Leukorrhea

Leukorrhea (US) or leukorrhoea (Commonwealth) is a medical term that denotes a thick, whitish vaginal discharge. It results from inflammation or congestion of the vaginal mucosa. In cases where it is yellowish or gives off an odour, a doctor should be consulted since it could be a sign of an STD.

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Leukorrhea is a sign that the vagina is healthy and keeping clean. It may sometimes occur before a girl has her first period, and is considered a sign of puberty.

Causes

There are many causes of leukorrhea, the usual one being increased estrogen. The amount of discharge may increase due to vaginal infection or STDs, in which case it becomes more yellow and foul-smelling. Vaginal discharge is normal for a woman, and all women are different. Causes of change in discharge include infection, malignancy, and hormonal changes.

Leukorrhea may occur normally during pregnancy. This is caused by increased bloodflow to the vagina due to increased estrogen. Female infants may have leukorrhea for a short time after birth due to their in-uterine exposure to estrogen.

It is usually a non-pathological symptom secondary to inflammatory conditions of Vagina or cervix.

After birth leukorrhea accompanied by backache and foul-smelling lochia (post-partum vaginal discharge, containing blood, mucus, and placental tissue) may suggest involution (failure of the uterus to return to pre-pregnant size) due to infection.