Bad-smelling discharge may indicate bacterial infections, fungi or even sexually transmitted diseases, and it is essential to treat it.
Discharge is completely normal in the female body. The fluids that come out of the vagina, as the cells in the vaginal canal are also renewed, are common for maintaining vaginal balance. However, foul-smelling and stinky discharge can be a sign that something is wrong with the health of the genital region. It can be a warning for parasitic, bacterial infections or sexually transmitted diseases.
When you notice a smelly discharge, it is usually another color, yellowish or greenish. Added to this, it also brings with it other symptoms such as burning when urinating, itching in the intimate area and pain during sexual intercourse. Therefore, it is important to consult a gynecologist to find out what is causing the abnormal discharge and get the best treatment.
Normal vaginal discharge
First, to be able to notice that the discharge is altered, you need to know what a woman’s normal discharge is like, one that is not linked to gynecological diseases. First of all, you need to know that the vagina is the internal canal and the vulva is the external part, with the labia and hairs. Therefore, the discharge can only be seen when the fluid comes out of the vaginal opening.
Therefore, it is important to know that every woman of reproductive age can have physiological vaginal discharge, which is normal discharge. In short, this discharge is a mixture of cervical mucus, dead tissue cells from the vagina (as all cells in our body are renewed) and common bacteria from the vaginal region. Therefore, it only has basic functions of leaving the vagina moist, lubricated and clean in the right way, so that other harmful bacteria and fungi do not appear.
There is a female hormone that stimulates the production of discharge: estrogen. It does this because it is the hormone that controls ovulation and the menstrual cycle based on it. Thus, when a woman is close to ovulating, menstruating, using estrogen-based contraceptives or is pregnant, she may experience an increase in common vaginal discharge.
Typically, regular vaginal fluid may be more watery, stretchy, or thick. Furthermore, the normal color is milk-like or clear, with almost minimal or no odor. When any of these characteristics are altered, especially a bad smell (similar to rotten fish), it is important to take action.
Bad-smelling discharge
There are several ways, colors and ways for a discharge to change. However, the focus is on when the discharge becomes foul-smelling. When it occurs, many things may be happening in a woman’s intimate area and it is important to check. Therefore, the main causes of stinky discharge are infections. They can be:
1 – Candidiasis
Candidiasis, being a vaginal infection, is caused by a fungus that normally lives on our skin and also in the vaginal flora. However, the body can always become dysregulated due to stress, too many antibiotics, diabetes, trauma, etc. Thus, candida multiplies in the vagina.
Thus, the symptoms of candidiasis are intense itching, possible burning, pain when urinating and during sexual intercourse, in addition to the strong smell of the discharge. Even with all this, it still turns white, but harder and more purulent, looking like cottage cheese.
2 – Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease. It is caused by bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoea. Generally, when a woman has this disease, the discharge is brown and accompanied by a bad smell.
3 – Bacterial vaginosis
This is a vaginal infection that normally occurs due to the presence of bacteria Gardnerella sp. In addition to the noticeable bad smell, reminiscent of rotting fish, the discharge also turns yellow or gray.
4 – Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis is also a sexually transmitted disease, caused by a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vagianlis. When present in the vagina, vaginal fluid is also greenish-yellow and has a very strong smell.
Treating foul-smelling discharge
When you have foul-smelling discharge, the best option is to consult a gynecologist to find out what is bothering your vaginal area. Therefore, ointments and ovules for intravaginal application or oral tablets can be prescribed.
Furthermore, it is essential that the partner of the person with any discharge also makes an appointment. Depending on the cause (such as a sexually transmitted disease), it may also require treatment. In addition, sexual abstinence during the discharge treatment period is important until the infection is cured.
Home treatment for foul-smelling discharge
To complement treatment with specific remedies, your doctor may recommend home remedies to help expel foul-smelling discharge from your body. If he doesn’t say anything, you can always ask if it is advisable to take sitz baths to complement the treatment and eliminate the stinky smell faster.
Therefore, a guava leaf sitz bath can be a good ally, as the plant’s leaves contain antibiotic substances. You will need:
- 1 liter of water
- 30g guava leaves
Boil the water and turn off the heat, adding the guava leaves. Then close the pan for about 5 minutes. Finally, strain with a sieve to remove the leaves and place in a bowl.
So, just wait for it to reach a temperature that can withstand the heat and sit in the basin, washing the intimate area carefully. Do this until the water cools down and repeat the process 2 to 3 times a day.
It is important to highlight that a healthy diet is also important to rebalance the bacterial flora in the vaginal region and regulate stinky discharge. Therefore, choose vegetables, fruits and greens, in addition to natural yogurts.
Sources: Tua Saúde, MD.Saúde,
Images: Laser treatments, Blasting News, Drauzio Varella
