Spotting is any light vaginal bleeding that occurs at any time during your menstrual cycle other than during your period. Spotting between periods is reasonably common and occurs in approximately 25-30% of women. Most of the time, the bleeding is caused by embedding of the fertilized egg to the inner wall of the uterus (endometrium). However, pink discharge before period might be triggered by a wide range of conditions such as ectopic pregnancy to miscarriage and vaginal infection.
Have you ever wondered what is vaginal discharge, and why you’re experiencing it? While many women complain about it, vaginal discharge is a normal occurrence that has a beneficial role for your reproductive system: to keep the vagina clean and healthy, and keep infections at bay. Due to the changes in color, consistency, amount and sometimes odor, vaginal discharge can be concerning at times, specifically if the changes are sudden and unexpected.
Clear watery discharge is extremely common and a good indicator that there is a good balance of healthy bacteria and yeast in your vagina’s bacterial flora. Most of the time, clear watery discharge helps flush out dead cells and bacteria, keeping your vagina clean, healthy and preventing potential infections.
Vaginal discharge is a normal part of vagina’s self-cleaning mechanism, but when it is accompanied by itchiness, unpleasant odor, yellow/greenish color and a thicker consistency, the discharge is no longer normal. Many women mistakenly think of itchy yellow discharge as a symptom of yeast infection (or thrush) or bacterial vaginosis, thinking very little of other potential conditions that might cause it.