Yes, it's normal for many people to have some vaginal discharge every time they wipe, as it's your body's way of cleaning and protecting itself; the key is understanding your own normal, as amounts and textures (clear, white, sticky, watery, stretchy) change with your menstrual cycle, ovulation, arousal, or pregnancy, but any strong odor, itching, unusual color (green, yellow, grey), or cottage cheese texture could signal an infection needing a doctor's visit.
Vaginal discharge (or just “discharge”) is a fluid that comes from the vagina. It might be in your underwear or on toilet paper when you wipe. You may start to notice it about 6 months to 1 year before you get your first period. It's perfectly normal to have discharge.
Excess vaginal discharge can occur as a result of ovulation, arousal, or infections. Typical vaginal discharge ranges in color from clear to white of off-white. The consistency of vaginal discharge also varies from thin and watery to thick and sticky. Generally, healthy vaginal discharge should be relatively odorless.
Clear or white: Normal vaginal discharge is clear, white or off-white. If your discharge is white, but seems thicker than usual or causes itching, it may be a yeast infection.
Schedule a visit with your health care provider if you have: Greenish, yellowish, thick or cheesy vaginal discharge. Strong vaginal odor. Itching, burning or irritation of your vagina or of the area of skin that surrounds the vagina and urethra, also called the vulva.
Vaginal discharge is nothing to worry about if it's:
With bacterial vaginosis, you may have vaginal discharge that's grayish, foamy, and smells fishy. (But it's also common for BV to have no symptoms.) With trich, discharge is often frothy, yellow-green, smells bad, and may have spots of blood in it.
Normal vaginal discharge: Is thin, clear, white or slightly yellow in color. Often increases 2 weeks before menstruation. May change or increase with some birth control methods.
As ovulation nears, your discharge will become wet, stretchy and slippery. The most common analogy for super fertile cervical mucus is looking and feeling like raw egg whites. If you see that texture, you'll know you're at your most fertile time. After ovulation, your cervical mucus goes back to being thick and dry.
Stress raises your cortisol levels, which causes your estrogen levels to drop. This disrupts your vagina's natural cleaning process and causes your vagina to produce more discharge.
There is no need to prevent normal vaginal discharge. However, abnormal vaginal discharge may be prevented by following these tips. After using the toilet, always wipe from front to back. This may help prevent getting bacteria from your rectal area into your vagina.
Up to one teaspoon (4 millimeters) of vaginal discharge per day is considered normal. 1 However, "normal" differs for each person, and some people regularly produce more than this. What's most important is to know what is normal for you and what may seem like excessive discharge.
If thick, white discharge goes along with other symptoms, such as itching, burning and irritation, it is probably due to a yeast infection. If not, it is normal discharge. You may also notice an increase in thick, white discharge before and after your period.
7 signs of ovulation
Mucus is a thick, slippery fluid that coats and moistens certain parts of the body, including the nose, mouth, throat, and urinary tract. A small amount of mucus in your urine (pee) is normal. Too much mucus may be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI) or other medical condition.
The fluid flows out of the vagina each day, cleansing old cells that have lined the vagina. This is a completely natural process—it's your body's way of keeping your vagina healthy and clean. Discharge varies from woman to woman. Some women have discharge every day, while others experience it less frequently.
Symptoms
Symptoms of bacterial vaginosis include: an unusual vaginal discharge that has a strong fishy smell, particularly after sex. a change to the colour and consistency of your discharge, such as becoming greyish-white and thin and watery.
Other causes of unusual vaginal discharge include:
Signs and Symptoms Your pH Balance Might Be Off
Discharge drama: Your discharge might go rogue and show up as milky, clear, or white (all normal) or gray, green, or yellow—and it could get worse after sex. Odor changes: Things might start smelling fishy or just generally different than usual.
However, if it is also frothy, has a foul odor, and is accompanied by burning and itching symptoms while urinating, this is considered abnormal vaginal discharge and is caused by vaginal irritation which can also cause burning and redness in the groin area.
Thrush in the vagina usually causes a white discharge. On white skin, thrush usually causes a red rash that scales over with white or yellow discharge. This can be harder to see on brown and black skin.