Unpleasant vaginal odor: types of odor and what it means, treatment

Discharge with a slight and barely noticeable odor in women is a normal physiological process. But when an inflammatory process occurs in the vagina, they become of a different consistency with the appearance of a sharp unpleasant odor, which overshadows the normal functioning of every woman. In this connection, a fishy smell of discharge appears in women, its causes and treatment should be studied in detail. This will help you avoid this unpleasant symptom in the future, and will also teach you the correct behavior when it occurs.

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Causes of discharge with a fishy odor

The most common causes of pathological discharge with an unpleasant odor are:

1. Candidiasis is the most common disease that almost every woman encounters at least once in her life. The cause of this disease is the activation of fungi under the influence of unfavorable conditions. In the normal state, they are present in the normal microflora of the vagina. Most often, the active life of such fungi begins as a result of long-term treatment with antibiotics.
2. Vaginal dysbiosis. Occurs as a result of long-term use of potent medications and antibiotics. A woman has an unpleasant smell of rotten fish from her vagina.
3. Inflammation of the mucous membrane, which can affect the vaginal mucosa, cervix, and endometrium. In addition to the unpleasant odor, the disease is accompanied by severe itching.
4. Diseases that are transmitted through unprotected sex. The most common are chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. One of the main symptoms of these diseases is the appearance of discharge with a strong fishy odor.
5. Failure to comply with personal hygiene rules. If a woman does not wash herself and change her underwear every day, she will soon develop a strong smell of discharge.

Important to remember! Regardless of the cause of the unpleasant odor, you need to contact a gynecologist! He will conduct a diagnosis that will help determine the prerequisites for the appearance of this symptom, after which he will prescribe effective treatment in each individual case.

Norm of secretion

The female vagina has an acidic environment, which helps prevent the development of infections and the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms. The amount of mucus produced is usually small, ranging from 2 to 4 milliliters per day.

https://youtu.be/eVLrpU0gVKA

But sometimes the discharge can become more abundant under the influence of the following factors:

• pregnancy;
• lactation;
• period after childbirth;
• ovulation;
• sexual arousal;
• taking hormonal drugs, contraceptives, antibiotics;
• frequent stress.

https://youtu.be/VdVtxTH8gSY

Discharge during pregnancy

Quite often, discharge with a fishy odor is observed in women during pregnancy. What is this connected with? This symptom is not always a pathology. The reasons for the appearance of a fishy smell may be:

1. Changes in hormonal levels. This is a normal condition for pregnant women. A pathology can be suspected if the smell is accompanied by painful sensations or itching.
2. Changes in perception. Everyone knows that during pregnancy women have a heightened sense of smell and many odors are distorted. This phenomenon is called parosmia. Therefore, most often the fishy smell is associated precisely with this feature and is not something dangerous.

As for pathological changes in the discharge of a pregnant woman, the causes of their appearance may be sexually transmitted diseases, as well as exacerbation of chronic gynecological diseases.

Important to remember! In any case, when visiting a gynecologist, a pregnant woman should voice her discomfort! The doctor will refer the patient for a laboratory smear test, the results of which will help detect or exclude a pathological process.

Causes

The reasons for the development of discharge are associated with a violation of the bacterial composition in the vagina.

The main infectious agents that cause a sour odor from the intimate area:

• Mushrooms of the genus Candida. A fungal infection that causes discharge in males or females. The pathogen causes not only an unpleasant odor, but also the development of copious discharge from the genital tract with itching or redness. The appearance of candidiasis is most common in pregnant women. The fungus is normally a conditionally pathogenic microorganism.
• Gardnerella. The pathogen, which for a long time was classified as opportunistic, is now classified as a sexually transmitted pathogen. This is the most common pathogen and causes a sour odor without itching. The pathological condition does not cause a pronounced inflammatory process, therefore gardnerellosis in women is classified as a variant of dysbacteriosis localized in the vagina. Any risk factor can cause the development of bacterial vaginosis.
• Nonspecific variants of colpitis. The reason for its development is a decrease in general immune strength, hormonal imbalance, etc. Odorless, acidic discharge against the background of nonspecific colpitis during pregnancy is a common symptom.
• Sexually transmitted infection. The occurrence of infection is associated with the lack of protective equipment during sexual activity. The group is distinguished by a wide variety of pathogens, each of which has its own characteristics of diagnosis, clinical course and further treatment. Symptoms have different course variations, which requires immediate treatment. Often there is a discharge with a sour odor without itching, as a result of chronic inflammation. Untimely treatment for specific pathogens increases the risk of developing a chronic course and complications.

