Diagnosis

When making the diagnosis, the doctor first gets an overview of the prevailing symptoms by asking the patient some questions. The amount, the nature and the beginning of the discharge is discussed. As a rule, possible accompanying complaints such as burning, itching or a changed smell of the intimate area are asked.

Depending on the answers given, additional, more detailed questions may be necessary. This is followed by a gynaecological examination. Here the external sexual organs are first examined and examined for visible changes.

The vagina and the cervix can be viewed with the help of instruments such as specula and, if necessary, through a so-called colposcope. If the patient reports brownish or reddish discharge and changes in the cervix have been detected, a tissue sample can be taken and examined for possible cervical cancer. During the examination, the amount, consistency and smell of the mucus in the vagina can be examined.

If necessary, a sample can be taken, which will be further examined by laboratory medicine and microscopy. In this way possible pathogens can be detected. The determination of the vaginal pH value can also be useful in some cases.

Treatment

Not every discharge requires therapy. For example, increased secretion formation during pregnancy is considered normal and is usually not treated. The therapy of altered or increased discharge as a symptom of a disease depends on the cause of the disease.

Antibiotics are used for bacterial inflammation of the external or internal reproductive organs. The active ingredient used depends on the pathogen to be controlled, which must be determined in advance in order to achieve optimal results. Depending on the accompanying symptoms, other medications may be used, for example, antipyretics in the case of elevated temperatures.

If the altered discharge is a symptom of a yeast fungus disease, fungicides, so-called antimycotics, are used. As with antibiotics, these can be administered for external inflammation either in the form of suppositories, as a cream or a combination of both. However, if it is an ascending inflammation, for example of the ovaries, this usually has to be treated with orally taken or intravenously applied drugs.

In the case of vaginal infections, it may be necessary to treat the partner as well in order to prevent re-infection during subsequent sexual intercourse. After antibiotic treatment, a lactic acid cure may be useful to rebuild the vaginal flora. In the case of polyps or myomas, their removal can reduce the discharge. If malignant tumour diseases have been detected in the course of outflow diagnostics, they are treated by means of surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation, depending on the type of tumour and cancer stage. – The treatment of a vaginal mycosis

Symptoms of cervical cancer