Isn't vaginal discharge common?

A woman's vagina produces a discharge throughout the month. The discharge changes with the hormones rising and falling before and after a woman's periods. Midway in the cycle the discharge is usually clear and stringy, at other times it can be cloudy and thick. This discharge has a little odor but does not cause any irritation. It is normal for this discharge to discolor the panties. Normal bathing and washing is all the hygiene needed to take care of the vagina. 

But when the discharge becomes very smelly or changes in colour (yellowish instead of white or milky white) or causes itching and burning then a vaginitis infection is suspected. The itching and burning usually becomes worse at nighttime. The kind of discharge and its smell can vary depending on whether the infection is caused by a bacteria, yeast or virus. 

It is therefore very important to get a thorough check up to make sure what is the cause of the vaginal infection. After a physical examination a doctor will send a swab sample collected from the woman's vagina to the laboratory to ascertain the cause of the infection. 

There are mainly six different kinds of vaginitis, these include

· Candida or Yeast Infection
· Bacterial Vaginosis
· Trichomoniasis
· Chlamydia
· Gonococcal
· Viral 
· Non-infectious vaginitis