Every woman experiences vaginal discharge to some extent throughout her life, whether it’s during sex, during ovulation or during first trimester of pregnancy. While the amount of discharge is not necessarily concerning, the presence of a bad odor, abnormal color or genital discomfort usually indicate that you have an infection. In order to avoid wrongly diagnosing the underlying cause of the discharge, you need to understand how your body works, and what role vaginal mucus really plays.
Many women fail to pay attention to how their body works – and more specifically, to how their vagina works. Vaginal discharge is an important part of the female reproductive system, and serves as a housekeeping function that allows the vagina to cleanse itself and flush out dead cells and bacteria. While some vaginal mucus every now and then is absolutely normal, a bad odor and clumpy, cheesy consistency usually indicate the presence of an infection. Some women are not even aware of the discharge, especially if their vagina produces very little.
Have you been experiencing cottage cheese discharge likely? If yes, one of the most common problems causing it is vaginal yeast infection, a type of infection that develops as a result of upsetting the balance between good bacteria (such as lactobacilli) and yeast (Candida bodies) living in your vagina’s bacterial flora. However, many women experience abnormal-looking discharge that’s just as normal and healthy as their usual watery discharge that occurs around the middle of the menstrual cycle.
One of women’s most common gynecological complaints is about vaginal discharge. With dozens of commercials for “feminine hygiene products,” vaginal discharge can make you feel like a social outcast. What you probably don’t know is that most women deal with discharge: during pregnancy, before period, but most notably on a day-to-day basis.