What is the cause of vaginal discharge?

Discharge from the vagina may be a condition that every woman will experience. There are many reasons for this condition, which may be caused by vaginal inflammation, glandular hyperplasia in the uterine cavity, or cervical tumors. No matter which situation causes it, people need to pay special attention to it to prevent more serious situations. The following is a detailed introduction to what is causing vaginal discharge.

Vaginal discharge is fluid discharge from the vagina. First of all, vaginal discharge should be distinguished from normal vaginal discharge. Under normal circumstances, the vaginal mucosal epithelium, cervical glands, endometrial glands in the uterine cavity, and epithelial glands of the fallopian tubes all have certain secretory functions. Their secretions and desquamated epithelium together constitute the normal vaginal secretions, which is commonly known as "leucorrhea." Normal leucorrhea should be white, thin, and odorless. The main component of the secretion is secreted by the vaginal mucosal epithelium, and a small amount is secreted by the endometrium. It generally changes periodically under the influence of ovarian hormones, with more and thinner secretions during ovulation. After ovulation, the leucorrhea becomes turbid, sticky and the amount decreases. After old age, the estrogen level in the body decreases, the number of glands in the reproductive organs decreases, and the amount of leucorrhea decreases.

Different from normal leucorrhea is abnormal vaginal discharge. The causes of abnormal vaginal discharge are probably the following:

①Inflammation of the vagina. For example, Trichomonas vaginitis causes the secretion of thin, light yellow, foamy leucorrhea; candidal vaginitis causes the secretion of tofu-like or cheese-like white leucorrhea; and postmenopausal elderly people secrete thin, yellow leucorrhea that occasionally contains blood.

② Glandular hyperplasia, inflammation or tumor in the uterine cavity. The main symptom of glandular hyperplasia and intrauterine abdominal cancer is vaginal bleeding, but vaginal discharge may also increase due to the occurrence of the disease. Inflammation of the endometrium (such as inflammatory reactions caused by IUD insertion, artificial abortion, etc.) and inflammation after infection can cause an increase in secretions and changes in their properties, resulting in watery or serous discharge.

③Caused by cervical tumors and inflammation. Acute cervicitis can cause purulent leucorrhea, while chronic inflammation of the cervix can cause thick or purulent leucorrhea. The discharge from cervical cancer is thick or watery and can be odorless or have a foul odor. Changes in secretions are related to the early or late stage of the tumor: common early symptoms of cervical cancer and uterine body cancer are watery secretions from the vagina, which are serous secretions produced by the rupture of cancerous tissue. In the late stage, necrosis and infection of cancerous tissue will cause discharge of foul-smelling purulent and bloody secretions.