Myth No : You Lose A Lot Of Blood During Your Period
The Truth: This idea is pure fiction, girl. The average woman only loses about 2 to 3 tablespoons of blood during her period. Even if youre someone who experiences menorrhagia , your uterus still only releases about 4 tablespoons of blood.
Of course, there are outliers to these numbers. The only time to worry is if youre losing so much blood that its affecting your life. Going through more than seven tampons a day, bleeding for more than seven days, or becoming anemic are all signs that you could be losing too much blood and need to see your doctor. Remember, though, heavy bleeding isnt normal or healthy and most women do not lose even close to too much blood during their period.
How Much Discharge Is Considered Normal
The amount of vaginal discharge depends on the menstrual phase and ranges between one and four milliliters per day.
While birth control pills tend to level off the usual fluctuations, pregnancy boosts discharge production. At any rate, knowing what the different types of vaginal discharge mean can help improve your understanding of whats healthy and whats not.
Is White Discharge A Premenstrual Symptom
Yes, a thick, white, creamy discharge typically means your period is coming. Its the result of elevated levels of progesterone, a hormone governing both pregnancy and the menstrual cycle. This type of vaginal discharge is believed to be normal as long as it isnt lumpy or foul smelling. In contrast, when estrogen levels are on the rise, discharge is usually clear and stretchy.
- Analysis of period and cycle length
- Chances of getting pregnant and ovulation forecast
- Predictions of next period
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How Is Yellow Discharge Treated
In order for your health care provider to treat yellow discharge, they must first diagnose you. If you have a yeast infection, a health care provider may prescribe an antifungal cream, ointment, tablet, or suppository. Your treatment plan will vary based on the severity of your symptoms.
Bacterial infections and STIs like the ones mentioned above are treated with antibiotics. Starting treatment as soon as possible can keep the infection from spreading and causing a more serious condition such as pelvic inflammatory disease.
When To Seek Medical Care
If your periods are not regular, see your GP. They can investigate what is causing your irregular periods.
You should also see your GP if you have abnormal vaginal discharge. This includes:
- Foul-smelling vaginal discharge
- Vaginal discharge alongside vaginal itching, redness or swelling
- Yellow, green, grey or strongly coloured vaginal discharge
Although cramping is a common period symptom, you should see your GP if your cramps:
- Affect only one side of your body
- Become worse or dont go away
- Occur alongside fever or other symptoms
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Other Causes Of White Discharge
If you have white vaginal discharge but no other symptoms, this is most likely part of your normal menstrual cycle.
However, if the vaginal discharge is not normal for you, then you may have an infection such as bacterial vaginosis or a yeast infection. Other symptoms of an infection include:
- A burning sensation when urinating
- Pain during sex
- Vaginal itching or irritation
Vaginal Discharge Due To Yeast Infection Can Also Be Caused By Diet And Medications
Some women who like to eat fermented foods develop yeast infections, while for others, it is caused by a diet rich in seafood. The use of certain antibiotics can also cause a yeast infection to develop. Scratches or wounds in the vagina due to infection can also cause vaginal discharge without any clear or particular odor.
Another cause of odorless vaginal discharge is hormonal changes during pregnancy. In this case, there will be increased vaginal discharge, and it may be clear in appearance and odorless. At the same time, pregnant women are also more susceptible to yeast infections, especially those with diabetes.
With regard to vaginal discharge as a result of having sexual intercourse with a person who is infected with gonorrhea, symptoms normally include discharge that is thick and pus-like, although it will not necessarily be in larger amounts than normal, and may have only a slightly unpleasant odor. Your doctor may require a culture test for diagnosis.
Vaginal discharge is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about and women should be observant in caring for themselves, especially when it comes to signs of the very common yeast infection.
