Is it normal for vaginal discharge to have a fishy smell?

Under normal circumstances, the leucorrhea secreted by women's vagina is a colorless, transparent or milky white viscous substance. The amount and state of leucorrhea in each period are different. The leucorrhea of ​​normal and healthy women is slightly fishy or odorless, so it is normal to have a little fishy smell. However, if the leucorrhea has a strong odor, it means that there is inflammation in the vagina. Let’s take a look at whether it is normal for vaginal discharge to have a slightly fishy smell?

What causes leucorrhea to have a foul smell?

1. Vaginitis caused by some anaerobic bacteria, Trichomonas infection or Haemophilus vaginalis infection. In this case, the leucorrhea is often accompanied by a fishy smell.

2. Some cases of vaginitis are caused by Haemophilus vaginalis, and the leucorrhea has a special fishy smell and grayish white secretions. At the same time, it is accompanied by symptoms such as vaginal burning, pain, itching, and vulva moisture.

3. The secretions caused by Trichomonas infection are more pus-like, yellow and thick. However, the secretions caused by the two infections are sometimes very similar. The difference is that Trichomonas can also cause itching, pain during sexual intercourse, and may also cause painful urination. These symptoms are usually more severe after menstruation.

4. If the leucorrhea has a foul odor, it is often caused by a serious infection or tumor of the reproductive tract. Such as malignant tumors of the reproductive tract, severe endometritis, and severe cervical erosion.

5. When the cervix is ​​eroded, the leucorrhea is usually yellow in color, sticky like mucus, and mostly odorless. It may contain blood, especially a small amount of bleeding after sexual intercourse.

6. The typical leucorrhea of ​​candidal vaginitis is in the form of tofu dregs or curds, accompanied by extreme itching of the vulva, and the leucorrhea has an unpleasant odor.

How to treat leucorrhea with odor

1. Wear less tight pants or jeans, and choose cotton underwear.

2. Enhance immunity. Keep exercising, strengthen your physical fitness, get enough sleep, eat a proper and balanced diet, and eat more foods rich in vitamins.

3. Psychological adjustment. Do more things that make yourself happy, learn to adjust your mentality, maintain a good mental state, and avoid excessive excitement and impatience.

4. Check regularly. Even if you do not feel any discomfort, you should have regular check-ups, preferably a comprehensive gynecological examination once a year.

5. Don’t use sanitary pads on daily basis. Some women are worried that leucorrhea will stain their underwear, so they always like to use sanitary pads even if they are not menstruating. In fact, sanitary pads have poor air permeability and are not hygienic for long-term use. If you use sanitary pads that are not disinfected properly, the effect will be counterproductive.

In fact, it is normal for women to have leucorrhea. However, if there is a lot of vaginal discharge and it has an odor, you should pay attention, especially if you are planning to get pregnant, as this is not good for pregnancy. Therefore, when this happens, you should go to the hospital for examination and diagnosis in time and actively cooperate with the doctor's treatment.