Why Is My Discharge Green?

How do I get rid of green discharge?

What is green vaginal discharge? – Green vaginal discharge is an abnormal green-coloured secretion which is often caused by the body’s inflammatory response to an infection. When pathogens enter the genital tract, they reproduce causing the normal clear or whitish vaginal fluid to become heavy and take on a yellow, yellow-green or green color.

• Green discharge is often accompanied by a foul-smelling odour and other symptoms such as vaginal irritation, a burning sensation during urination and pain during sex.
• More often than not, infections associated with green discharge are not serious, and are often easily curable with antibiotics if caught early.

Some common causes of green discharge:

Bacterial Infection Common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – Gonorrhea or Chlamydia Trichomoniasis Vaginal Infection Bacterial Vaginosis Urinary Tract Infection Pregnancy

At the onset of an infection, it is typical for your discharge to take on a frothy texture, and as the infection progresses it may increasingly take on the appearance of a yellow looking mucus, then light green before becoming thick green in color. Remember, some form of discharge is normal.

Should I be worried if my discharge is green?

Updated 03 February 2023 | Published 22 January 2019 Fact Checked Flo Fact-Checking Standards Every piece of content at Flo Health adheres to the highest editorial standards for language, style, and medical accuracy. To learn what we do to deliver the best health and lifestyle insights to you, check out our content review principles,

What does STD discharge look like?

What do my discharge colors mean? – Some STDs—though not all—can change the vagina’s microflora community by populating it with an army of hostile pathogens (“pathogen” simply refers to very tiny organisms, like bacteria or viruses, that cause disease).

• If that’s happened, then you might notice that your vagina’s discharges—which largely consist of vaginal bacteria—are a little different than usual.
• Maybe the color of the discharge is yellow or green.
• There could be an odd smell, too.
• These are all signs of an STD discharge.
• These changes can cause orange vaginal discharge, chunky yellow discharge, and other abnormal discharges.

A change in how your discharge smells—such as having a foul odor—is another sign your abnormal discharge might be due to an STD. So, if that’s what your discharges have been like lately, it could be because you’ve got an STD lurking in your vaginal microflora.

But abnormal vaginal discharges aren’t only associated with STDs. In fact, there are quite a number of possible reasons why your discharge might seem unusual—in terms of its color, scent, texture, or volume. That being said, though, you can look for clues in your discharge—clues which hint at the possibility of an STD and vaginal infection.

So read on to find out more about STD symptoms and discharges—including what STD-related discharges look like—to help you decide if it’s time to get tested.

Why is my discharge neon yellow?

Summary – Yellow discharge can be normal and simply a sign of regular clear discharge changing color upon contact with the air. But it may also be a sign of infections, including STIs and pelvic inflammatory disease. Yellow discharge may also be noted in early pregnancy. If you are concerned about your discharge or your health, speak with your healthcare provider.

What does stress discharge look like?

Unpleasant discharge – The hormonal imbalance in the vagina that weakens the protective bacteria can leave you with other issues, including unpleasant that smells, is thicker than usual or is dark in colour. This is caused by the “self-clean” process being interrupted, sometimes by stress.

What color is HPV discharge?

What can happen if you have HPV for a long time? – Certain types of low-risk HPV can cause genital warts. Without treatment genital warts may:

Go away Remain unchanged Increase in size or number

See Genital Warts for more information. High-risk HPV can cause abnormal cells in the cervix and cancer if not treated. Almost all cervical cancers are thought to be caused by HPV infections. While there are often no signs of early cervical cancer, some signs may include:

Increased vaginal discharge, which may be pale, watery, pink, brown, bloody, or foul-smelling Abnormal vaginal bleeding between menstrual periods, after sex, douching or a pelvic exam Longer or heavier menstrual periods Bleeding after menopause Pelvic pain Pain during sex

If you have high-risk HPV the risk of cervical cancer is further increased if you:

Smoke Have had more than three children Have used a birth control pill for more than five years Have a family history of cervical cancer Have limited access to medical testing and care Have a suppressed immune system

Almost all cervical cancers are caused by high-risk HPV infection.

