Many women worry about the amount of vaginal discharge they have, since, sometimes, they do not know if it is something normal or if the greater abundance or frequency of daily flow is a symptom of a gynecological problem. If this is your case, you have probably wondered if it is normal to have flow every day.
The truth is that this question cannot be easily answered with a “yes” or a “no”, since everything depends on each woman and on factors as diverse as, for example, whether the woman in question takes contraceptives or not. Anyway, you should know that there are women who have more flow than is considered normal. This, in medicine, is known as leukorrhea.
Next, from, we will not only answer your question “Is it normal to have flow every day?”, but we also explain what leukorrhea is as well as the main warning signs for you to be attentive and go to the doctor if you are worried about having any gynecological pathology.
Is it normal to have flow every day?
Vaginal discharge or discharge is a light-colored or whitish liquid – its color and density varies depending on the stage of the menstrual cycle – that comes out of the woman's vagina. Having flow, therefore, is normal. Now, the difference between having a normal flow and having a problem or condition is in the amount of daily flow.
As we have mentioned before, the amount of discharge varies depending on the woman and other factors such as, for example, the contraceptive method used to avoid pregnancy, since there are hormonal contraceptives that produce greater vaginal dryness. However, factors such as whether the woman is in menopause or in her fertile cycle must also be taken into account.
In addition, you should not forget that the amount of vaginal discharge oscillates throughout the menstrual cycle, since it is an indication of the fertility days in which a woman is, among other aspects.
However, on some occasions, it can happen that the woman has more flow than is considered normal and that this situation occurs during all the days of the month. In these cases, we could be talking about leukorrhea or excess vaginal discharge.
What is leukorrhea?
Leukorrhea is defined by excess discharge from vaginal discharge. It is a fairly common condition among women that can be caused by two main factors. Thus, we can talk about two types of leukorrhea:
- Physiological leukorrhea: this type is the one that has its origin and cause in the woman's own organism. In fact, it does not respond to any disease or problem. This leukorrhea is recognized because the color of the flow is usually transparent or whitish. You never notice a bad smell, but it is true that it can cause some irritation on the vulva when the amount is very excessive.
- Leukorrhea due to problems: this other type of leucorrhoea is related to gynecological problems that, in general, are usually linked to an imbalance of the vaginal flora. This may be related to an excess of cleanliness of the intimate area or the presence of infections such as fungi. It can also be a consequence of taking medications such as antibiotics or an increased level of stress. In these cases, the flow is usually yellow and a bad smell is perceived. In addition, other symptoms are noticed such as discomfort when urinating -it is like a burning sensation-, itching and redness of the vaginal area.
I have leukorrhea: what can I do?
When you have leukorrhea, there are several things that can be done, although everything will depend on its typology, since the treatments vary depending on the origin of the cause. If you have leukorrhea from problems, you should go to the doctor to determine the cause of the problem and put you on treatment. It is very likely that you will need to take samples to do a culture or perform a gynecological examination. You may also be asked for a urinalysis.
If leukorrhea is physiological, all you can do is follow a series of basic recommendations to minimize discomfort, effects and the amount of flow:
- Wear cotton underwear.
- Avoid compresses unless the amount of flow is really excessive and your doctor recommends them.
- Avoid using tampons during menstruation, since this type of products can favor the spread of staphylococcus aureus and generate an alteration of the vaginal flora.
- Wash the female genital area with water only and avoid douching often.
- Try to keep the area as dry as possible with soft cloths and drying it without rubbing so that irritation does not occur.
Vaginal discharge: when should I alert myself?
When you have a greater amount of flow, the warning signs are mainly the symptoms that we have talked about in cases of leukorrhea caused by some problem. Next, we are going to discuss them in more detail so that you know when you should go to the doctor:
- See your doctor if you have itching in the area.
- If you notice the vulvar area, entrance to the vagina or swollen labia.
- If the flow smells bad.
- If the color of the vaginal discharge is green, yellow or has a certain grayish tone.
- If the texture of the flow is like a foam or reminds you of cottage cheese or cut milk.
From we hope to have clarified if it is normal to have flow every day. If you have any questions, we recommend that you go to the doctor to determine if, really, your flow is normal or there is a problem that should be treated.
