FEMALE DISORDER - White Discharge – Leucorrhoea
There is lot of secretions in our body from mucous membranes and glands, which
have their own function, depending upon the place. Normally, the secretions
protect our body by forming a slimy lining over the skin or mucous membrane. It
also helps to keep the mucous membrane or skin moist and flexible, for example,
sebum secretions in the face, saliva in the mouth, etc. If this secretion
becomes very low, everyone will feel dryness and cracked skin which paves way
for infection. Likewise, vaginal glands also secrete some secretions to keep
the organ moist, flexible and to prevent it from infection by its acidic
nature. At ovulation time, the acidic nature of the secretion gets altered to
alkali nature by hormones to allow the sperm to survive for fertilisation. If
not, the sperms will find it difficult to thrive and reach the ovum. Also,
secretions of the vagina help in lubrication during the sexual act.
White discharges are cloudy secretions from the female reproductive tract
especially from the vagina or cervix or both. Leucorrhoea is a medical term for
white discharges which is an excessive secretion of the vagina. It is very
common in females nowadays, i.e. more than 30 per cent of girls suffer from
leucorrhoea and feel discomfort and pain. It may be mild to severe, and varies
from person to person.
Why we should be alert with leucorrhoea
·
In case of chronic infection, and if left untreated, the
infection spreads inward into the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, etc.,
causing congestion of the uterus or ovary or pelvis, leading to heavy menstrual
flow in the forthcoming period.
·
It acts as a precursor of pelvic inflammatory diseases,
salphingo-oophoritis (infection of fallopian tube and ovaries) which mostly
result in pelvic adhesions like peritoneal adhesions and fallopian tube
adhesions which obstruct tubes and may cause infertility.
·
White discharges in late fertile period or after
menopause should always be analysed completely to rule out cervix cancer which
is the second commonest site of cancer in females after breast cancer.
·
Urinary tract, reproductive tract and the adjacent organs
are often caught in the spread of infection simultaneously since the urethra,
vagina and anus lie very close.
Incidence
All females of reproductive age
groups (menarche to menopause) are prone to leucorrhoea at some time or the
other. Pathological leucorrhoea occurs more commonly in people with poor
hygiene and prostitutes, as they are more prone to venereal diseases, pelvic
inflammatory diseases, etc.
Types and causes
Leucorrhoea is mainly classified into two types:
Physiological leucorrhoea
is an excessive discharge or
secretions of a normal vagina. They are slimy in nature. They occur commonly in
teenage girls due to hormonal imbalance during puberty, at the time of
ovulation period of the menstrual cycle, before periods, etc. In case of adults,
in addition to the ovulation time and before periods, it occurs also during
early days of pregnancy and during sexual excitement. It is just like the mouth
watering at the sight of delicious eatables. Here only the amount of secretion
is increased and all the other nature of secretion is the same. Also, you
cannot notice any leucocytes, pus cells, bacteria or blood. This type of
leucorrhoea also occurs in newborn female babies for a week or two which is due
to the oestrogen hormone in the blood of the baby which had entered through her
mother’s placenta before delivery. If it is a male newborn, it has prominent
nipples for some time due to the presence of the same oestrogen hormone.
Pathological leucorrhoea – is a discharge occurring due to
disease or malfunction of the female reproductive tract. It is the alarming
sign for requirement of cleanliness and treatment. If you ignore this alarm,
the infection will go inside to rob your uterus or fertility. The nature of
discharge varies from slimy to thick bloody discharge with foul odour. This
condition is commonly present both in case of vaginitis or cervicitis. The main
causes can be charted out as follows:
1) Infections
·
From FUNGUS – Candida albicans can easily flourish in
moist circumstances and is commonly promoted by synthetic undergarments and
poor hygienic condition.
·
FROM PARASITES – protozoa – Trichomonas vaginalis causes
the Trichomoniasis which spreads usually through sexual intercourse and moist
clothes.
·
FROM BACTERIA- Gardnerella vaginalis and chlamydia are
the prime causes in bacterial infections. Also, it is frequently seen in
venereal diseases like gonorrhoea, syphilis, and AIDS.
2) Injury – Injury to the vagina or cervix or womb during childbirth,
abortion, or excessive sexual indulgence can cause erosions and infections with
discharges.
3) Poor hygienic conditions and lack of cleanliness - non
hygienic measures, especially during menses, can create infection and cause
leucorrhoea.
4) Diabetes and anaemia can provoke infections due to
weakened immunity.
5) Spread of infection from adjacent urinary tract (UTI) or
alimentary tract (worms)
6) Irritation of IUCD (Intra uterine contraceptive device)
can cause pain and discharges.