Can I ignore green discharge?

Summary – Green discharge is always abnormal and warrants medical attention. It may be a sign of a bacterial STI, other bacterial infection, pelvic inflammatory disease, or a foreign body in the vagina. Watch for other symptoms that may accompany green discharge, including a foul odor, painful urination, and signs of infection.

Is green discharge an STD?

Green vaginal discharge is often a sign that you have a vaginal infection. Common culprits are a yeast infection or vaginosis, but it is also a common symptom of STDs, like trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia. You will likely have other symptoms like irritation or pain with urinating.

What does chlamydia look like?

Signs of chlamydia in women and people AFAB – Chlamydia bacteria often cause symptoms that are similar to cervicitis or a urinary tract infection (UTI), You may notice:

White, yellow or gray discharge from your vagina that may be smelly. Pus in your urine (pyuria). Increased need to pee. Pain or a burning sensation when you pee ( dysuria ). Bleeding in between periods. Painful periods. Painful intercourse ( dyspareunia ). Itching or burning in and around your vagina. Dull pain in the lower part of your abdomen.

Why is my discharge yellow green without smell?

If the discharge has a very slight yellow hue, it may not indicate a problem. This is especially likely if the hue only coincides with a change in diet or dietary supplements. Discharge that is a darker shade of yellow, yellowish-green, or green usually signals a bacterial or sexually transmitted infection.

Can a STD go away on its own?

Pictured above: https://twitter.com/CDCSTD/status/619286164315353088 Can gonorrhea go away without treatment? Does chlamydia eventually clear up? Can trichomoniasis go away on its own? These are the kinds of questions people pose to Google before Google sends them here — at least that’s what I learned by looking at the blog’s stats.

They’re tricky questions to tackle, and for so many reasons. Some viral STDs stay with you for life, such as herpes and HIV, Others, such as hepatitis B and human papillomavirus (HPV), can be prevented with vaccines but cannot be cured. It’s also possible for the immune system to defeat hepatitis B virus and HPV — but in some cases, these viruses are able to settle in for the long haul, causing chronic infections that can endure for life and even lead to cancer.

Left untreated, syphilis can kill, and gonorrhea can cause infertility. Non-viral STDs, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, can be cured. However, they usually don’t have symptoms, or symptoms can come and go, making it seem like an infection went away when it actually didn’t.

1. You can’t know your STD status without getting tested, and you can’t self-diagnose an STD based on symptoms and then assume the infection went away when symptoms subside.
2. Getting tested can uncover a problem and clear the way for treatment.
3. Nonetheless, people want to know if an STD can go away by itself — but there aren’t many studies on the “natural history” of curable STDs like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis,

Studying the natural course of a curable infection would require that scientists put their subjects at risk of the dangers of long-term infection, and no ethics board would approve such an experiment. “Do STDs go away?” isn’t the right question. The best question is, “What happens if STDs aren’t caught and treated?” If you think you might have an STD, the best course of action is to see a medical professional.

• Don’t cross your fingers and hope it just goes away.
• Symptoms might fade, but the bugs can still be wreaking havoc behind the scenes.
• And, even if your immune system does manage to fight off the infection, irreversible harm might have already been done.
• Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Gonorrhea and chlamydia often don’t have symptoms, but either infection can harm fertility and increase risk for HIV transmission,

In people with uteruses, chlamydia or gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which can cause tissue damage to the reproductive organs resulting in infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pain. Furthermore, either infection can be passed to infants during childbirth.

(Also, while the science is far from settled, there is emerging evidence that chlamydia might increase risk for cervical cancer,) In people with testicles, gonorrhea and chlamydia can cause scarring that blocks sperm’s movement out of the testes, resulting in epididymitis, which is associated with infertility, chronic scrotal pain, and testicular shrinkage.

Chlamydia is the leading cause of epididymitis in heterosexuals 35 years old and younger. Due to the difficulties in conducting ethical studies, the natural histories of untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea infections are not well understood. Sometimes, researchers can examine stored specimens that were taken for other studies and retroactively test them for chlamydia or gonorrhea to get a sense for how these infections develop over time.

