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Women's Health

Vaginal discharge

06/26/2006

Question:

I`m trying to find out how much vaginal discharge is normal. Mine has been a nuisance since I hit puberty almost 20 years ago. I have to be careful what I wear and can never be without underwear, even at night. I never have a day without it, and often find I need to use liners which can be changed frequently else I get uncomfortable and sometimes chapped. Once changed I won`t stay dry more than an hour or two. I had it investigated in my late teens and was given treatment for thrush but it made no difference. After trying a couple of different types of medication my Doctor told me I was just one of those females with a heavier natural discharge level. It is only ever white, cream or yellow and nothing too nasty, but constant.

Recently I had a cervical smear test and was told I have a cervical erosion which caused blood in the smear sample. Fortunately it came back normal and doesn`t have to be repeated, but has left me wondering whether a cervial erosion is anything to be concerned about or just something that heals of it`s own accord.

I have always accepted the discharge as part of life and tried to ignore it, but recently it`s been getting me down. Maybe its`s been a little heavier than usual with the erosion, but it`s difficult to say as that could just be my perception. Especially as I`m feeling fed up with it being summer and not being confident to wear light clothes.

Is there anything I can do to reduce it, or do I really just have to accept it.

Thanks for your time.

Answer:

Symptoms of vaginitis are very common in reproductive age women. Several infectious and noninfectious causes have been identified. However, women can have normal vaginal discharge of 1-4mL of fluid every 24 hours; this normal discharge is white or transparent, thick and odorless. It can be more noticeable during pregnancy, mid-menstrual cycle or ovulation, and during oral contraceptive use.

Noninfectious causes of vaginitis include chemicals, irritants such as seminal fluid, lubricants, latex condoms, soaps, perfumes, douching, and hormone deficiency (typically in postmenopausal women). It may also be related to cervical lesions, typically polyps. It is unclear if cervical erosions will worsen vaginal discharge.

If your discharge has already been evaluated by your doctor, and not felt to be due to a specific infection or chemical irritant, you may want to ask your doctor to prescribe a birth control pill with high estrogen activity to help regulate your discharge.

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Response by:

Case Western Reserve University Shazia Ahmed Khan, MD
Formerly, Assistant Professor of Medicine
Department of Medicine
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University
Shazia Ahmed Khan, MD