All women in the world, including pregnant women, must have experienced vaginal discharge which occurs naturally to cleanse and protect the vagina from infections and irritation. This experience is also called leukorrhea.
What is Leukorrhoea?
Leukorrhoea is a condition which mucus that contains dead cells and bacteria comes out of the vagina and/or cervix to keep the vagina remains clean. The amount of vaginal discharge that comes out of the vagina also depends on one’s menstrual cycle and also some problems women may experience. Excessive vaginal discharge can be seen from the lining of the underwear which makes it uncomfortable, itchy and even causes odor and changes color.
Causes of Leukorrhea
There are several causes of excessive vaginal discharge that can occur and some of them are as follows.
- Vaginitis
Vaginitis is a bacterial infection that commonly occurs in women. Vaginitis is caused by unbalanced level of natural bacteria in the vaginal tissues. The level of these bacteria can be disrupted due to the use of pants that are too tight, using used soap, or douching.
Symptoms of vaginitis also vary from one woman to another. When vaginitis occurs, the amount of vaginal discharge will increase and it will have an unpleasant odor. Scents like rotten and whitish colors that are too thick or even green also usually occur. In addition, vaginitis also causes skin tissue around the vagina to become inflamed and itchy. Treatment for vaginitis is by consuming oral antibiotics recommended by doctors.
2. Bacterial Vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis is a type of vaginal infection that can increase the secretion of vaginal mucus. This bacterial vaginosis infection occurs because of a bacterium named Gardnerella vaginalis, but it is not a type of sexually transmitted infection.
Symptoms of bacterial vaginosis that can be recognized are excessive vaginal discharge, whitish discoloration becomes whiter, yellowish, gray and also smells fishy, itchy, burning sensation, redness of the vagina or vulva, and swelling.
3. Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis is a vaginal infection that occurs because of the bacterium Trichomonas vaginalis. Symptoms caused by trichomoniasis generally occur for a long time such as itch during urination, pain when urinating, more and more mucus secretions and runny water, foul odors arise and whitish discoloration becomes yellowish or greenish.
4. Sexually Transmitted Infections
Sexually transmitted infections can also cause too much vaginal discharge where the infection will be transmitted by someone during intercourse. To overcome these bacteria, antibiotics are needed to treat the symptoms of sexually transmitted infections such as increased vaginal discharge, odor and itching in the vaginal area.
5. Yeast Infections
Yeast is naturally found in the vagina, but in small amounts. But if the fungus grows too much, it can cause fungal infections. This yeast infection generally does not cause serious problems with symptoms such as increasing the amount of vaginal discharge, swelling around the vulva, pain around the vulva, itch and pain during intercourse.
Treatment for this yeast infection can be done by using oral anti-fungal drugs or specifically for the vagina. In the meantime, it’s probably best for you to know how to relieve itch from yeast infection.
6. Cervical Cancer
Excessive vaginal discharge can also be caused by endometrial cancer, which is one type of uterine cancer in general. Increased estrogen levels are the main cause of the growth of endometrial cells and also cancer with symptoms such as excessive vaginal discharge and a lump that appears after menopause.
In addition, uterine cancer also becomes a cause of vaginal discharge accompanied by blood spot which occurs between normal and postmenopausal period occurs in women around 40 years old. While endometrial cancer usually occurs in women aged between 60 and 70 years. To treat cancer you certainly have to seek medical help, then try to treat cancer with aloe vera as an home remedy.
7. Chlamydia
Chlamydia is one of the sexually transmitted infections which also a cause of abnormal vaginal discharge. Chlamydia usually causes symptoms such as a burning sensation during urination and some symptoms of vaginal disorders in general. Chlamydia is transmitted from Human Papilloma Virus or HPV which can develop complications such as vaginal discharge and cervical cancer.
8. Pregnancy Period
Excess vaginal discharge can also occur during pregnancy. If vaginal discharge is odorless, white or clear and does not cause irritation, then vaginal discharge can be said to be normal. However, if the vaginal discharge has turned green, you should immediately see a doctor for further treatment.
9. Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is one type of sexually transmitted infection that makes the amount of vaginal discharge too much and the yellow-colored and accompanied with blood. Other symptoms caused by gonorrhea are bleeding between periods and also a burning sensation when urinating. Treatment with antibiotics should be done as soon as possible to reduce the quantity of vaginal discharge. However, there are also ways to cure gonorrhea naturally.
10. Use of Tampons
The use of tampons is also one of the causes of excessive vaginal discharge because there are foreign objects that enter the body for too long. Excessive vaginal discharge occurs because the body tries to expel foreign substances, that is tampons, out of the body.
11. Using Contraceptive Devices
A woman who uses contraception to prevent pregnancy is also likely to experience too much vaginal discharge. This happens because the vagina is infected with a foreign object, and contraceptive device is also one of those foreign device. So, the body treat it with a same treatment as the tampons.
12. Use of Condoms
Men sometimes use condoms that have a certain aroma or fragrance during intercourse. This aroma can cause a negative reaction and infect the vagina.
13. Sexual Activity
Vaginal discharge also act as a natural lubricants during sexual intercourse as a result from sexual hormones. This factor sometimes causes too much vaginal discharge.
14. Imbalanced Diet of Certain Foods
Certain foods can also cause more and more vaginal discharge experienced by women, such as:
- Cucumber: cucumbers contain certain substances that will increase the production of the hormone estrogen in women so that the mucus that comes out of the vagina is also increasing.
- Cassava Tapai: it’s a type of fermented food made out of cassava, and it also causes the production of mucus from the vagina to be excessive so it should not be consumed too much.
- Egg: Eggs that contain high protein and calories can also cause too much vaginal discharge if consumed more than 3 per day, not to mention other risk of eating raw egg, including allergy.
- Sugar: All sweet foods and beverages containing sugar will increase the production of vaginal discharge so that its use must be controlled. That is also recommended for diabetics or the sufferer of diabetes. Diabetics should also be aware of other dangerous fruits for diabetes.