It is nothing uncommon for women to have different levels of discharge before their periods. Women should be aware of the fact that a certain amount of vaginal discharge is perfectly normal. It is nothing to worry about.
White discharge before period is also one such type of discharge that could be due to various reasons. White discharge is usually noticed when the menstrual cycle begins and ends. White discharge is actually a kind of mucus, which produced by the cervix that is present at the neck of the uterus.
The amount of white discharge produced differs throughout the menstrual cycle. At the time close to your periods, you will experience a lot of white discharge which darker in color and thicker. At times, white discharge can simply be due to pregnancy or when a woman conceives as well.
One thing you should be vigilant about is that a healthy white discharge doesn’t give off a strong smell or even color. The uneasy wetness is okay, but soreness or itchiness around the vaginal area is NOT okay. If you are facing such symptoms, you should see a doctor.
Is the white discharge before period normal?
White discharge before period is absolutely natural and normal. The white discharge before your period doesn’t mean you have some kind of infection. It simply comes from the cervix and uterus. It occurs due to the congestion in the pelvis and mainly comprises of mucus. When your period date is near, you might even experience clear discharge before period. It is simply part of the entire process that eventually ends up in menstruation. Again, you don’t have to get worried because it is not a sign of any infection. It’s normal. You might even notice a lot of clear or white discharge during your periods as well. It is pretty common and nothing to worry about.
When is the white discharge before period NOT normal?
While a usual vaginal discharge is nothing abnormal, but there are times when the discharge it hints towards an infection. The infection causing white discharge is usually accompanied by a particular odor depending on what the infections is. If you happen to have an infection causing white discharge, then you might have:
- Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) -This is one of the most common kind of vaginal infection caused by the imbalance of good and bad bacteria. Till today, nobody knows what causes this good and bad bacteria imbalance.
The biggest sign of Bacterial Vaginosis is that you will experience thin gray, yellowish or whitish discharge that smells like fish. The odor is most prominent after sexual intercourse. Bacterial vaginosis also elevates the risk of HIV and leads to complications if you are infected by it during pregnancy.
- Yeast infection– Yeast infection is not a sexually transmitted disease. It is perhaps a very common infection that most women get either after having sex or just like that. Yeast infections are known to occur in moist areas. If a certain condition like stress, illness or pregnancy affects your immune system, then you are more at risk of a yeast infection. Even women who have a regular intake of birth control pills are at risk of yeast infection.
If you have a yeast infection, the vaginal discharge is thick and white with an appearance that of cottage cheese. It is usually treated with over the counter drugs and disappears in a week after getting proper treatment.
- Gonorrhea– Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease in which you are going to experience yellow or cloudy discharge. If you don’t happen to be pregnant and still experience a lot of discharge during your period, then you need to get yourself tested for Gonorrhea.
Other symptoms consist of bleeding between periods, uncontrollable urination and burning sensation while urinating similar to the one in UTI (Urinary tract infection). It needs immediate treatment. If left untreated, it leads to pelvic inflammatory disease.
- Trichomoniasis –If your discharge happens to have an odor similar to rotten eggs and looks frothy, then you have chances of being infected by a sexually transmitted disease like Trichomoniasis. You need to immediately get yourself checked by a doctor. One good thing about trichomoniasis is that although it is a sexually transmitted disease, it is still curable.
Apart from the discharge, other symptoms that you are likely to experience are painful urination, uneasy feeling during sex and vaginal itching and irritation. If you think you have any of the sexually transmitted disease, then you should immediately see a doctor. He can do a proper diagnosis and a proper treatment as well. Sexually transmitted diseases are treated through a course of antibiotics.
- Vulvovaginitis– this infection like the name suggests affects the vagina and vulva. It is a common infection among women, despite their ages and may be caused by Yeast, bacteria, viruses, chemical irritants, environmental issues, allergens, parasites, and sexually transmitted infections. Two of the most common causes of vulvovaginitis are yeast and bacteria. Other common causes are parasites such a pinworms and lice and human papillomavirus (HPV).
Vulvovaginitis results in the release of more discharge than normal and the discharge is pretty thick accompanied by a foul odor. Other symptoms you should check out are inflammation, painful urination, vaginal irritation and itching. If you experience these symptoms, go visit a doctor without any delay. He will diagnose you through a pap test. It is usually treated using antibiotics, antifungal creams, antihistamines, and antifungal pills.
What are the other types of discharge that you are likely to experience during your menstrual cycle?
The type of discharge that comes with a specific color and symptoms might tell you the exact cause of it. There are different kinds of discharge produced from the vagina throughout your menstrual cycle. The discharge basically occurs because of levels of hormones in the body during the entire process of ovulation. Here are some of the types that you are likely to experience:
- Clear and Watery discharge: It is the one of the most common types of discharge that occurs mostly due to physical activity like exercise or some training sessions.
