What Causes Smelly Vaginal Discharge

What Causes Smelly Vaginal Discharge - Are There Any Simple Remedies to Get Rid of it For Good?

All of us have vaginal discharge which is usually small in amount and considered to be OK. What is undesirable is thick and excessive or smelly vaginal discharge. Over a period of time merely by observing our body we can identify whether the fluid from the vagina is normal or not. Abnormal discharge usually happens during menstrual cycle, breast feeding and when a woman gets involved in any form of sexual activity. Smelly vagina is an indication of a bacterial infection of the vagina, vaginosis.

Vaginosis occurs due to overgrowth of bacteria in the vagina. The vaginal odor accompanied by whitish grey discharge which is a common symptom of this infection gets pronounced particularly after sex or at the end of your menstrual cycle.

Some of the known causes of vaginosis include

* Cigarette smoking

* A change in sexual partner

* Having unprotected sex

* Excessive washing or douching

* Any vaginal infections like pelvic infections which tend to make the vaginal environment alkaline

* Hormonal changes occurring during and after pregnancy

* Drugs - oral contraceptives and antibiotics

* Reduced levels of Lactobacilli in the body

What can you do to control the smelly vaginal discharge?

• Antibiotics are often prescribed by doctors to get rid of this problem.

• Natural remedies to restore the vaginal flora can also help in treating the problem. Bathing in water to which raw apple cider vinegar has been added is very useful. For this you must mix half a cup of raw apple cider vinegar (not the distilled variety) into warm water in a hip level bath tub. Soak in it till the water became cool. Make use of this remedy once a day. In case your smelly vaginal discharge is excessive and absolutely unbearable you can have bath twice a day for immediate relief.