Procedures to eliminate fishy odor from the vagina

If, after visiting a gynecologist, no pathologies are found in a woman, then you can get rid of the fishy smell in the following ways:

• use liquid intimate hygiene soap for washing, this procedure should be carried out only with warm water;
• underwear should be purchased from natural fabrics that allow air to pass through;
• refuse the douching procedure, as a result of it, vaginal secretions and normal vaginal flora are washed away.

Important to remember! For women with excessive sweating in the warm season, talc can be an effective remedy! It absorbs moisture, which can cause fishy-smelling discharge.

Treatment of pathological discharge

How to treat this symptom? In the case when the fishy odor from the vagina is caused by a certain inflammatory process, complex treatment is required, which includes:

1. Use of antibiotics. Prescribed for female diseases of a viral, bacterial or infectious nature. Antibacterial drugs effectively relieve the inflammatory process and also eliminate the cause of the symptom.
2. Preparations for restoring normal vaginal microflora. Mainly used for thrush. Products containing lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are used.
3. Dieting. It includes eating citrus fruits and fermented milk products; it is also useful to add garlic to your diet. Fatty and smoked foods should be excluded.

Important to remember! Medicines should only be prescribed by a doctor! Choosing pills for treatment on your own is dangerous, because it can lead to unpleasant consequences.

Treatment with folk remedies

You can eliminate the fishy smell of discharge using alternative medicine, which can be quite easily prepared at home. Such medicines have been tested by many generations.

Sagebrush

To prepare the decoction you will need 20 g of dry nettle, which should be poured with 1 cup of boiling water. Leave for 3 hours. After the time has passed, use 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day.

Viburnum and barberry

You should extract the juices from these berries in equal quantities and mix them thoroughly. Take 100 ml of the resulting liquid once a day, preferably before going to bed.

Chamomile

You need to take 5 tbsp. l. chamomile, add 3 liters of water, simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Then cool the prepared broth to room temperature. Carry out the washing procedure with the resulting product 2 times a day.

Pine

You should take 30 g of pine buds and add 3 liters of purified water. Place on low heat to simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Then leave to infuse for 1 hour. After the time has passed, do local baths for 20 minutes 2 times a day.

Important to remember! Before treatment with alternative medicine methods, you should consult a gynecologist! If such influence makes sense, then he will choose the most effective method.

What should a healthy woman smell like?

Normally, the smell from the vagina is unique for each representative of the fair sex.
But it should not be pronounced, with foreign impurities. An unpleasant aroma from the external genital area in females does not always indicate the possible development of some pathology or disease. This symptom largely depends on the specific time of the menstrual cycle and on other factors, most often exogenous. Even stress can affect the change in this condition. Therefore, you should definitely undergo preventive examinations with a gynecologist, who will rule out or confirm any pathology. Vaginal odor can change its characteristics throughout the menstrual cycle. Also, such changes often prevail during the development of hormonal disorders. The reasons may be the development of yeast infection, sexually transmitted diseases, trichomoniasis, vaginosis. Usually, if the smell changes, the nature of the discharge also changes. In some cases, odor without discharge in women is normal if there are no additional symptoms.

The discharge may be transparent, milky white (during the period between critical days). When menstruation begins, the vagina is naturally cleansed with secretions. The amount of normal discharge increases in the presence of sexual arousal, during breastfeeding and during the period when the follicles in the ovaries mature (ovulation). This may explain the unpleasant odor after sexual intercourse.

A woman's body has a unique natural method - it is capable of self-cleaning naturally. This does not require special douching or an internal shower. When using scented sprays, there is a risk of irritation of the mucous membrane of the external genitalia, as a result of which the pH balance may be disrupted. When cleansing the vagina with unscented soap, excellent prevention of microflora disturbances is carried out. This is a good cleansing method. Experts recommend minimizing the amount of scented shower gels, bath foam or sprays, or even completely abandoning them in favor of neutral personal care products.

After water procedures, blot the vaginal area with a dry, clean towel. It is not recommended to frequently use scented tampons or wet wipes. Humid, warm and closed environments increase the risk of bacterial agents developing and multiplying. Therefore, experts do not recommend staying in a wet swimsuit for a long time. If there are any irregularities in the aroma, you should not ignore such a manifestation. It is better to visit a doctor as soon as possible and, if necessary, undergo treatment.

Prevention of pathological discharge

In order to avoid the occurrence of fishy-smelling discharge, every woman needs to adhere to the following rules:

• avoid hypothermia;
• use a condom as a method of contraception;
• observe the rules of personal hygiene;
• wear only underwear made from natural fabrics;
• limit the use of deodorants for the intimate area.

You should also not forget about preventive examinations by a gynecologist 2 times a year and timely treatment of gynecological and other diseases.