Your period is still a few days away, but your panties are constantly wet and you feel like you're leaking? We know that. Discharge before your period is not uncommon . Many women are affected by it. But don't worry - it's not that bad. We promise! We'll explain to you what's normal and when you need to see a gynecologist.
Overview
1. What does the discharge before the period look like?
Whether it's normal or not... sometimes the discharge is just really annoying . Understandably. To help you understand that vaginal discharge is actually a good thing, we'll first explain it to you.
The discharge helps to keep the vagina moist and, above all, healthy. It is responsible for the natural cleansing of your vagina. Yeah! The moist feeling in your panties is unpleasant, but neither dirty nor unhygienic. It's totally normal. Depending on which hormones are affecting your body, the amount and consistency of the discharge can change. But so far, there's still no reason to worry.
Generally, vaginal discharge is whitish to yellowish and smells slightly sour. No itching and no burning! If you notice discharge before your period that is pinkish or brownish in color, this is often a sign that your period is starting. Completely harmless!
Otherwise, you should be happy about your discharge aka cervical mucus ...
2. Discharge before period: Signs of pregnancy?
If you notice a particularly thin, white and odorless discharge , this can indicate a major hormonal change in your body - for example, pregnancy. This is nothing unusual. The increased estrogen levels improve blood flow to the vaginal mucosa, which can result in increased discharge.
If the discharge is yellow, brown, green or even grey and smells unpleasant, you should have a doctor examine you. A fungal or bacterial infection is not uncommon. However, increased discharge alone is not a very reliable sign of pregnancy! In many women, this type of discharge (leukorrhea) only appears after several weeks or months. If you suspect this, you have probably already done a pregnancy test or visited your gynecologist.
3. Brown discharge before period: What to do?
As already mentioned, brown discharge before your period is absolutely not a warning sign of any serious illness. Quite the opposite! The brownish discoloration is a first sign of approaching menstruation and occurs when blood comes into contact with oxygen.
As a precaution, you should always keep an organic tampon in your handbag. This way you won't be unpleasantly surprised at work or on the go. However, if you regularly have brownish spotting and the second half of your cycle is shortened, both of these things can be a sign of corpus luteum insufficiency. That sounds worse than it really is, but it can still be a problem if you want to have children. In any case, you should consult your doctor.
4. As individual as you
If you talk to your friends and they have different experiences than you, different discharge or no discharge at all - then that's completely normal. When it comes to our bodies, it's very important to always keep in mind that we are all different and function differently . And so are our cycles, our discharge and everything that goes with it. So don't worry that there's something wrong with you.
You should only be concerned if you notice sudden or significant changes in your discharge. And then you should still go to the gynecologist first. Don't panic!
