Vaginal discharge refers to secretions from the vagina. Such discharge can vary in:

• Consistency (thick, pasty, thin)
• Color (clear, cloudy)
• Smell (normal, odorless, bad odor)

Having some amount of vaginal discharge is normal, especially if you are of childbearing age. Glands in the cervix produce a clear mucus. These secretions may turn white or yellow when exposed to the air. These are normal variations.

The amount of mucus produced by the cervical glands varies throughout the menstrual cycle. This is normal and depends on the amount of estrogen circulating in your body.

Vaginal discharge that suddenly differs in color, odor, or consistency, or significantly increases or decreases in amount, may indicate an underlying problem like an infection.

The following situations can increase the amount of normal vaginal discharge:

• Emotional stress
• Ovulation (the production and release of an egg from your ovary in the middle of your menstrual cycle)
• Sexual excitement

These conditions can lead to abnormal vaginal discharge:

• Bacterial vaginosis (BV) -- Bacteria that normally live in the vagina overgrow, causing a grey discharge and fishy odor that worsen after sexual intercourse. BV is not sexually transmitted.
• Cervical or vaginal cancer (rarely a cause of excess discharge)
• Chlamydia
• Forgotten tampon or foreign body
• Gonorrhea
• Other infections and sexually transmitted diseases
• Trichomonas
• Vaginal yeast infection

To help prevent and treat vaginal discharge:

• Keep your genital area clean and dry.
• Avoid douching. While many women feel cleaner if they douche after menstruation or intercourse, it may actually worsen vaginal discharge because it removes healthy bacteria lining the vagina that are there to protect you from infection.
• Use an over-the-counter cream or vaginal suppository, IF you know that you have a yeast infection.
• Try to reduce stress.
• Eat yogurt with live cultures or take Lactobacillus acidophilus tablets when on antibiotics to avoid a yeast infection.
• Use condoms to avoid catching or spreading sexually transmitted diseases.
• Keep your blood sugars under good control if you have diabetes.

If the discharge is caused by a sexually transmitted disease, your sexual partner (or partners) must be treated as well, even if they have no symptoms. Failure of partners to accept treatment can cause continual reinfection which may lead to a serious problem like infertility.