• They can also look at asymptomatic people receiving regular STD screening — when their test results come back positive, they’re called back for treatment, but first re-tested to see if the infections went away on their own.
• This type of study can’t ascertain how long an infection had persisted before being diagnosed, or how long it can endure without treatment, since most participants receive antibiotics a couple of weeks after first being tested.

The “natural history” of chlamydia has been examined, mostly in women, using that kind of study design. Several studies have found that around 80 percent of people with asymptomatic chlamydia were still infected when they came back for treatment. Most of these studies suffered from small sample sizes, and usually included only small numbers of men (if any).

A few studies examined chlamydia over the course of a year — including the first one, from the 1970s, when chlamydia was first identified as an STD — and have found that, among women infected with chlamydia, roughly half will still have it a year or more later. One 1975 study mentioned instances of chlamydia persisting in men for at least a year.

Another study provided evidence that chlamydia infections caused by certain bacterial strains can last for many years, although no men were included in this analysis. As for gonorrhea, one study found that most infections in 16 female subjects “did not appear to resolve spontaneously,” as most were still infected after two months.

Another study, performed on male subjects, found that men could be asymptomatic carriers of gonorrhea for at least six weeks, but because patients were given antibiotics at the end of the study period, it can’t be said whether men can be infected with gonorrhea indefinitely. Of 28 subjects, only five cleared their infections without treatment.

Syphilis Before it could be cured with penicillin, syphilis was the most feared STD out there, and for good reason. It often doesn’t have symptoms, but even when symptoms do appear, they only flare up for a short time before retreating. When symptoms disappear, in what is known as the “latent” phase of infection, the sufferer can be lulled into a false sense of security — while the bacteria that cause syphilis are still working away, doing permanent damage to the body.

Syphilis comes in three “stages.” At any stage, syphilis can harm a pregnancy and make it easier to contract HIV, The first stage is characterized by painless sores, which even without treatment will heal. The second stage is characterized by rashes and lesions, which also go away without treatment. (These sores and rashes aren’t always noticeable, or might be confused for other conditions.) But it’s the late stage that’s the most infamous.

According to the CDC, 15 percent of people infected with untreated syphilis reach the late stage, which can occur up to 20 years after initial infection. It includes severe damage to the nervous system, brain, heart, or other organs, and can be fatal.

Symptoms can include difficulty coordinating movement, numbness, paralysis, weakening eyesight, or dementia. In light of the serious damage syphilis can do, do you want to take the chance that your untreated syphilis infection will be latent for life, but not progress to the late stage? Syphilis bacteria can lurk in your body for years without giving you symptoms, only to cause serious disease or even death years later, so why take the risk? Get tested and treated! Trichomoniasis Trichomoniasis is the most common curable STD in the country, infecting an estimated 3.7 million Americans at a time — 70 percent of whom don’t have symptoms.

A trichomoniasis infection increases risk for HIV transmission, and during pregnancy it increases risk for preterm birth and low birth weight. Men can get trichomoniasis, but they usually don’t have symptoms and aren’t screened for it as part of routine STD testing.

One small study found that 64 percent of men testing positive for trichomoniasis still had it after an average of three weeks had passed — but one subject allowed his infection to be monitored for four months before requesting treatment, meaning that it’s possible for the parasite that causes trichomoniasis to live safely ensconced in a male reproductive tract for at least that long.

Another study found that trichomoniasis can persist without symptoms in high-school-aged girls for at least three months — or longer. Additionally, there are anecdotes of female nursing-home patients who deny engaging in sexual activity for years, who nonetheless experience persistent trichomoniasis.

If these reports are true, it could indicate that the organism can inhabit a female body for years, only occasionally “flaring up” to cause symptoms. The upshot is that it’s possible for some — not all — STDs to go away by themselves, but it’s also possible for STDs to persist for months, years, or the rest of your life.

