Leucorrhea is a mixture of vaginal mucosa exudate and cervical canal exudate, and its formation is related to the role of estrogen. Normal leucorrhea is white paste or egg white, which is sticky and tasteless, and has no adverse effect on women's health, so it is called physiological leucorrhea. However, if there is inflammation in the reproductive tract, especially vaginitis, cervicitis, or cancer occurs, the amount of leucorrhea will increase obviously and the characteristics will change, which is called pathological change. Clinically common pathological leucorrhea are:
1 colorless, transparent and sticky leucorrhea: it is egg white-like, similar in nature to the mucus secreted by cervical glands during ovulation, but the amount is obviously increased. Generally, the possibility of chronic endocarditis, ovarian dysfunction, vaginal adenopathy or cervical well-differentiated adenocarcinoma should be considered.
2 white or grayish yellow foamy leucorrhea: It is a feature of trichomonal vaginitis, which may be accompanied by vulvar itching.
3 curd-like (bean curd residue-like) leucorrhea: it is a characteristic of fungal vaginitis, often accompanied by severe vulvar itching or burning pain, or sexual pain.
4 gray homogeneous fishy leucorrhea: common in bacterial vaginitis.
Purulent leucorrhea: yellow or yellowish green, sticky and smelly. Acute vaginitis, cervicitis and cervicitis caused by trichomonas or gonococcus can all be caused. Purulent leucorrhea can also be caused by pus in uterine cavity, uterine cancer, vaginal cancer or foreign body in vagina.
6 bloody leucorrhea: mixed leucorrhea, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, cervical polyp or submucosal myoma should be considered. Placement of intrauterine devices can also cause bloody leucorrhea.
7 watery leucorrhea: continuous outflow of watery leucorrhea from rice washing. Those with strange smell are generally late cervical cancer, vaginal cancer or submucosal myoma with infection. Paroxysmal discharge of yellow or red watery leucorrhea should pay attention to the possibility of tubal cancer.
To evaluate whether leucorrhea is normal, we should observe it from the aspects of quantity, color, texture and smell.
Normal leucorrhea should be milky white or colorless and transparent, slightly fishy or tasteless; Its secretion and texture are influenced by the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body and change periodically with the menstrual cycle.
Generally, leucorrhea after menstrual period is less; Before ovulation, due to the increase of estrogen level in the body, the epithelial cells of cervical glands proliferate, the secretion of cervical mucus increases, and the content of sodium chloride in the mucus increases, which can absorb more water, so that the leucorrhea increases during ovulation, the quality is thin, the color is clear, the appearance is like egg white, and it can be stretched into silk; After ovulation, the level of estrogen gradually decreased, the level of progesterone increased, the secretion of cervical mucus was inhibited, and the content of sodium chloride in mucus also decreased, making the leucorrhea sticky, milky, poor ductility and easy to break.
The secretion of leucorrhea is closely related to sexual thoughts and life. In the newly-married honeymoon and frequent sexual life, natural stimulation of leucorrhea secretion increases.
In addition, some physiological phenomena, such as women of childbearing age, pregnancy, oral contraceptives, etc., will increase leucorrhea, and the reason is also related to the changes of estrogen and progesterone levels in the body.
The leucorrhea secretion of menopausal women is small and weak. These are all normal, normal.
If leucorrhea is abnormal, such as the increase of leucorrhea for no reason, or accompanied by changes in color, texture and smell, we should be vigilant and go to a regular hospital for examination immediately.
Leucorrhea, like menstruation, is a normal physiological manifestation of women. Some people regard leucorrhea as a kind of obscenity, and some married women regard normal leucorrhea as morbid, feeling anxious and confused, which are unnecessary.