What to do about abnormal vaginal discharge
Disease description:
Recently, I noticed something unusual about my vaginal discharge—it looks different in color and amount compared to before. I'm quite worried but also hesitant to take any medication盲目用药 without guidance. I would like to know what should be done if vaginal discharge becomes abnormal.
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Zhang Lu
Abnormal vaginal discharge is one of the common symptoms in gynecology, which may be caused by various factors such as bacterial or fungal infections, or endocrine disorders. Patients should avoid self-medication to prevent masking the condition and affecting subsequent treatment.
Timely medical consultation is recommended for detailed medical history collection and physical examination. When necessary, tests such as routine vaginal secretion analysis, smear, culture, and drug sensitivity testing should be performed to identify the cause. If the discharge appears curd-like due to vulvovaginal candidiasis, antifungal medications such as clotrimazole suppositories are typically required for treatment.
Trichomonas vaginitis causes yellow-green, frothy discharge, for which metronidazole is a commonly used treatment. In cases of bacterial vaginosis, the discharge often has a fishy odor, and medications such as metronidazole or clindamycin may be administered intravaginally.
Maintaining good personal hygiene habits in daily life is important, while avoiding excessive vaginal cleansing that may disrupt the vagina's natural self-cleaning ability. Additionally, practicing good sexual hygiene and avoiding unprotected sexual activity is advised. If a sexual partner is present, simultaneous treatment of both partners is necessary to prevent cross-infection.
