is not always true. The origin can be varied. Only an experienced specialist can determine it. This will be the beginning of a competent treatment. Types of origin of secretions:
- Tubal secretions. They are the result of an inflammatory process in the fallopian tubes and the accumulation of fluid in these organs.
- Uterine discharge is a characteristic sign of endometritis, which develops as a result of damage by pathogenic microbes.
- Vaginal discharge. They occur, as mentioned above, with thrush, trichomoniasis, herpes and other diseases of the genital area.
The consistency of discharge is of great importance in diagnosis. So, for example, abundant and literally foaming discharge indicates the presence of chlamydia. And white curdled discharge with itching and an unpleasant smell of spoiled fish is a sign of gardnerellosis.
Genital herpes
Women often confuse pathology with vaginal candidiasis for a simple reason - similar whitecheesy discharge with itching. The causes of these diseases are different.
Genital herpes is known as a viral disease.
The incubation period lasts, as a rule, no more than ten days. Itching and burning in the intimate area of women appears at an early stage in the development of the disease. At the same time, the woman is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Increased body temperature.
- Frequent headaches.
- Aching muscle pains.
- Sudden bouts of nausea.
- General malaise.
With the appearance of bubbles in the genital area, all of the above symptoms immediately disappear, except for itching and burning in the intimate area. Women also report enlarged lymph nodes and continued white discharge.
Unlike discharge from thrush, with herpes they are of a viral nature, and antibiotic therapy is powerless against them. It is advisable not to self-medicate, but it is better to immediately make an appointment with a gynecologist. This will help avoid consequences. Untreated genital herpes leads to infertility and arbitrary termination of future pregnancies.
Reasons why genital herpes appears
Infection of a woman occurs mainly through unprotected sexual contact, including oral-genital and anal-genital.
Extremely rare cases of household infection have been recorded, for example, when using a shared toilet or using one hygiene item.
A factor that increases the risk of contracting genital herpes is the onset of sexual activity in early adolescence without the use of barrier contraception. Infection through sexual intercourse with an infected man occurs in 80% of cases.
Diagnosis of genital herpes
The following procedures will help to accurately determine the presence of the virus:
- At the first visit, the doctor conducts a visual inspection of the patient and her genitals. Evaluates the nature of the rash, taking into account the complaints of the woman.
- The doctor collects biological material for PCR testing to detect or exclude the presence of virus DNA. For analysis, use the liquid that is in the bubbles.
- Detection of antibodies to the virus by a special technique will determine the stage of the disease.
- The final stage of diagnosis is blood sampling for biochemical analysis. The procedure will determine the general condition of the patient, the presence of inflammation in the body.
Genital herpes therapy
Treatment of genital herpes is a lengthy process, especially for women. How to treat itching and white curdled discharge with herpes is known only to a specialist. For a complete cure, you must strictly follow all the doctor's instructions. You can not replace the drugs at your discretion or stop the course of treatment ahead of schedule. Such actions will certainly provoke the progression of the disease, in the worst case, damage to internal organs.
The treatment regimen necessarily includes the following steps:
- Taking antiviralmedicines. The action of the drugs is aimed at the DNA of the pathogen, thereby stopping the process of infection reproduction. Treatment usually lasts no more than ten days.
- To eliminate symptoms: curdled discharge with a smell, painful itching and burning, analgesics are used.
- Fever is brought down with antipyretic drugs.
- Increase the protective properties of the body (immunity) with the help of immunomodulators and vitamin complexes with the inclusion of minerals.
- No synthetic underwear. Artificial materials are the ideal environment for the propagation of a viral infection.
- Strengthening the quality of procedures for daily cleansing of the genitals. Washing in warm running water at least twice a day. Use of products without aggressive components in the composition. No need to rub the affected areas with a towel.
Important! Even the most severe itching is forbidden to comb. Damaged vesicles will become a source of the spread of a viral infection to he althy tissues. Plus, the risk of joining other infections increases.
Gardnerellosis
The cause of white cheesy discharge with itching and odor may be gardnerellosis - a type of vaginal dysbacteriosis. A characteristic feature is abundant curdled discharge. The color of the discharge in the presence of gardnerellosis in women is yellow or with a gray tint. Among other things, the smell of vaginal discharge is very unpleasant, reminiscent of rotten fish.
WhenIf you find yourself experiencing these symptoms, you should make an appointment with a gynecologist as soon as possible.
Reasons for the development of gardnerellosis
Since gardnerellosis is a bacterial infection, one type of infection is unprotected intercourse with an infected person. However, the disease is not strictly classified as a sexually transmitted infection. Other causes of gardnerellosis in women:
- Presence of urinary tract infections.
- Decreased immunity due to stress and previous diseases.
- Hormonal changes such as pregnancy or menopause.
- Disturbances in the endocrine system.
- Incorrect or inadequate intimate hygiene.
- Prolonged antibiotic therapy.
- Systematic douching with chamomile at home, as well as with Miramistin and Chlorhexidine antiseptics.
Gardnerella is more likely to affect women who have a lot of promiscuous and unprotected sex.
Diagnosis of gardnerellosis
Before determining therapy, the doctor must examine the woman on the gynecological chair, take a smear, take into account all complaints and the symptoms described. A vaginal smear is sufficient material for analysis aimed at detecting gardnerellosis.
Infection treatment
The disease is subject to compulsory therapy. The sexual partner receives treatment only if inflammation of the genitourinary system is detected. In other situations, a man does not need therapy. Duringtreatment, the woman is recommended to use barrier protective equipment.
Treatment regimen for gardnerellosis in women:
- First of all, antibiotic therapy is carried out.
- Drugs are prescribed to normalize the microflora of the vagina.
- At the final stage, medicines or procedures aimed at strengthening immunity are recommended. Taking vitamin and mineral complexes to reduce the risk of relapse.
At the time of treatment, you must stop drinking alcohol. They reduce the effectiveness of drugs.
The whole course of treatment lasts about two months. The first ten days - antibiotic therapy, and the rest of the time is spent on the restoration of microflora. Evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment is carried out after the complete disappearance of the symptoms of the disease.