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Myth No : A Tampon Can Get Lost Inside Of Your Vagina
The Truth: Um, no. Lets put this menstruation myth to bed right now. While you can get a tampon stuck inside of your vagina, you definitely cannot lose one. Your vagina is not nearly as deep as you might think. It opens more when youre aroused in order for a penis to enter, but even so, it still cant go anywhere. Your cervix is at the base of your uterus and prevents anything you put up there from going too far in.
If you put a tampon in and cant find it, you may need to insert your fingers into your vagina and search for the string. While this may feel embarrassing or uncomfortable, its not the end of the worldand you certainly arent the first woman it has happened to.
Is Vaginal Odor Natural
Yup! When you look at whats normal, it can have a mild or slight odor thats not unpleasant, Dr. Streicher says. There shouldnt be a strong odor, and it shouldnt smell like the zoo or fish. So if you feel like your discharge smells bad but not fishy or like a musky animal, youre probably okay.
Vaginal odor is like sweateveryone has their own scent, Dr. Shepherd says.
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Fishy Or That Fillet You Forgot About
Youve probably heard an abnormal vaginal odor described as fishy. In fact, fresh fish shouldnt smell like much at all. Decomposing fish is the more apt comparison. Why? Trimethylamine, which is the chemical compound responsible for both the distinct aroma of rotting fish and some abnormal vaginal odors.
In rare cases, a fishy smell is indication of a more serious condition.
Beginning Or End Of Your Period
Your menstrual flow the rate at which blood exits the vagina from the uterus is generally slower at the beginning and end of your period.
When blood leaves the body quickly, its usually a shade of red. When the flow slows, the blood has time to oxidize. This causes it to turn brown or even black in color.
If you see brown blood at the beginning or end of your period, this is completely normal. Your vagina is simply cleaning itself out.
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The Most Common Causes
Abnormal vaginal odor is usually caused by one of the following:
- Bacterial vaginosis
- Trichomoniasis
In rare cases, abnormal vaginal odor may result from a yeast infection or vaginal or cervical cancer.
The table below describes the most prevalent signs and symptoms of each causative factor which will help to distinguish between the possible causes.
| Causative Factor |
|---|
| Foul-smelling |
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What Does Yellow Discharge Mean During Pregnancy
Pregnancy comes with lots of changes and symptoms due to increased hormones. Many pregnant people will experience an increase in vaginal discharge during pregnancy because estrogen and progesterone levels, which affect vaginal discharge, are at an all-time high.
Normally, vaginal discharge during pregnancy also called leukorrhea is thin, white, and mild-smelling. Slightly yellow discharge without odor may also be perfectly normal.
However, if you notice green or yellow discharge that has a foul smell, it might signal a vaginal infection. One of the most common infections during pregnancy is a yeast infection. Yellow discharge should definitely be checked by a health care provider, especially if it is accompanied by itching, swelling, or pain in or outside the vagina.
If you have a yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis, or an STI when you give birth, the baby could get exposed to infection. Its important to visit a health care provider right away if you suspect an infection during pregnancy.
What Are Signs Something Is Wrong
One of the main ways to know whether or not something is wrong is if you notice something that is particularly out of the ordinary. If you suddenly notice a change in consistency, smell, or amount of discharge that is not in keeping with your usual menstrual cycle changes and regular patterns, something may be amiss. A very strong smell, change in colour and consistency, and accompanying symptoms, are signs that you may need a visit to the doctor to rule out infection.
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How And Why Does Vaginal Odor Happen
There are a few things that might cause your vaginal odor to go awry:
It happensand probably more often than youd think, Lauren Streicher, M.D., a professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, tells SELF. Some people may put in a just-in-case tampon toward the end of their period and forget about it, dont remember that they already have one in before putting in a new one, or forget and have sex with one in and it gets pushed sideways into the back of cervix, she says. Every gynecologist has had the experience of a woman coming in with an odor, discovering it was a forgotten tampon, and feeling mortified, she says.
Bacterial vaginosis is the most common vaginal infection in people ages 15 to 44, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , and it happens when there is too much of certain bacteria in your vagina. This throws off the pH of your vagina.