- Clear and stretchy discharge: clear and stretchy discharge is basically a fertile mucus. It indicates that you are fertile and are about to begin with the process of ovulation.
- Brown discharge: you will experience brown discharge as soon as you have completed your menstruation. This is simply how the body cleans out the vagina.
- Spotting: Spotting is bleeding which is very much lighter than a period. You may face spotting during your menstrual cycle or very commonly during early pregnancy. If you face spotting around the time your period is due, then there are high chances you are pregnant. Go take a pregnancy test to confirm.
- Yellow or green discharge: If you experience green or yellowish discharge, immediately go see a doctor. It is a sign of an infection.
Familiarise yourself with the types of discharge that occur before, during and after your periods. The discharge is usually white discharge or brown spotting. If you happen to experience anything that seems away from NORMAL, just go to your doctor to see if you have an infection.
What is the white discharge like during pregnancy?
White discharge is also considered as an early sign of pregnancy. You need to be well aware of your timings for this matter. The amount of white discharge produced greatly increases if you are pregnant compare to before period. That is due to the fact that the level of estrogen increases along with the increase in blood flow to the vaginal area. The white discharge released during the beginning of pregnancy appears like egg white.
This discharge is a cervical secretion that acts as a protective layer in the cervical canal. This discharge may look a little brown as it accompanies a little blood. If this discharge is really thin and clear, it means that you are expelling amniotic fluid and that requires an immediate visit to a doctor. Body heat may result in liquifying of the discharge which causes it to become runny and is produced in more quantity than normal.
You might also experience yet another increase in white discharge at the time before your delivery date. The white discharge will be very thick. The cervix is basically making preparations for labor by increasing the discharge. Just in case you happen to notice a lot of fluid at once, it means your water broke and you need to go to the hospital immediately.
White discharge to help implantation
During the first phase of your menstrual cycle, the level of estrogen hormone begins to increase and reaches its highest at the time of ovulation. Estrogen is responsible for increasing the blood supply to uterine wall and cervix. It is actually a preparation made to receive the fertilized egg. Due to this, cervix increases its discharge which appears to be a white discharge before your period.
The increased premenstrual white discharge and the change in PH level of vagina facilitate the sperms to swim through and reach the egg during sexual intercourse. This white discharge before your periods naturally lubricates the vagina and facilitates penetration. As far as the white discharge before period is not accompanied a foul odor, itching, green or yellow color, then shed your worries because it is simply a natural part of how the baby is made.
Is excessive white discharge normal and why does it occur?
Excessive secretion of thick white discharge from the vagina may be normal and it could also indicate that you need to see a doctor. Here are some of the common causes that you might be noticing a lot of white discharge lately:
- Pregnancy: Heavy white discharge is a sign of early stages of pregnancy and there is nothing wrong about it as it is perfectly natural. At this time, the cervix produces a lot of mucus to keep the vagina healthy, clean, moist and sealed.
- Sexual arousal: a lot of vaginal discharge makes up a natural lubricant during sexual intercourse to allow the sperms to pass through. The hormones that maintain a consistent discharge are same as the ones that make you aroused. Sexual arousal results in an excessive amount of discharge.
- Ovulation: A majority of the women undergo heavy white discharge at the time of ovulation. The level of the hormone called progesterone is really high in the body that results in the release of a lot of white discharge. If you notice excessive discharge ten to fourteen days after your period started, it simply indicates ovulation has occurred and you need not worry. However, to know this, you need to be aware of your menstrual cycle.
- Stress: when you are going through a lot of stress, you are likely to see more discharge than normal. Stress often results in a hormonal imbalance which has an impact on how much discharge you release. Although a lot of discharge due to stress is nothing to worry about, you should consider ways to reduce stress like meditation, yoga and a bit of regular exercise.
When do I see a doctor?
It is not very difficult to confuse an abnormal discharge with a normal discharge. You might doubt that there is something not right with your discharge, but on the second thought, you will simply brush off the thought.
Discharge before periods can be an infection if you face symptoms like strong odor, burning sensation, itching and extreme pain similar to that of menstrual cramps.
If you notice blood in your discharge when you are not having your periods, then don’t ever take that lightly because something is really wrong with you. If you notice any kind of abnormal discharge, simply see your gynecologist before you make it worse by not treating it.
Wrap up!
Generally speaking, white discharge before period is something very normal and natural in most cases. You must be vigilant if you notice any foul odor or inappropriate color at an inappropriate time. Be aware of your menstrual cycle if you suspect there is something wrong because timing really matters.
Resources
http://www.webmd.com/women/guide/vaginal-discharge-whats-abnormal
http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/pregnancy-am-i-pregnant
http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/vaginal-discharge/basics/definition/sym-20050825…
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