Allocations with thrush in women

Contents

What is thrush
What does vaginal discharge look like in women?
Treatment of discharge from thrush in women
Popular questions and answers

Often, women at the first symptoms of thrush run to the pharmacy for candles. But is it always possible to say with certainty that it is candidiasis? What does thrush discharge look like and how to get rid of it? Dealing with an expert

Worried about itching and discomfort in the intimate area, and the linen gets dirty more than usual? These may be the first signs of vaginal candidiasis. Or thrush, as everyone used to call her.

In fact, thrush is a fairly common problem: 75% of women have had vulvovaginal candidiasis at least once in their lives, another 40-45% experience relapses, and 10-15% of women suffer from chronic candidiasis.¹. A chronic disease is considered if during the year there were at least 4 cases of exacerbation².

Of course, standards for the treatment of candidiasis have been developed, and women themselves who have encountered thrush know which drugs can help. But sometimes the symptoms of thrush can be confused with other diseases, so only a doctor can diagnose and prescribe effective treatment.

What is thrush

Thrush (vulvovaginal candidiasis) is an infection of the mucous membrane of the vulva and vagina caused by yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida. As a rule, in 90% of cases the disease proceeds in an uncomplicated acute form.¹.

The main symptoms of thrush are: abundant curdled discharge from the genital tract, intense itching and burning in the vagina and external genitalia, hyperemia (redness) and swelling of the mucous membrane of the vagina and cervix, pain during urination and sexual intercourse³.

It is important to understand that many women can act as carriers of the fungus, while the symptoms of the disease are completely absent. Accordingly, they do not need treatment.⁴. However, under the influence of various reasons, the number of Candida fungi may increase, which will provoke the development of the disease.

There are a lot of factors that predispose to the appearance of thrush. These include⁵:

metabolic disorders (primarily carbohydrate and fat);
endocrine disorders – diabetes mellitus, thyroid pathology, increased levels of estrogen in the blood;
chronic inflammatory diseases of the genital organs, urinary system;
immunodeficiency states;
long-term use of antibiotics, cytostatic, hormonal drugs (and contraceptives);
chemotherapy and radiation therapy;
wearing tight synthetic underwear, using daily sanitary pads, vaginal douching, deodorants.

What does vaginal discharge look like in women?

The clinical picture of acute vulvovaginal candidiasis differs from its chronic form.

In the first case, the discharge is abundant, curdled, there is a sour smell. Other symptoms are also clearly manifested: severe itching (sometimes it is even impossible to sleep), burning, discomfort, which can seriously spoil the quality of a woman’s life.

In the case of recurrent candidiasis, the discharge is scarce, and sometimes completely absent.⁶. And of the symptoms, itching in the vagina and vulva, discomfort in the genital area (dyspareunia) and dysuria (violation of the urination process) persist.

Color

White	Most often with thrush.
Yellow	Less common, dull color – white-yellow.
Green	Yellow-green discharge may occur if left untreated.
Gray	Sometimes the discharge has a grayish tint.
Pink	They are rare and do not indicate candidiasis itself, but other gynecological problems (for example, cervical erosion).
Brown	They are rare, indicating the presence of clotted blood in the secretions. May be associated with other comorbidities.

As a rule, discharge from vulvovaginal candidiasis is milky white. However, sometimes the discharge may be of other shades (more often yellowish). At the same time, white, green and yellow-green discharge is also characteristic of other diseases, including sexually transmitted diseases (for example, gonorrhea). Therefore, only a doctor can reliably make a diagnosis using laboratory diagnostic methods.

Smell

A fetid odor is not observed with thrush. As a rule, the discharge from vulvovaginal candidiasis has a sour smell or no smell at all.

If there is a smell of spoiled fish or another strong smell, this may indicate some serious illness.

Consistency

It is the consistency of the discharge, and not the color or smell, that most often “give out” thrush. In vulvovaginal candidiasis, the discharge is cheesy or (less commonly) creamy. Therefore, the disease has received such a name among the people – thrush.

Here again it is worth mentioning that similar discharge can be observed in other diseases, for example, caused by STIs (sexually transmitted infections).

If you are worried about some unpleasant symptoms, you do not need to wait for everything to pass by itself, and even more so experiment with pills and suppositories. Go to the doctor immediately. Mistakes or lack of adequate treatment of thrush can be fraught with consequences, especially during pregnancy (up to infection of the fetus).

Treatment of discharge from thrush in women

With vulvovaginal candidiasis, it is not necessary to treat discharge or itching, but first of all eliminate the cause of the disease – the fungus⁷.

In therapy, as a rule, several drugs are used:

fluconazole or itraconazole in the form of capsules and tablets – inside;
clotrimazole cream and vaginal tablets;
natamycin in the form of vaginal suppositories;
miconazole in the form of vaginal suppositories;
butoconazole – in the form of a cream for intravaginal use.

Preparations, the scheme of application and the duration of treatment are determined by the doctor. The average duration of therapy is 3-6 days for acute uncomplicated vulvovaginal candidiasis⁷. Sometimes the treatment lasts longer, but many manufacturers of antifungal drugs promise an improvement in well-being after the first application.

