The article is professionally consulted by doctors - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
Vaginal discharge before the menstrual period is one of the signs that often appear when the "red light" day is coming. Therefore, women do not need to worry too much when they see a lot of vaginal discharge before the menstrual period along with other common symptoms.
1. The change of vaginal discharge according to age
Vaginal discharge is a vaginal secretion that appears when a girl enters puberty. Vaginal discharge has the function of lubricating, moisturizing, and stabilizing the genital environment to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria - the cause of many gynecological diseases.
Vaginal discharge begins to appear as a sign of puberty and there will be a phenomenon of increased vaginal discharge before the menstrual period. The amount of vaginal discharge will change depending on age as well as female hormone levels.
From the age of 20 to 30 is the stage when vaginal discharge production reaches its peak, then gradually decreases along with the decline in female sex hormones. After adolescence, as a woman gets older, the vaginal discharge will gradually decrease. For example, during premenopause and menopause, the female body's estrogen levels decrease, causing vaginal discharge to appear much less than in previous stages. About 2-3 years after menopause, women face vaginal dryness due to a slowdown in estrogen hormone regulation, causing less vaginal discharge.
2. Vaginal discharge increases before menstruation
In addition to age and hormone levels, the color and amount of vaginal discharge also change during each stage of a woman's monthly menstrual cycle. By recognizing the differences in this fluid, women can roughly predict when their period will come. Specifically as follows:
- Postmenstrual and preovulatory phase (follicular phase): During this time, remaining menstrual blood will mix with the secretions, making them dark or brown in the early days. Vaginal discharge will then gradually decrease and become liquid and colorless.
- Ovulation phase: The amount of vaginal discharge increases during this phase. Women will see clear, soft, jelly-like discharge for two to three days. There are also cases where a little blood appears in the discharge, but it is completely odorless.
- Luteal phase: The amount of vaginal discharge gradually decreases, turning white and sticky like glue.
- Before menstruation: The amount of vaginal discharge begins to increase again due to changes in hormone levels, causing cervical mucus to increase rapidly. Women can completely feel that their private area is now wetter than usual. The color of the discharge seen on underwear is white or slightly yellow and gradually has a stronger odor. Closer to menstruation, women are likely to start seeing a small amount of blood in the discharge.
However, women need to pay close attention to how to distinguish between physiological and pathological vaginal discharge. If the vaginal discharge is heavy before the menstrual period and is accompanied by unusual signs of color and odor, it is likely a sign of gynecological diseases. These pathological problems not only cause discomfort, affecting the quality of daily life of women, but also have the potential to affect reproductive health in the future. Therefore, women should not ignore it, but need to visit and treat as soon as possible at reputable medical facilities.
3. Other signs of premenstrual syndrome
In addition to increased vaginal discharge before menstruation, other symptoms that signal the upcoming menstrual period also make women feel uncomfortable, such as:
- Digestive disorders: Abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea, constipation, even nausea or cravings, leading to weight gain and a feeling of bloating and fullness.
- Emotional changes: Sensitivity, irritability, depression, mood swings, anxiety, insomnia, difficulty concentrating...
- Oily face and acne.
- Muscle aches: Chest pain, tension in the nipple area or back pain.
The above problems sometimes make women mistakenly think that their body is experiencing abnormal symptoms that are dangerous to their health. In fact, this is just premenstrual syndrome, the symptoms are cyclical and last for a very short time, usually seen within a few days before or in the early stages of menstruation. Therefore, women do not need to worry too much when they experience these signs once a month.
In short, increased vaginal discharge near menstruation is a normal physiological manifestation of women every month. Although vaginal discharge before menstruation is not dangerous, the amount of discharge with unusual color and smell, secreted frequently can be a sign of gynecological diseases. Women should pay attention to monitor changes in their bodies to have a plan to take care of their private areas, as well as the whole body in a safe and scientific way.
When women see abnormal signs of vaginal discharge, they should proactively visit the hospital early, avoiding ignorance and shyness, which will lead to the disease not being detected, the risk of worsening and affecting the ability to become a mother in the future.
Vinmec International General Hospital is a hospital that many women trust and choose, not only because of its team of highly qualified doctors and modern, advanced equipment, but also because Vinmec always ensures privacy for customers, the hospital space is solemn and polite, eliminating all concerns even for difficult-to-talk-about diseases.
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