Vaginal discharge is a woman’s way of cleaning and flushing out cells from her reproductive organs. But the nature of discharge can sometimes indicate a health problem.
The perception on vaginal discharge can be very polarised. While some people, especially teens, can find it strange and can even get worked up about it, others get used to it as a common occurrence. A woman’s body flushes out fluids and cells through discharge from the vagina. Production of discharge can start a few months before your menstrual cycle and thin out after menopause.
This discharge is nothing, but a mucus secreted by the glands present in your cervix. The fluid includes secretions from the Bartholin’s glands and the endometrium. It contains a large number of bacteria and dead cells that are present around the cervix. Some bacteria inside this fluid are beneficial as they prevent pathogenic bacteria from multiplying. It also maintains the acidic pH balance around the vagina.
Vaginal discharge in women can vary in a lot of ways including factors like appearance and consistency. There are aspects that can influence your discharge such as your menstrual cycle and change in hormonal levels or pregnancy. Other influencers are your stress levels or change in exercising routine. So, your discharge can change with or even without it being a cause of concern. Hence, it is all the more difficult to figure out whether you should pay attention to it or not.