Popular questions and answers

Thrush is one of the most common female diseases. However, even experienced women in this regard may have questions. Our expert answers them – Gulnaz Danilova, obstetrician-gynecologist, reproductologist, medical blogger.

Can thrush pass without discharge?

– This disease is usually accompanied by discharge from the genital tract, but there are cases when there may be no discharge, and other symptoms come to the fore. Most often this occurs in the case of chronic recurrent thrush, when a woman experiences exacerbations at least 4 times during the year, or even thrush comes into every cycle and ruins her life. In the first exacerbations, there are often discharges, but after a year or two or three there are practically none. Itching, dryness and pain during sexual intercourse remains.

Secondly, the doctor at the appointment may not see the discharge if the patient has already tried something to be treated. In this case, it can be difficult to make a diagnosis and choose the right treatment. Therefore, I always recommend that you consult a doctor when the first symptoms appear.

And thirdly (the most difficult case) – when, with all the similar symptoms in the absence of discharge, we are not dealing with thrush.

Can there be discharge after treatment for thrush?

– The issue of discharge is always of interest to patients. To understand whether they are “bad” or not, you need to know what normal discharge is. Women of reproductive age will always have discharge. Usually they are transparent, whitish, sometimes with a yellowish tint, the consistency can be mucous, watery, thick, crumbly, the smell can be slightly sour. Their nature depends on the phase of the menstrual cycle, the use of contraceptives, the presence or absence of pregnancy, hygiene features. Believe me, any woman can confuse them with pathology. In this case, you need to focus on feelings. If after the treatment of candidiasis the itching disappeared, unusual discharge, in this case, what you observe on the linen is more likely to be the norm.

What other diseases can be manifested by similar secretions?

“Bacterial vaginosis comes first. This is a condition in which the number of “good” bacteria decreases and the number of opportunistic pathogens increases. Most often, bacterial vaginosis is accompanied by profuse discharge with an unpleasant odor. In second place, of course, is the thrush.

Anaerobic vaginitis is a rare occurrence in which anaerobic bacteria cause severe inflammation with itching, pain in the vaginal area, and not always abundant discharge.

There are also combinations of several diseases, such as thrush and bacterial vaginosis.

In any case, only a specialist can make a correct diagnosis. Therefore, if unusual discharge, itching and other symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

What happens if thrush is not treated?

– If you do not treat thrush, the disease can develop according to two scenarios.

1) In the first case (the best scenario), it will pass safely by itself when the body’s defense mechanisms are activated.

2) The second (less pleasant) option: a transition to a chronic form is possible. Sometimes there is an addition of other conditions, for example, dermatoses. In pregnancy with active candidal vaginitis, there is a risk of vaginal rupture. In addition, untreated thrush violates the natural barriers of the mucous membranes, as a result, the chance of contracting STIs and HPV increases.

I also want to add that now it is easy to purchase medicines on their own, which is what women use. But this is wrong. Often, women take medicines not according to indications and not in the right dosages. As a result, the path to recovery only becomes more difficult.

Sources of:

Diagnosis and treatment of diseases accompanied by pathological discharge from the genital tract of women. Federal clinical guidelines. 2013. https://goo.su/kXomoNv
E.R. Dovletkhanova, P.R. Abakarov. Modern possibilities of diagnosis and treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis (to help the practitioner) // Medical Council. 2019. No. 13. pp. 42-48 https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/sovremennye-vozmozhnosti-diagnostiki-i-lecheniya-vulvovaginalnogo-kandidoza-v-pomosch-praktikuyuschemu-vrachu/viewer
AND ABOUT. Makarov, N.A. Sheshukov. Vaginal candidiasis. Possibilities of drug therapy // Obstetrics, gynecology, reproduction. 2012. Volume 6. No. 1. pp. 16-19 https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/vaginalnyy-kandidoz-vozmozhnosti-lekarstvennoy-terapii/viewer
ON THE. Buralkina, O.V. Shabalov. Vulvovaginal candidiasis: etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment // Medical Council. 2019. No. 12. pp. 142-145. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/vulvovaginalnyy-kandidoz-etiologiya-patogenez-diagnostika-lechenie/viewer
AND ABOUT. Malova, I.G. Afanasiev. Acute vulvovaginal candidiasis: new possibilities of therapy // Bulletin of medical science. 2017. Volume 7. No. 3. pp. 60-64. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/ostryy-vulvovaginalnyy-kandidoz-novye-vozmozhnosti/viewer
G.R. Bayramova, I.I. Baranov, T.V. Priputnevich, V.F. Chernov. Vulvovaginal candidiasis: clinical and therapeutic aspects in the practice of an obstetrician-gynecologist // Obstetrics and gynecology: news, opinions, training. 2017. No. 4. pp. 63-69 https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/vulvovaginalnyy-kandidoz-klinicheskie-i-terapevticheskie-aspekty-v-praktike-akushera-ginekologa/viewer
A.L. Popova, S.A. Dvoryansky, N.V. Yagovkin. Modern aspects of treatment and prevention of vulvovaginal candidiasis (literature review) // Vyatskiy Medical Bulletin. 2013. No. 4. pp. 31-36. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/sovremennye-aspekty-lecheniya-i-profilaktiki-vulvovaginalnogo-kandidoza-obzor-literatury/viewer