Vaginal discharge is common as women experience its many forms. White discharge is a way of eliminating the risk of potential infections. It occurs just before your period. This white discharge before period is known as leukorrhea or Likoria. This white discharge is made in response to the estrogen hormone.
Do You Know How White Discharge Reduces the Risk of Vaginal Infections?
Dr. Sarah Perveze, from MD Center answers the query:
“Likoria helps to remove dead or old cells from the body and aids in getting rid of bacteria and other organisms that can increase the risk of infections.”
But here, women also want to know about the other reasons why they have white discharge before their period. One of the most common questions women want to know is:
Table of Contents
Is White Discharge before Period Sign of Pregnancy?
If a woman is sexually active and experiences more discharge before the period, it may indicate pregnancy. It happens due to high level of estrogen levels. But you cannot identify if this discharge is a sign of pregnancy.
You need to make sure that you experience more vaginal discharge with other symptoms, such as tiredness, aching breasts, missed periods, and nausea.
What Can Cause Discharge Before Period?
Having white discharge before the period is a normal body function. It may be light yellow or white in color. But you should take notice if it has a strong smell with a different texture. Sometimes, such signs indicate an infection that you should deal with.
Sexually Transmitted Infections STIs
Being sexually active can put you at high risk of STIs. They have many symptoms like thick or smelly discharge, etc. Different types of STIs can affect the usual discharge, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, etc.
These STIs may also bring other symptoms, including bleeding between periods, pain when urinating, and painful intercourse. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are more likely to develop these kinds of symptoms.
Bacterial Vaginosis
When there are some changes in natural bacteria in the vagina, it leads to bacterial vaginosis. Using perfumed products may increase the risk of having intercourse with a new partner. It causes different symptoms, such as a fishy smell, white or gray in color but more watery.
Health experts from Maroof International Hospital say that more research can help to find the main cause of this infection.
Yeast Infection
Discharge before the period can also indicate yeast infection if it comes with other symptoms as well. These symptoms may also include a burning sensation and itching in the vagina. You are at high risk of developing yeast infection if you are pregnant, or using antibiotics or birth control pills.
Birth Control
It leads to changes in hormones which results in more discharge. Women should discuss with the doctor if they have been experiencing more vaginal discharge due to birth control.
When to Visit the Doctor
Discharge before the period is not a serious condition until you experience a strong smell and more in excess. Women who experience itching or burning sensation along with discharge should see the doctor.
The color of discharge also indicates if it is accompanied by other symptoms, like pain and discomfort around or in the vagina, bleeding between periods or intercourse, cottage cheese-like discharge, rashes without discharge, fishy vaginal odor, etc.
What Health Experts Say….
It is not life-threatening to have discharge before periods as it is a normal function of the reproductive system. All you need is to learn when you need to see the doctor which you can learn from the above section.
The prevention tips can also help to minimize STIs risk. You can also reduce the STIs risk with safe intercourse. Make sure that you wash your area gently without using any perfumed products.
