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Turns Out, Your Discharge Can Tell You A Lot

by Lindsay E. Mack

You might monitor your water intake, number of steps, or even breathing techniques throughout the day to get a good reading on your health. But did you know that simply going to the bathroom might provide some additional data about your general well-being? Knowing what your discharge says about your health is crucial, because this often-overlooked stuff can reveal a lot about your body.

To kick things off, it's helpful to remember that perfectly normal discharge may have a lot of variation. For instance, WebMd noted that discharge might appear clear or milky, and it could have a tacky or water-like consistency. Even a slightly acidic scent is still to be expected.

With that said, changes to your discharge may be the first indication of a health issue. As an example, yeast infections may cause discharge that's thick with a consistency that's similar to cottage cheese, whereas something like trichomoniasis could result in yellow or green discharge with a bubbly consistency, according to FamilyDoctor.org. In general, funky colors down there point to a problem. Even something like chlamydia could result in symptoms of green or yellow discharge, as explained in Healthline. Basically, if anything about your discharge's color, amount, or texture seems unusual, it's probably time for a visit to your doctor.

That said, you discharge not only lets you know when infections are present, but it also provides you with major information about your fertility health. For many women, monitoring cervical mucus is an excellent way to stay in touch with their ovulation cycle. As noted by Baby Center, when your mucus has the consistency of raw egg whites, you're generally at your most fertile. On the other hand, sticky mucus is usually the least hospitable to sperm, and not conducive to pregnancy, as further explained in Baby Center.

Lastly, don't forget that a tremendous amount of variation is still considered normal with discharge. Anything from your birth control pills to a particular scented soap could lead to changes in your discharge's texture, scent, or appearance, as noted by WebMD. Although a change does not necessarily indicate the presence of an infection, getting everything checked out down there is still a good idea. After all, a happy vagina means a happy life (or something like that).