Some women may experience vaginal discharge before menstruation. The discharge can be clear, yellowish, or brown in color, with a thick or watery texture. Is vaginal discharge before menstruation a normal condition?
Vaginal discharge before menstruation is discharge or mucus through the vagina within a few days before the arrival of menstruation. When experiencing vaginal discharge before menstruation, some women may feel a change in the amount, texture, and color of vaginal discharge that is dusty with vaginal discharge as usual.
Although the characteristics of the vaginal discharge change slightly, this is generally normal for women before menstruation. However, if accompanied by other symptoms, this vaginal discharge could be due to abnormal vaginal discharge caused by infection.
Causes of vaginal discharge before normal menstruation
Vaginal discharge before menstruation is actually a normal thing that occurs during the menstrual cycle. This happens because of an increase in the hormones estrogen and progesterone before the arrival of menstruation.
These two hormones are what make the characteristics of normal vaginal discharge can be slightly changed near the time of menstruation. As your period approaches, vaginal discharge can become clearer, watery, and slippery (similar to the texture of raw egg whites).
Discharge from the vagina before menstruation generally occurs when the ovulation process begins. Ovulation is a sign that a woman is entering her fertile period. As your period approaches, your vaginal discharge may become whiter, yellowish, or begin to brown.
As long as the discharge is odorless and is not accompanied by other symptoms, such as vaginal itching or pain, vaginal discharge before menstruation is a normal condition not to worry about. Apart from the ovulation process, sometimes vaginal discharge before menstruation can also occur in women who use hormonal birth control.
Causes of abnormal vaginal discharge before menstruation
Sometimes vaginal discharge before menstruation can be caused by a disease, including:
- Vaginal yeast infection
Vaginal discharge due to vaginal yeast infection is usually characterized by thick, lumpy, and thick white vaginal discharge. Not only that, vaginal discharge due to a yeast infection can also cause itching and burning of the vulva and vagina.
- Bacterial Vaginosis
In the vagina, there are good bacteria that serve to protect the vagina from fungi, viruses, and bad bacteria that cause infection. When the number of good bacteria in the vagina decreases, bad germs that cause infection can easily multiply and infect the vagina. This condition is called bacterial vaginosis.
Vaginal discharge due to bacterial infection usually has an unpleasant odor, is thick white or gray in color, feels itchy, and causes pain when urinating or having sex.
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis are some types of sexually transmitted infections that cause vaginal discharge. The characteristics of abnormal vaginal discharge due to STIs can be in the form of a vaginal discharge that is yellowish or greenish in color, has a fishy or foul smell, and causes pain or itching in the vagina.
However, sometimes STIs in women may not cause any symptoms.
In addition to the above conditions, abnormal vaginal discharge that appears before menstruation can also be caused by the use of vaginal cleaning products, long-term consumption of antibiotics, and improper vaginal cleaning methods.
Unlike normal vaginal discharge which is generally not bothersome and only appears at certain times, such as before menstruation or during the fertile period, abnormal vaginal discharge can occur at any time.
Abnormal vaginal discharge also usually appears accompanied by pain, soreness, and itching in the vagina, the area around the vagina looks red and swollen, and vaginal discharge smells bad.
If you experience abnormal vaginal discharge, immediately consult a doctor so that the cause of the appearance of vaginal discharge can be identified and given proper treatment.