5 reasons your discharge smells bad — but not necessarily fishy
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Loading... - Albert Halasz
- 28 Jun 2022
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There are many reasons your vagina may smell out of the ordinary or produce a bad-smelling discharge. The most common cause of odor is bacterial vaginosis, which causes a fishy smell.
But if your vagina has a foul, but not fishy odor, it could be a sign of an infection like chlamydia or certain cancers.
Here are five reasons why your vagina may smell bad, but not fishy.
1. Yeast infection
A yeast infection occurs when a fungus called Candida albicans overgrows in your vagina.
"Yeast vaginal infections often have no odor at all, but they can create a musty sort of scent," says Dr. Felice Gersh, an OB-GYN who founded and is the director of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine.
This musty smell is caused by a chemical reaction between your vaginal bacteria and the Candida yeast, Gersh says.
Some other common symptoms of yeast infection are:
- White, cottage-cheese like discharge
- Itching or burning of the vagina and vulva
- Swelling and redness of the vulva
- Pain or soreness in the vagina and vulva
How to treat it: Yeast infections can usually be treated at home using over the counter antifungal medications like miconazole (Monistat).
If home remedies don't clear up the infection, your doctor can prescribe anti-fungal pills like fluconazole (Diflucan).
2. Forgotten tampon
If you forget to remove a tampon from your vagina, bacteria can grow inside the tampon, leading to an infection. This can happen if you accidentally put in a second tampon without removing the first or forget to take out a tampon at the end of your period.
The bacteria can also trigger a bad smell — "old menstrual blood can mix with bacteria resulting in a bad odor," Dr. Jennifer Wider, a women's health expert, says.
The smell from a forgotten tampon is often very strong — "it's usually noticeable enough to signal that something is not normal," Wider says.
In general, you shouldn't leave a tampon in for longer than eight hours because it can cause a rare, life-threatening condition called toxic shock syndrome.
How to treat it: If you've left a tampon in your vagina long enough to cause a smell, the first thing you want to do is remove it.
Afterward, you should monitor yourself for symptoms like lower belly pain or a high fever.
If you experience these symptoms, you should get medical attention as soon as possible. Your doctor can treat an infection with antibiotics or remove a stuck tampon if needed.
3. Chlamydia
Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection that's caused by bacteria.
"As the bacteria grows and multiplies, it can sometimes cause a bad smelling discharge," Wider says. The smell may be foul or smell like pus from a wound.
The bad smell is caused when the chlamydia bacteria interact with inflammatory tissues and your normal vaginal bacteria, Gersh says.
But this is not always the case — "infections with chlamydia can also be 'silent,'" Gersh says.
How to treat it: In most cases, chlamydia can easily be treated with an antibiotic and should go away within a week or two. Your doctor may prescribe you a one-time dose of antibiotics, or give you a five- to 10-day regimen.
4. Cervical cancer
In rare cases, a bad vaginal odor can be a sign of cervical cancer. This may cause a generally foul smell or smell like rotten meat.
"Cervical cancer can sometimes cause a foul-smelling pink, brownish discharge," Wider says. This discharge is made up of dead tissue or tumor cells that are shed from your cervix.
Some other symptoms of cervical cancer include:
- Vaginal bleeding not during your period
- Bleeding after sex
- Pain during sex
- Losing weight without trying
- Lower back pain
How to treat it: To treat cervical cancer, you'll need to see a gynecologic oncologist, who can offer treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. Read More...