If you could have been exposed to an STD, the best thing to do is get tested — not to hope that if you did get something, it’ll just go away. You can be tested and treated for STDs, be vaccinated against HPV or hepatitis B, or drop by to pick up condoms at any Planned Parenthood health center,

• Tags: gonorrhea, pelvic inflammatory disease, HPV, syphilis, hepatitis b, infections, STI, sexually transmitted infections, chlamydia, female, male, HIV, ethics, STD Awareness, sexual health Anna first volunteered for Planned Parenthood as a high school student in the 1990s.
• Since then, she has received a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree in epidemiology from the University of Arizona.

As an ode to her fascination with microbes, she writes the monthly STD Awareness series, as well as other pieces focusing on health and medicine.

Does chlamydia go away?

Is there a cure for chlamydia? – Yes, the right treatment can cure chlamydia, It is important that you take all of the medicine your healthcare provider gives you to cure your infection. Do not share medicine for chlamydia with anyone. When taken properly it will stop the infection and could decrease your chances of having problems later.

What is a healthy discharge color?

What is considered normal vaginal discharge? – Normal vaginal discharge should be clear or white. It shouldn’t smell bad, and its thickness may change throughout your menstrual cycle. Other characteristics of vaginal discharge include:

Texture : It’s normal to have vaginal discharge that ranges from watery and sticky to gooey, thick and pasty. Your body’s hormones cause this change to happen, but factors like infection can also change the consistency of your vaginal discharge. Vaginal discharge that is chunky, foamy or accompanied by itching and changes in color may mean you have an infection. Color : Vaginal discharge is healthy if it’s clear, milky white or off-white. Dark yellow, brown, green or grey discharge may indicate an infection or other issue. Smell : Vaginal discharge may have an odor, but it shouldn’t be strong and shouldn’t be unpleasant. If you notice a fishy or foul smell to your discharge and it’s accompanied by changes in texture or color, you may have a vaginal infection. Amount : Some people produce lots of vaginal discharge, while others produce less. Certain factors like pregnancy, using birth control pills or ovulation can affect how much vaginal discharge you have. Sudden changes in the amount of vaginal discharge you produce could mean something is wrong.

Contact your healthcare provider if you notice:

An increase in the amount of vaginal discharge. A change in the color of the discharge. A foul-smelling odor, A change in texture or consistency of the discharge. Irritation, itching or pain in or around your vagina.

Can lack of water cause yellow discharge?

You’re dehydrated – Just like dehydration can cause your urine to turn a darker yellow, so can it make your vaginal discharge take on a yellowish tinge, Dr. Scott says. She adds that sometimes urine will mix with discharge—say, on toilet paper or in your underwear—which will also give the discharge a yellow color. Drink more water and you’ll be fine! Sukanya Dechying/Shutterstock

Does bacterial vaginosis go away?

What happens if I don’t receive treatment? – At times, BV will go away without treatment. However, treatment can help avoid the increased chance of some serious health risks associated with BV, including:

Getting or transmitting HIV; Delivering your baby too early if you have BV while pregnant; and Getting other STDs like chlamydia and gonorrhea, These bacteria can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can make it difficult for you to have children.

Can dirty fingers cause BV?

Your vagina naturally contains different kinds of bacteria. Usually, your body works to maintain the perfect balance between different bacteria, preventing specific types from growing out of control. But sometimes, this delicate balance is upset, resulting in bacterial vaginosis (BV).

burning sensation when urinatinggray or white dischargefishy-smelling dischargeitching and pain in vulva

Strong-smelling vaginal discharge is a hallmark symptom of BV. For some, the odor may get stronger after unprotected sexual intercourse if semen mixes with the discharge. Remember, your vagina naturally contains a delicate balance of different types of bacteria.

BV happens when certain kinds types of bacteria are present in greater amounts than usual. This overpowers the beneficial bacteria that usually keep their levels in check. For context, when you have BV, the “bad” bacteria in your vagina can be present in levels that are 100 to 1,000 times more than usual.

