What causes excessive vaginal discharge with a fishy odor?
Sep 15, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhang Lu
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, the main causes of increased vaginal discharge with a fishy odor include poor hygiene during menstruation, frequent sexual intercourse, bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, and cervicitis. If discomfort symptoms occur, it is recommended to seek timely medical treatment at a qualified hospital. In daily life, it is important to maintain external genital cleanliness, choose cotton breathable underwear and change it frequently; avoid the misuse of vaginal douching solutions.
Generally, the main causes of increased vaginal discharge with a fishy odor include poor menstrual hygiene, frequent sexual intercourse, bacterial vaginosis, trichomonas vaginitis, and cervicitis. If discomfort occurs, it is recommended to seek timely diagnosis and treatment at a regular hospital. Detailed explanations are as follows:
1. Poor Menstrual Hygiene
Menstrual blood easily breeds bacteria during menstruation. Failure to change sanitary products in a timely manner or improper cleaning methods can lead to bacterial overgrowth, causing increased vaginal discharge accompanied by a fishy odor. It is important to change sanitary pads or tampons frequently, wash the vulva daily with warm water during menstruation, keep the vulva dry, avoid tub bathing, reduce bacterial growth, and improve abnormal vaginal discharge.
2. Frequent Sexual Intercourse
Excessively frequent sexual intercourse can disrupt the balance of normal vaginal flora, reduce the vagina's self-cleaning ability, and make it easier for bacteria to invade, leading to increased vaginal discharge with a fishy odor. Reduce the frequency of sexual intercourse appropriately, maintain vulvar hygiene before and after sexual activity, and avoid unclean sexual practices to help restore vaginal flora balance and alleviate abnormal discharge.
3. Bacterial Vaginosis
A reduction in vaginal lactobacilli and an increase in anaerobic bacteria such as Gardnerella vaginalis can lead to vaginal microbial imbalance, causing increased grayish-white, thin vaginal discharge with a fishy odor. Under a doctor's guidance, oral metronidazole tablets or clindamycin phosphate tablets may be taken, or metronidazole vaginal effervescent tablets can be used locally to inhibit anaerobic bacterial growth, regulate vaginal flora, and improve symptoms.
4. Trichomonas Vaginitis
After infection with Trichomonas vaginalis, the parasites consume glycogen in the vagina, disrupting the vaginal environment and causing increased vaginal discharge that appears frothy and yellow-green with a fishy odor, often accompanied by vulvar itching. Under a doctor's guidance, oral metronidazole or tinidazole tablets may be taken. Sexual partners should also be treated simultaneously, and sexual intercourse should be avoided during treatment to prevent cross-infection and promote recovery.
5. Cervicitis
Pathogen infection and irritation from chemical substances can cause cervicitis. Inflammation stimulates increased secretion from cervical glands, leading to excessive, pus-like vaginal discharge with a fishy odor, possibly accompanied by lower back pain. Under a doctor's guidance, oral azithromycin dispersible tablets or doxycycline tablets may be taken. If cervical polyps are present, a cervical polypectomy may be performed to remove the lesion, control inflammation, and improve abnormal vaginal discharge.
In daily life, it is important to maintain vulvar cleanliness, choose cotton, breathable underwear and change and wash it frequently; avoid indiscriminate use of cleansing solutions for vaginal douching to prevent disruption of vaginal flora; and undergo regular gynecological examinations to detect and treat gynecological diseases promptly, maintaining reproductive health.
