What Causes White Discharge Before Your Period?
Vaginal discharge is the body's way of protecting the vagina from infections, and it can look different throughout your menstrual cycle. However, white discharge can have several other causes, as well.
You may produce around a teaspoon of thick or thin, odorless mucus daily, and the color can change from white to clear to brown throughout your menstrual cycle. Your hormone levels can affect the color and consistency of this discharge.
Learn more about why you might see white discharge before your period.
What is white discharge?
Discharge keeps the tissues in your vagina healthy and lubricated. The white discharge you may see before your period is known as leukorrhea. It's filled with fluid and cells that are being shed from the vagina and may even look slightly yellow at times.
This part of your menstrual cycle is called the luteal phase. It's when the hormone progesterone peaks in your body. When estrogen is the dominant hormone, discharge tends to be clear, stretchy, or watery. Progesterone, on the other hand, turns it cloudy or white.
Some people use discharge as a way to track potential fertility. This is known as a natural family planning strategy, or fertility awareness method.
Thin, stretchy mucus is considered an indicator of your fertile window, as it happens around the time when your egg may be released. White, thick discharge occurs outside of your fertile window.
That makes sense, as you most often see this type of mucus when you're no longer fertile, between ovulation and the start of your period.
What else can cause white discharge before your period?
While white discharge before your period can indicate typical reproductive system functioning, it can also have other triggers.
Some may be nothing to worry about. But any discharge with a strong smell, a particularly thick texture, or irritation can be a symptom of an infection.
Here are some other potential causes to consider.
Birth control
Birth control changes your hormone levels, which can lead to more discharge, particularly if your contraceptive contains estrogen.
Pregnancy
More discharge before your period is due can be an early indicator of pregnancy. That's because estrogen levels are high when you first become pregnant.
It can be hard to tell this apart from your regular discharge, but it usually appears white or slightly yellow and may be sticky.
Other indicators of early pregnancy include:
missed period
aching breast or chest tissue
nausea
tiredness
needing to urinate more often
Sexually transmitted infection (STI)
Gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis are the STIs most likely to cause changes to your usual discharge.
Chlamydia and trichomoniasis discharge may look white. However, along with gonorrhea discharge, they can also cause it to appear yellow or green.
With chlamydia and gonorrhea, you may also experience other symptoms, such as:
pelvic pain
bleeding between periods and after penetrative vaginal sex
pain when urinating
Trichomoniasis can also cause irritation around the vagina and pain when urinating or having penetrative vaginal sex. Discharge associated with this STI may have a fishy smell, too.
However, it's common for STIs to occur with no symptoms at all.
Yeast infection (candidiasis)
A yeast infection can also cause white discharge.
Symptoms of a yeast infection can include:
thick, white discharge that looks like cottage cheese
itching and burning sensations in the vagina
Antibiotic use, birth control pills, and pregnancy can all increase the risk of this common infection.
Symptoms may be most noticeable right before you get your period, as the same hormonal changes that trigger a period can lead to a yeast imbalance in the vagina.
Bacterial vaginosis (BV)
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is an infection that occurs when the natural balance of bacteria in your vagina changes. Some risk factors that may increase your risk of BV include:
being sexually active
having a new sexual partner
having an IUD
using scented products in or around your vagina
douching
Discharge from BV tends to have a fishy smell, be gray or white, and look thin or watery. But half of the people affected have no symptoms.
What discharge to expect throughout your cycle
Vaginal discharge usually changes throughout your menstrual cycle. This can include:
After your period: Dryness is common in the three to four days after your period ends.
Follicular phase: After that, you may experience three to five days of white, cloudy, or sticky discharge. This occurs during the follicular phase when an egg is developing.
Ovulation: During ovulation, it's common to have lots of clear, stretchy, or watery discharge. This 'egg white' discharge is thin and slippery, which is extremely helpful to sperm traveling to the waiting egg.
After ovulation: Following ovulation, white discharge returns again as progesterone takes over as the primary hormone. You may see more of it than you do earlier in your cycle. But the amount slowly declines until it becomes thicker and stickier, almost like glue. On average, this mucus lasts for 11 to 14 days.
Before your period: The mucus right before your period may also look yellow. In the days after your period, you may also have brown discharge, which is usually old blood leaving your body.
Spotting with blood or brown discharge around the time of your expected period may be an indicator of implantation in early pregnancy. If your period's late and you see spotting, it's a good idea to take a home pregnancy test.
When to talk with a healthcare professional
Discharge may be nothing to worry about before your period, particularly if it's clear, white, sticky, or slippery.
But there are also times when your discharge may be due to an underlying health condition. For example, a thick white discharge accompanied by itching may mean you have a yeast infection. Yellow or green discharge may also mean infection, such as BV.
It's best to talk with a healthcare professional if you're experiencing:
pain, burning, or other discomfort in and around the vagina
rash or sores with or without discharge
cottage cheese-like or frothy discharge
strong or fishy vaginal odor
bleeding between periods or after sex
Some STIs can also affect discharge and lead to serious health complications, such as infertility, if left untreated. If you notice a change, it's best to talk with a healthcare professional as soon as possible.
At your appointment, they may ask questions about your symptoms, medical history, and general lifestyle, including any products you use near or in your vaginal area.
They'll also likely perform a pelvic examination and swab your vagina, testing the discharge then and there or sending it to a lab for more complex testing.
If vaginal discharge has an underlying cause, you may need treatment. Treatment may involve a combination of antibiotics and lifestyle changes, but the treatment depends on the underlying cause.
The bottom line
Vaginal discharge is natural throughout the menstrual cycle. However, other health issues, such as infections, can affect the color, texture, and even the smell of the discharge.
Monitoring what it usually looks like can help you quickly notice any changes needing medical attention.
If you may have an infection, it's best to talk with a healthcare professional. They may recommend testing to determine the source of your discharge. Once they know the underlying cause, they can recommend treatment.
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