Although doctors don’t know exactly why, they do know that being sexually active increases risk for bacterial vaginosis. Those who aren’t sexually active experience the condition in significantly smaller percentages. Anyone with a vagina can develop BV.

are African American don’t use condoms or dental dams when having sex have an intrauterine device (IUD)have a history of using douches or other vaginal washes have multiple sex partners are pregnant

If you have symptoms of BV, it’s best to see your healthcare provider to get an accurate diagnosis. They’ll likely start with a physical exam. Next, they might also take a vaginal fluid sample to test for the presence of certain bacteria. Both of these will help rule out conditions with similar symptoms, including yeast infections,

Keep in mind that testing vaginal fluid samples isn’t always reliable, as vaginal bacteria levels change frequently. A negative test result doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have BV. Some cases of BV clear up on their own without treatment. But others require prescription antibiotics, such as clindamycin and metronidazole.

These antibiotics are available in pill and gel form. If you’re prescribed antibiotics, make sure you use the full course as directed by your healthcare provider, even if your symptoms seem to clear up quickly. If you still have symptoms in two to three days after finishing your antibiotics course, talk to your healthcare provider.

eating probiotic-containing foods, such as yogurt with live and active cultures or taking a probiotic supplementwearing loose-fitting, breathable cotton underwearpracticing healthy vaginal hygiene habits using unscented soaps and unscented tampons whenever possible

Looking for more? These natural home remedies may help. But if you aren’t noticing results after about a week, it’s time for medical treatment. You usually can’t pass BV on to someone with a penis, but BV symptoms can make penetration uncomfortable. It’s best to give your vagina a bit of rest while its pH resets.

You can pass BV to anyone with a vagina by sharing toys, having vulva-to-vulva contact, or finger penetration. In addition, if your partner has a vagina, they may want to follow up with their healthcare provider for treatment. If BV doesn’t clear up on its own or you don’t properly treat it, it can increase your risk of contracting an STI, such as HIV, chlamydia, or gonorrhea.

Could your discharge mean you have an STI???

If you’re pregnant, it can also increase your risk of early delivery. Untreated BV also increases your risk for a condition called pelvic inflammatory disease, This condition can affect fertility and increases the risk for premature delivery if you’re pregnant, according to the Center for Young Women’s Health,

Use barrier methods. Use barrier methods of protection, such as condoms and dental dams, during sexual activity. The interaction between semen and vaginal discharge can increase your risk of getting BV. Keep it natural. Avoid douching or using scented products on your vulva or in your vagina. These can throw off your vaginal pH, making you more vulnerable to BV.

If you’ve had BV in the past, you can get it again. According to the Center for Young Women’s Health, an estimated 50 percent of women with BV got the condition again within 12 months of treatment. If you have recurrent bouts of BV, talk to your healthcare provider.

What discharge is worrying?

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.

How do I fix my pH balance?

Dietary Changes. Certain foods can affect pH levels. Including more alkaline foods, like banana, orange, lemon, coconut water, aloe vera, and grapefruit, can help restore pH balance. Additionally, limiting sugar and alcohol, which create an acidic environment, can also aid in balancing pH levels.

What color is yeast infection discharge?

Yeast Infection Discharge – Yeast infection discharge is caused by an overgrowth of fungus in the vagina. Symptoms of yeast infection discharge include a thick, white, cottage cheese-like discharge, along with itching, redness, irritation and burning.

Roughly 90 percent of women will have a yeast infection at some point in their life. Yeast infections are not contagious, and over-the-counter antifungal creams are available for a patient to use. But, if symptoms don’t improve with treatment or she has more than four yeast infections in a year, she should see her provider.

“Stay aware of normal and abnormal changes in vaginal discharge. This allows patients to identify infection and other problems. If you have any questions about the type of vaginal discharge you’re experiencing, contact your provider,” Burris says. : 5 Types of Vaginal Discharge and What They Mean

What color is pregnancy discharge?

What Is Normal Pregnancy Discharge? – Normal discharge during pregnancy is clear or white, and usually a bit sticky; it should not have a noticeable odor. It’s OK if your discharge looks a little yellow on your underwear or panty liner during pregnancy, too.

