What does normal discharge look like?
Normal discharge is clear or white, thin or slightly sticky, and has little or no smell. It is the vagina cleaning itself, not a sign of weakness or disease.
It changes with your hormones. There is little in the days after a period. Around the middle of the cycle it becomes clear and stretchy, like egg white; that is the fertile mucus of ovulation. Before a period it turns thicker and whiter. In pregnancy there is more of it, thin and milky. After menopause there is much less.
See a doctor soon
Discharge mixed with blood, bleeding after intercourse, and bleeding after menopause are not signs of an ordinary infection. They need an examination of the cervix within days, usually with a Pap smear. Call or WhatsApp the clinic and say it is urgent.
How do I know if it is an infection?
An infection changes the colour, smell and feel of the discharge. Three infections cause most cases.
- Thick, white, curd-like discharge with itching and a red, sore vulva is a yeast infection (vaginal candidiasis). There is usually no smell. It is common after antibiotics, in pregnancy and with diabetes.
- Thin, grey or white discharge with a fishy smell, worse after intercourse or around a period, is bacterial vaginosis (BV). Itching is mild or absent.
- Greenish or yellow, frothy discharge with a bad smell, itching and soreness is trichomonas, an infection passed during sex. Both partners need treatment.
Burning while passing urine can come with any of these, because urine stings inflamed skin. Burning with fever, back pain or going every few minutes points to a urine infection (UTI) instead, and needs a urine test. Fever with pain low in the belly can mean infection in the uterus and tubes (pelvic inflammatory disease), which needs treatment quickly.
What should I not do?
- Do not buy antifungal tablets or creams every time it itches. Half of what feels like a yeast infection is BV, which needs a different medicine.
- Do not wash inside the vagina (douching) or use perfumed soaps and intimate washes. They strip the good bacteria that keep infections away.
- Do not take antibiotics without a check. Antibiotics do not clear yeast; they often bring it on.
- Do not sit in damp or tight synthetic underwear for hours. Cotton, changed daily, helps.
- Do not ignore discharge that has gone on for weeks.
When should I see a doctor?
Book a visit if:
- Itching, smell or a colour change lasts more than a few days.
- There is fever, pain low in the belly or pain during intercourse.
- Burning urine comes with fever or back pain.
- It keeps coming back, three or four times a year or more.
- You are pregnant. Some infections raise the chance of early labour.
- There is blood in the discharge, or bleeding after intercourse (see the box above).
The check is simple. Dr. Ragavi Vikram asks about the discharge, examines you with a small instrument that lets her see the cervix (speculum examination), and takes a swab if needed. A Pap smear is done if one is due. A lady attender is present. Most infections clear within a week of the right treatment: an antifungal pessary or tablet for yeast, an antibiotic course for BV or trichomonas. Read more about white discharge and vaginal infection treatment. Patients from Velachery, Nanganallur and Keelkattalai usually come to RV Clinic Madipakkam.
Does my husband need treatment too?
For trichomonas, yes. Both partners take the full course and avoid intercourse until both have finished, or the infection passes back and forth. For a yeast infection, he is treated only if he has itching or redness himself. For BV, partner treatment is not routine, because it is an imbalance of the vagina's own bacteria, not something caught from him.
Why does it keep coming back?
A yeast infection that returns four or more times a year needs a reason found, not another cream. The commonest is high blood sugar. Undiagnosed or poorly controlled diabetes feeds yeast, so a fasting sugar and HbA1c are checked. Other causes are repeated antibiotics, pregnancy, steroids and tight clothing. Some women need a longer course of antifungal tablets over a few months. BV that keeps returning usually settles with a longer antibiotic course and stopping all douching and washes.
Frequently asked questions
Vellai padutal daily varudhu, but no itching or smell. Is it a problem?
No. Daily white discharge without itching, smell or a colour change is normal, especially mid-cycle and in pregnancy. A panty liner changed often is all you need.
Can I use a cream from the pharmacy for the itching?
Once, if you have had a confirmed yeast infection before and this feels the same. If it has not settled in a week, or it keeps returning, get examined.
Is white discharge a sign of pregnancy?
More discharge is common in early pregnancy, but it is not a reliable sign. A missed period and a home urine pregnancy test are.
Will the examination hurt?
It should not. The speculum examination takes about a minute. If you have never had intercourse, tell Dr. Ragavi; the examination is adjusted or skipped, and a swab is never forced.
Book a consultation
Discharge with itching, smell or burning is treatable within days. Call or WhatsApp the clinic for a same-day appointment at Madipakkam or Thalambur.