7) Sprays and jellies which are used by males for
provoking sexual act and jellies and drugs taken by females to kill sperms to
avoid conception can also irritate and initiate the infective process.
Leucorrhoea can also be classified as cervical leucorrhoea or vaginal
leucorrhoea i.e., according to the place of its origin – cervix or vagina.
Symptoms
of leucorrhoea – Mostly there won’t be any symptom other than discharge.
Discharge may be slimy, viscid to dark coloured or even bloody with a foul
smell.
In some cases, the accompanying symptoms are:
·
Lower abdominal pain
·
Painful sexual act
·
Backache and pain in the leg, especially thigh and calf
muscles
·
Intense itching with odema of vagina
·
Soreness and burning in the genital tract
·
Burning urination and frequent urge to pass very little
urine
·
Irritability and lack of concentration in work due to
consciousness of discharges
·
Digestive disturbances like constipation or diarrhoea or
vomiting
·
General tiredness due to loss of vital fluids as
discharges
Diagnosis
leucorrhoea is mostly found to be
hormonal. The occurrence, time and nature of the discharge also points out the
diagnosis. Mostly, it can be easily differentiated as physiological or
pathological leucorrhoea by a vaginal smear. It clearly tells us about the
presence of bacteria or virus or fungus. Also, sometimes cervix biopsy is
absolutely necessary to rule out cancer of the cervix. Culture and sensitivity
test is helpful in identifying the bacteria, if any, and also provides the
right choice of the drug to treat it. Routine blood test gives some idea about
the infection. And, finally, urine test is also a must to rule out the spread
of infection.
PREVENTION is always better than cure. So cleanliness is very
important.
Avoid
·
Stress and strain since it may affect the hormonal level
and may increase secretions.
·
Sharing towels and underwear
·
Synthetic or nylon underwear which cause dampness of
genital organs. Always wear cotton underwear to avoid moisture.
·
Sexual intercourse during heavy discharges
·
Sexual intercourse without condoms while under treatment
Take
·
Hygienic measures to keep genitals clean and wash
underwear daily and make them sun dry.
·
Nutritious diet, especially food rich in vitamins A, B,
C, E, magnesium and zinc, to improve general health
·
Plenty of water and juices to avoid urinary tract
infection and its spread to the vagina or cervix.
Treatment
In general, the Allopathy system of
medicine concentrates on the infection and so uses antibiotics as a course for
7 days. Further, it works for improving the general health with vitamins and
minerals. Mainly they prescribe
- For bacterial infection
- Antibiotic drugs For fungal
– Anti-fungal drugs and ointments For parasites
- Jellies to kill parasites and to alter the pH of vagina
Even though they kill the bacteria, fungus or parasite locally (by means of
jellies) or generally (by means of tablets) the disease recurs often. The
ultimate reason hidden is our susceptibility to the infection is high and our
immunity or resistance is very low. If immunity is raised, it is the permanent
solution to eliminate the disease.
Homeopathic approach
Leucorrhoea is the excessive secretion of genital organs of the female.
From the treatment’s point of view, it is better to make it normal than to
stop it. If it is stopped completely, vaginal dryness may result which may
cause pain during sexual activity. Also, if it is not treated properly, it may
often recur and sometimes it can be infected and become persistent. Always take
treatment for 2-3 cycles of periods to analyse it. So, do not stop treatment as
soon as symptoms disappear and periods become normal. Avoid sexual intercourse
during treatment in order to avoid damaging the healing tissues in case of
infection.
In Homeopathy, we boost the immunity power which plays a very important
role in natural elimination of disease organism or the disease itself and also
in prevention. Homeopathic prescriptions are based on the nature and time of
the discharge and also depend upon the patient’s constitution. The treatment
can give permanent relief to recurrent leucorrhoea. The earlier you treat, you
get speedier and complete cure without any adhesions.
Medicines which are commonly used for leucorrhoea are Alumina, Borax,
Graphites, Sabina, Pulsatilla, Nat phos, Nat Carb, Staphysagria, Acid nit,
Sulphur, Bacilinum, Pyrogen, Carbo animalis, Calc carb, Sanicula, Silicea,
Sepia, Mercurius, Hydrastis, Lycopodium, Syphilinum, etc. These Medicines
should be taken under the advice and diagnosis of a qualified Homeopath.
for
new hope
Dr. S. Chidambaranathan, BHMS, MD (Homeo)
Laxmi Homeo Clinic
24 E. New Mahalipatti Road
Madurai, TN 625 001
India
Tel: +91-984-319-1011 (Mob /
Whatsapp)
Clinic : +91-452-233-8833 |
E-mail: drcheena@gmail.com
(Disclaimer: The contents of this column are for informational
purpose only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional
healthcare advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of
healthcare professional for any health problem or medical condition.)