When you’re pregnant, as your estrogen and progesterone hormone levels rise and blood flow to the vagina increases, you might find that you’re producing more discharge than before, especially during the second trimester, This actually helps to protect your growing baby from infection, as it’s your body’s natural way of keeping the vagina clean and flushing out dead cells.

Once your pregnancy is full term (at 39 weeks of pregnancy), seeing a mucus-like discharge is also normal. This is the mucus plug, which is described below in more detail.

What do discharge colors mean?

Vaginal discharge is usually white or clear, but it can fluctuate throughout the month. Color changes typically aren’t cause for concern unless you’re experiencing other unusual symptoms. Let’s be real: Many of us have experienced that moment when you pulled down your pants in the bathroom, saw a different color than usual, and asked, “Is that normal?” This is often followed by questions like, “Is it the time of the month?” “What did I eat this week?” and even “How was the sex last night?” Many of these colors are common and not a reflection of illness.

• But even if you know you’re in the clear, what do these colors actually mean? Well, wonder no longer.
• We put together a color guide that’s not only medically accurate, but also fun to look at.
• And even though there’s usually nothing to worry about, there’s also information on consulting a professional if you’re concerned.

Vaginal discharge is the medical term for fluid that comes from the vagina, and it’s an amazing thing. It’s how your body gets rid of dead vaginal skin cells, bacteria, and secretions from your cervix and vagina to help protect your vaginal and urinary tracts from infection,

1. It also keeps your vaginal tissues lubricated and clean.
2. Your hormones impact the amount and consistency of vaginal discharge, which is why you may have different amounts at certain times, like before menstruation, during pregnancy, or while using hormonal birth control,
3. Red or brown bloody discharge is common during menstruation,

Colors might range from cherry red at the beginning of your period to rusty brown. Some people have irregular periods and spotting. Others experience spotting due to their birth control method or hormonal changes. If you see red throughout the month, it could be a sign of an underlying health condition, like an infection.

• A variety of white shades of discharge, from eggshell to cream, can be common.
• Unless your discharge is accompanied by certain textures or smells, don’t fret too much.
• White discharge can occur for many of the same reasons as clear discharge.
• It’s simply natural lubrication, keeping your vaginal tissue healthy and minimizing friction during sexual activity,

Very light yellow discharge is more common than you might think. Sometimes the color is daffodil yellow. Other times it’s more of a greener chartreuse. This color is usually a sign of an infection, but if you know you’re probably in the clear (as in it’s a one-off occurrence), what you eat could affect the color.

1. Some people report this color change occurring whenever they take new vitamins or try certain foods,
2. Pink discharge, ranging from a very light blush to the deep pink of a sunset, is often just a sign of the beginning of your menstrual period.
3. Some people may periodically experience light bleeding after penetration with fingers, a sex toy, or a penis, which can result in pink discharge.

Clear discharge, which can also be whitish, is usually OK. It may have an egg-white like consistency. It’s also the go-to discharge a healthy body expels to rebalance itself — because the vagina is a self-cleaning organ. During arousal, blood vessels in that vagina dilate and fluid passes through them, causing an increase in clear, watery discharge.

1. If it’s around day 14 of your menstrual cycle, you’re probably ovulating and producing cervical mucus,
2. If you have a reason to suspect pregnancy, this can also cause a change in hormones and increase how much discharge you have.
3. Yup, healthy vaginal discharge has a smell.
4. The smell comes from the combination of cells and organisms in it.

Tack on sweat from neighboring groin glands, too. Just like the amount of vaginal discharge secreted is dependent on hormones, so is the smell. This is why you might notice it smells different throughout the month. Sometimes you might not smell it at all.

• Unless the smell is overly strong or unpleasant, it’s usually NBD.
• If it bothers you, washing the area with warm water and changing your underwear daily can help keep the smell to a minimum.
• Sometimes these conditions can be eliminated based on your individual circumstances.
• Gonorrhea and chlamydia, for example, can generally be eliminated if you’ve never engaged in partnered sexual contact.

Although the chart below is a starting point, it’s always a good idea to consult a healthcare professional if you’re unable to pinpoint a cause, or if you’re unsure of your health status. Healthy discharge helps keep the vagina clean, ward off infections, and provide lubrication.

