Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesIs It Normal to Have Discharge Every Day?What’s Abnormal?When to Get Help

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Causes

Is It Normal to Have Discharge Every Day?

What’s Abnormal?

When to Get Help

If you have more vaginal discharge than usual, it can be due to different causes. For example, during arousal andovulation, your body produces more cervical mucus to enhance lubrication. Hormone changes due to birth control use, pregnancy, or menopause can also increase the amount of discharge you have.

A significant increase in discharge can be a sign of a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis (BV), too. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can lead to excessive discharge, in which case you might have other symptoms like itching or afoul odor.If you notice unusual discharge, reach out to a healthcare provider to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment.

What Causes Excessive Discharge?

There are several reasons why you might have excessive discharge, including:

Why Does My Discharge Feel Like I’ve Wet Myself?

Most people who have a vagina have a small amount of discharge every day. Up to one teaspoon (4 millimeters) of vaginal discharge per day is considered normal.However, “normal” differs for each person, and some people regularly produce more than this.

What’s most important is to know what is normalfor youand what may seem like excessive discharge. If it is a change for you, or if you are experiencing other symptoms that concern you, reach out to your healthcare provider for advice.

How Much Discharge Is Too Much?

What Does Unhealthy Discharge Look Like?

Healthy discharge is thin, clear, white, or slightly yellow. It typically increases two weeks before menstruation, has no foul odor, and does not cause itchiness or irritation.

After intercourse, you may notice that the discharge has a musky odor. This is normal. However, if the odor lasts more than a day, you may have an infection.

Your discharge might be unhealthy if there is a change in its smell, color, or texture:

Normal Vaginal DischargeClear, white, off-white, or pale yellowThin/watery or stretchy/goopyOdorless or mild/inoffensive odorAbnormal Vaginal DischargeGreen, gray, or bright yellowClumpy, pus-like, frothy, or bubblyStrong,unpleasant odoror fishy smell

Normal Vaginal DischargeClear, white, off-white, or pale yellowThin/watery or stretchy/goopyOdorless or mild/inoffensive odor

Clear, white, off-white, or pale yellow

Thin/watery or stretchy/goopy

Odorless or mild/inoffensive odor

Abnormal Vaginal DischargeGreen, gray, or bright yellowClumpy, pus-like, frothy, or bubblyStrong,unpleasant odoror fishy smell

Green, gray, or bright yellow

Clumpy, pus-like, frothy, or bubbly

Strong,unpleasant odoror fishy smell

When to See a Healthcare Provider

It is always worth telling your healthcare provider about any significant changes in vaginal discharge. Though quantity alone isn’t a surefire way to determine if there is an issue, vaginal discharge that has certain characteristics can be more telling.

A variety of at-home testing kits—e.g., for pregnancy, pH levels, vaginal flora, and STIs—can help you determine if some of the causes of excess vaginal discharge may be at play. As always, if you suspect something is wrong, see a healthcare provider for an evaluation.

Summary

Vaginal discharge usually indicates a healthy reproductive system. Up to one teaspoon of vaginal discharge per day is typically considered normal. Although, what’s “normal” for one person may not be normal for someone else.

Increased discharge can occur for non-alarming, natural processes such as sexual arousal or ovulation. Abnormal discharge may also indicate infection, especially when other signs and symptoms such as a foul smell are present. A person should be aware of their normal amount of discharge and call a healthcare provider if there are changes.

8 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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