Youve probably heard that eating pineapple or citrus fruits can make you smell sweeter down there, and that fried foods can make your vagina smell more strongly. I hear this all the time, but its all anecdotal, Dr. Streicher says. So theres no scientific evidence behind this, but experts have certainly heard of it happening before.
PID happens when sexually transmitted bacteriapossibly from an untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea infectiontravel from your vagina to your uterus, ovaries, or fallopian tubes, according to the Mayo Clinic.
What Is Vaginal Discharge
Vaginal discharge is fluid secreted from tiny glands in the vagina and cervix. This fluid leaks from the vagina each day to remove old cells and debris, keeping the vagina and reproductive tract clean and healthy.
The amount of vaginal discharge can vary significantly from person to person. The color, consistency, and amount can also change from day to day, depending on where a person is in their menstrual cycle:
- Days 15. At the beginning of the cycle, discharge is usually red or bloody, as the body sheds the uterine lining.
- Days 614. Following a period, a person may notice less vaginal discharge than usual. As the egg starts to develop and mature, the cervical mucus will become cloudy and white or yellow. It may feel sticky.
- Days 1425. A few days before ovulation, the mucus will be thin and slippery, similar to the consistency of egg whites. After ovulation, the mucus will go back to being cloudy, white or yellow, and possibly sticky or tacky.
- Days 2528. The cervical mucus will lighten, and a person will see less of it, before getting another period.
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Warning Signs Of Disease
Healthy types of vaginal discharge should be odorless, white or transparent, and thick and sticky or slippery and stretchy.
Abnormal discharge could be a symptom of the following medical conditions:
- Bacterial vaginosis
- Yeast infection
- Trichomoniasis
Please see a health care provider if youre experiencing:
- An unusual increase in discharge flow
- Changes in color, smell, or texture
- Bloody discharge outside your period
- Genital skin irritation, itching, or burning
- Lower abdominal pain or burning while urinating
If you experience any of these symptoms, make sure to talk to a health care provider, as they might be linked to infections or other potentially serious conditions.
Causes For Vaginal Metallic Odor
The two most common reasons for a metallic odor are both normal blood and semen,”OB-GYN Gil Weiss tells Romper. Blood contains molecules of hemoglobin, which all incorporates iron. It is precisely this iron which contributes to metallic smell. Bleeding during your menstruation or after intercourse can contribute to this odor.
Dr. Peter Rizk, OB-GYN and consultant for Fairhaven Health says, You may not realize it but your vaginal pH actually fluctuates through your cycle, thats why you most likely experience a change in odor and wetness as the month progresses.” Rizk says that your neutral vaginal pH is about 4.5 and blood has a pH of 7.4, so during your period, your vaginal pH can become elevated by the menstrual fluids, giving you a different scent.
Nurse midwife Emmie Clarke of British Columbia tells Romper that if a patient comes in and asks, “Why does my vagina smell metallic?” it’s almost always because their period is about to come, or it just left. “It can also be because you’ve given birth, or you’re experiencing ovulation spotting.”
There’s harmony in the everyday environment in your vagina, but when that harmony is disrupted, either by nature or invasion, it can result in odor and discharge. Speaking of invasion, as Weiss mentioned, semen can also cause a metallic odor.
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When To See A Doctor
If your symptoms occur outside of your cycle or sexual activity, make an appointment with your physician. Your physician may perform the following tests.
- Pelvic exam: Your physician will carefully inspect the outer genitals and use a device, called a speculum, or two fingers to open the vagina to examine the inner pelvic organs, such as the cervix and uterus.
- Pap smear: During a pap smear, your physician will sample cells from the cervix and examine them for abnormalities that indicate precancerous or cancerous conditions.
- Ultrasound of the uterus: An ultrasound uses sound waves that allow your physician to look for abnormalities in the lining of the uterus.
- Tissue samples of the vagina and uterus: Your physician will examine these tissues to assess for different types of infections or cancerous cells.