1. It changes with your body’s needs.
2. It’s also important to keep in mind that a range of shades and amounts of vaginal discharge is considered typical and varies from person to person.
3. But your vaginal discharge is also a reflection of your overall health.
4. If discharge occurs unexpectedly or changes significantly in color, consistency, amount, or smell, consult a healthcare professional.

Likewise, if your discharge is accompanied by an itch or pelvic pain, it’s time to consult a clinician. Read this article in Spanish. Sarah Aswell is a freelance writer who lives in Missoula, Montana, with her husband and two daughters. Her writing has appeared in publications that include The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, National Lampoon, and Reductress.

What is a healthy discharge color?

What is considered normal vaginal discharge? – Normal vaginal discharge should be clear or white. It shouldn’t smell bad, and its thickness may change throughout your menstrual cycle. Other characteristics of vaginal discharge include:

Texture : It’s normal to have vaginal discharge that ranges from watery and sticky to gooey, thick and pasty. Your body’s hormones cause this change to happen, but factors like infection can also change the consistency of your vaginal discharge. Vaginal discharge that is chunky, foamy or accompanied by itching and changes in color may mean you have an infection. Color : Vaginal discharge is healthy if it’s clear, milky white or off-white. Dark yellow, brown, green or grey discharge may indicate an infection or other issue. Smell : Vaginal discharge may have an odor, but it shouldn’t be strong and shouldn’t be unpleasant. If you notice a fishy or foul smell to your discharge and it’s accompanied by changes in texture or color, you may have a vaginal infection. Amount : Some people produce lots of vaginal discharge, while others produce less. Certain factors like pregnancy, using birth control pills or ovulation can affect how much vaginal discharge you have. Sudden changes in the amount of vaginal discharge you produce could mean something is wrong.

Contact your healthcare provider if you notice:

An increase in the amount of vaginal discharge. A change in the color of the discharge. A foul-smelling odor, A change in texture or consistency of the discharge. Irritation, itching or pain in or around your vagina.

Will bacterial vaginosis go away on its own?

What happens if I don’t receive treatment? – At times, BV will go away without treatment. However, treatment can help avoid the increased chance of some serious health risks associated with BV, including:

Getting or transmitting HIV; Delivering your baby too early if you have BV while pregnant; and Getting other STDs like chlamydia and gonorrhea, These bacteria can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can make it difficult for you to have children.

What antibiotics treat green discharge?

Treatment – To treat bacterial vaginosis, your doctor may prescribe one of the following medicines:

Metronidazole (Flagyl, Metrogel-Vaginal, others). This medicine comes as a pill or topical gel. You swallow the pill, but the gel is inserted into your vagina. Avoid alcohol while using this medicine and for a full day afterward. It might cause nausea or stomach pain. Check the instructions on the product. Clindamycin (Cleocin, Clindesse, others). This medicine comes as a cream that you insert into the vagina. Or you can use the pill or suppository form. The cream and suppositories may weaken latex condoms. Avoid sex during treatment and for at least three days after you stop using the medicine. Or use another method of birth control. Tinidazole (Tindamax). You take this medicine by mouth. It can cause stomach upset. So avoid alcohol during treatment and for at least three days after completing treatment. Secnidazole (Solosec). This is an antibiotic you eat one time with food. It comes as a packet of granules that you sprinkle onto a soft food, such as applesauce, pudding or yogurt. You eat the mixture within 30 minutes. But take care not to crunch or chew the granules.

Usually, treatment isn’t needed for a sex partner whose sex is male. But BV can spread to partners whose sex is female. So testing and treatment may be needed if a female partner has symptoms. Take your medicine or use the cream or gel for as long as prescribed, even if your symptoms go away. If you stop treatment early, BV may come back. This is called recurrent bacterial vaginosis.

How long does bacterial vaginosis last?

While bacterial vaginosis may go away on its own, most doctors use antibiotics to treat it. You may have been prescribed pills or vaginal cream. With treatment, bacterial vaginosis usually clears up in 5 to 7 days.