10 Causes of Unusual Vaginal Discharge

Information may not be reliable

Each woman experiences vaginal discharge and it’s a normal process. The amount of discharge may increase depending on the period of your menstrual cycle. Discharges of healthy women are usually almost transparent and don’t have an unpleasant smell. But if you notice that your vaginal discharges have changed in color or texture and have an unpleasant smell, this can be a symptom of underlying illness. 

While most causes of unusual vaginal discharges are relatively harmless, they can be quite uncomfortable. Some of the causes can be serious and pose a serious risk to women’s gynecological health. 

Learn more about the causes of unusual vaginal discharge. 

1. Cervicitis

Cervicitis is an inflammation of the cervix. Cervix is a lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Along with large amounts of unusual discharges, this disease causes symptoms like bleeding between periods, pain during sex, and painful urination. Cervicitis can be caused by sexually transmitted infections, allergic reactions, or bacterial overgrowth. Cervicitis treatment is usually based on the treatment of the root cause of the disease. 

2. Bacterial vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis is a type of vaginal inflammation caused by an overgrowth of bacteria that is naturally found in your vagina. The symptoms of bacterial vaginosis include thin, gray, white, or green vaginal discharge with a foul-smelling odor. You may also experience vaginal itching and burning during urination. Bacterial vaginosis is usually treated with antibiotic tablets, gels, or creams.

3. Chlamydia trachomatis

Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacteria-caused sexually transmitted infection. Some people with this disease don’t have signs. Others may experience symptoms like greyish vaginal discharge, painful urination, pain during sex, and bleeding between periods. Chlamydia trachomatis is treated with antibiotics. In most cases, it clears within two weeks. 

4. Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis is a parasitic illness that is spread through sexual contact. Most women don't experience symptoms at first. Over time, trichomoniasis starts producing symptoms like foul-smelling vaginal discharge, genital irritation, and painful urination. Trichomoniasis is usually treated quickly and easily with antibiotics. 

5. Candida

Candida is a vaginal yeast infection. This infection affects 3 out of 4 women at some point. Candida can cause symptoms like vaginal itching, white cottage cheese-like vaginal discharge, vaginal pain, and swelling. The candida treatment includes a short therapy or one-time dose of antifungal medications. If you have a recurrent vaginal yeast infection, you may need a longer course of antifungal medications. 

6. Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is an infection caused by bacteria that is transferred through sexual contact. This infection usually affects the urethra, rectum, or throat, but it can also spread to the cervix. This condition causes symptoms like painful urination, bleeding between periods, vaginal pain, and pus-like discharges from the vagina. Patients with gonorrhea are treated with antibiotics.

7. Pregnancy

It is normal to experience more vaginal discharge when you get pregnant. In this way your vaginal tries to clear out all potentially harmful to the fetus bacteria. You may experience increased vaginal discharge throughout the whole pregnancy. In the last week of pregnancy, discharges may contain sticky jelly-like pink mucus.

8. Douching

Vaginal douching is the process of washing the vagina with water or a fluid mixture to remove odors and "clean" the vagina. But along with potentially bad bacteria, you may wash away good vaginal bacteria that helps maintain normal pH levels and keep harmful bacteria at bay. For this reason, douching often leads to the overgrowth of harmful bacteria called bacterial vaginosis. The signs of bacterial vaginosis include milky vaginal discharge with an unpleasant fishy smell.

9. Vaginal atrophy 

Vaginal atrophy is the thinning, dryness, and inflammation of the vaginal walls caused by a decrease of the hormone estrogen in the body. For this reason, vaginal atrophy often occurs after menopause, when estrogen levels naturally decrease. The symptoms include vaginal dryness, pain during sex, unusual vaginal discharges, itching, burning, and urinary incontinence. The treatment includes hormone therapy and topical remedies to manage symptoms. 

10. Gynecological cancer

Gynecological cancer is a term used to describe all types of cancer that affect female reproductive organs. Almost all types of gynecological cancer, except for vulvar cancer, cause abnormal vaginal discharge and bleeding between periods. You might also experience bloating, abdominal pain, and more frequent urination.