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Is My Vaginal Discharge Normal?

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By Medical Author: Divya Jacob

By Medical Reviewer: Pallavi Uttekar

The vagina is a self-cleaning organ. It produces its own microbial environment with the help of certain good bacteria. These bacteria, along with dead cells and cellular secretions, form vaginal discharge. If your discharge is one-half to one teaspoon (2 to 5 mL) every day with the following characteristics, it is considered normal.

Clear, white or off-white
Somewhat thin, sticky and elastic
Thick and gooey
Mostly odorless
Stains (sometimes even bleaches) the underwear

Vaginal discharge varies from woman to woman in color, smell, consistency and amount. Moreover, it may vary during the menstrual cycle. Some conditions where vaginal discharge may be prominent include:

Pregnancy
Ovulation
Breastfeeding
Sexual arousal
The week before the menstrual period
Use of birth control pills/patch/vaginal rings
Prolapsed uterus

What is the purpose of vaginal discharge?

Normal vaginal discharge has several purposes, including:

Clean and moisten the vagina
Help prevent and fight infections
Carry away dead cells and bacteria

What are the signs of abnormal vaginal discharge?

If you notice vaginal discharge with the following signs and symptoms, you should immediately consult a physician because it may indicate a problem.

Itching of the vulva, vaginal opening or labia
Redness, burning, soreness or swelling of the vulvar skin
Change in color of vaginal discharge such as grayish or greenish-yellow discharge
Change in texture such as foamy or looking like cottage cheese
Unpleasant odor
Bleeding or spotting that is not during the menstrual period
Pain with intercourse or urination
Abdominal or pelvic pain

What do types of vaginal discharge mean?

The chart below explains what a particular type of discharge might mean.

Type of discharge	What it may mean	Other symptoms
Normal discharge
Clear and watery	Perfectly normal	No accompanying symptoms
Slight, white discharge	Beginning or end of menstruation	No accompanying symptoms
Clear and stretchy	Ovulation	Mucous-like discharge
Pinkish lochia	Shedding of the uterine lining after childbirth	No accompanying symptoms
Abnormal discharge
Bloody, brown or watery discharge	Irregular menstrual cycles or, less often, cervical or endometrial cancer	Abnormal vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain
Cloudy or yellow	Gonorrhea	Bleeding between periods, fever, urinary incontinence and pelvic pain
Frothy, yellow or greenish with an unpleasant odor	Trichomoniasis	Pain and itching while urinating
Thick, white and cheesy	Yeast infection	Swelling and pain around the vulva, itching and painful sexual intercourse
White, gray or yellow with fishy odor	Bacterial vaginosis	Itching or burning, redness and swelling of the vagina or vulva
Heavy, foul-smelling discharge	Pelvic inflammatory disease	Pain during intercourse, abnormal uterine bleeding, cramping or painful menstruation
Yellow	Vaginal atrophy	Dryness of the vagina, burning and itching of the vagina, pain during sex, vulvar itching, spotting or bleeding
Thick, moist sticky, yellow to green produced abundantly	Noninfectious vaginitis	Itching or burning, redness and swelling of the vagina or vulva

When to seek medical help

If you notice any irregularity in your vaginal discharge, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible. Additionally, look out for the following symptoms: