Is Frequent Vaginal Discharge Dangerous?
Vaginal discharge is something that all women have experienced. Nearly 90% of women in Indonesia experience vaginal discharge problems because Indonesia is an area with humid temperatures. By definition, vaginal discharge, or, in medical terms, fluoroalbus, leucorrhea, or white discharge, is a condition where fluid or mucus comes from the female genitals or vagina and is not blood. The fluid, or mucus, produced by the vagina and cervix transports dead cells and bacteria out of the vagina, thereby keeping it clean. If you bleed, it is called menstruation, and if the fluid or mucus is not blood, it is called vaginal discharge.
Not all vaginal discharge experienced by women is pathological or diseased, but there is also vaginal discharge that is physiological or normal and usually occurs during menstruation, after menstruation, during the fertile period, and after using IUD contraception. Meanwhile, pathological vaginal discharge is usually caused by inflammation, tumours, polyps, and most often, cervical cancer.
Vaginal discharge is usually complained of when it produces symptoms. Symptoms will usually appear because of the excessive amount or production of vaginal discharge. Abnormal vaginal discharge is usually caused by an infection, which usually comes from a fungal, bacterial, or parasitic infection. which is triggered by a poor immune system.
Prevention of Vaginal Discharge
Vaginal discharge can be prevented by doing several things, such as:
- Maintain body endurance.
- Maintain the cleanliness of the vaginal organs.
- Avoid using pantyliners continuously.
- Clean the genital organs with running water.
- Avoid wearing tight trousers.
Characteristics of abnormal vaginal discharge:
Under normal conditions, the mucus and body fluids that come out have certain properties. For example, the colour can be clear or white or odourless, and the texture changes depending on your menstrual cycle. However, if the mucus and body fluids released cause symptoms such as itching, a foul or fishy smell, and vaginal discharge that changes colour, then the vaginal discharge is abnormal vaginal discharge and requires treatment.
Hermina friends, listen to Dr. Fahmialdi, Sp.OG, in full on the Hermina Podcast about vaginal discharge on the Hermina Hospitals YouTube channel (click here).