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Leucorrhoea is a condition of discharge other than blood from a woman’s genitals. This condition is often experienced by women throughout their life cycle, even during pregnancy. There is normal vaginal discharge, there is also abnormal vaginal discharge, and it indicates an infection in the body.
Are you pregnant and have vaginal discharge that makes you uncomfortable? Well, do not rush to panic. Maybe it’s a normal cycle. But if after examining the signs it turns out that vaginal discharge is not normal, then you need to be careful. There are several steps that can be taken to prevent vaginal discharge during pregnancy.
In this article, we will further discuss vaginal discharge during pregnancy. Starting from the causes, the difference between normal and abnormal vaginal discharge, and how to prevent and overcome them.
Causes of leucorrhoea during young pregnancy
Citing the journal Treatment of the Reproductive Organs and Incidence of Leucorrhoea in Pregnant Women by Srinalesti Mahanani and Debby Natalia of Kediri Baptist Hospital STIKES, vaginal discharge occurs due to several causes.
For the causes of normal vaginal discharge during young pregnancy, pregnancy causes increased blood supply to the vagina and cervix, as well as thickening and softening of the mucous membranes of the vagina.
Due to abnormal vaginal discharge, pregnant women are susceptible to infections because their immune systems decrease to increase metabolic demands. This causes vaginal discharge to occur more often than when you’re not pregnant.
One of the symptoms is Leucorrhoea or Fluor Albus (leucorrhoea), i.e. secretion from the female genitals which is not blood. Fluor Albus can occur due to infection with germs in the vagina such as fungi, parasites, bacteria and viruses. These germs disrupt the balance of the vaginal ecosystem.
Leucorrhoea in pregnant women is also caused by increased stimulation of the hormones estrogen and progesterone in the cervix so that it can produce excess mucous fluid and is whitish in color because it contains many vaginal epithelial cells which are loose due to hyperplasia of normal pregnancy.
Another cause is due to the infection of the fungus Candida albicans which grows a lot in dirty and damp conditions. This mushroom is easier to grow in pregnant women because during pregnancy the amount of glucose or glycogen in the vagina increases due to the increase in the hormone estrogen and the decrease in the acidity of the vagina itself. This glycogen is a good food for fungi and bacteria.
Anatomically, the female genitalia is also close to the anus and urethra so that germs from these two places can easily enter the vaginal area and trigger vaginal discharge. However, a woman’s vagina is equipped with a natural barrier or barrier i.e. quite thick epithelium, glycogen and Lactobacillus doderlein bacteria which produce acid in the vagina thus strengthening the resistance of the vagina against germ attacks.
Differences in vaginal discharge during normal and dangerous pregnancy
According to Gusti Ayu Marhaeni, a lecturer at the Denpasar Poltekkes Department of Obstetrics in the journal Leucorrhoea in Women, the vaginal discharge that you experience can be normal and abnormal. Here’s the difference.
1. Symptoms
Symptoms of normal vaginal discharge are clear, odorless, non-itchy, and non-painful. While the abnormal discharge has characteristics such as pus, characterized by a large amount of discharge, white like stale milk, yellow or greenish, itchy, painful, and accompanied by a fishy or bad smell.
2. Cause
Leucorrhoea is physiological and pathological. Physiological vaginal discharge occurs as a result of natural processes in the body. Physiological or normal vaginal discharge usually occurs due to the process of proliferation or formation of the hormone estrogen by the ovaries which causes secretions that have the form of thin and elastic threads.
Meanwhile, pathological vaginal discharge occurs due to fungal, bacterial or virus infection. Also, pathological vaginal discharge is a sign of abnormalities in the reproductive organs. Abnormal vaginal discharge can be an indication of various diseases such as vaginitis, candidiasis and trichomoniasis. These three are some of the symptoms of STDs.
Additionally, abnormal vaginal discharge can also be taken as an indication of infection in the fallopian tubes and can affect the reproductive tract, allowing for infertility.
Prevent and overcome leucorrhoea during pregnancy
Abnormal vaginal discharge that goes unchecked can cause more serious reproductive health problems. But don’t worry, there are several ways to prevent and treat vaginal discharge during pregnancy. The following is a review citing Srinalesti Mahanani and Debby Natalia magazines.
- Make sure your hands are clean before touching your vagina and surroundings.
- Clean the outside of the vagina properly after urinating and defecating. Rinse with clean water from front to back, then dry so that it is not damp.
- Avoid using soap or shower gel on your genitals.
- Get into the habit of cleaning your genitals before and after sex.
- Change underwear regularly. If it feels damp or uncomfortable, immediately replace it with new, clean, dry underwear.
- If necessary, use a panty liner so that vaginal discharge doesn’t stick to your pants and cause moisture.
We now understand more about the causes of vaginal discharge in young pregnant women and how to distinguish between normal and abnormal vaginal discharge, as well as how to prevent and treat it.
If vaginal discharge occurs, even if it is normal, immediately perform the above methods to reduce the risk of bacterial infection due to too wet genitals. We hope you find this information useful, detikers!
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