It is generally called a ‘white discharge’ or simply ‘the whites. In reality, leucorrhoea is a state where there is catarrhal discharge from the vagina’s mucous membranes. This is the most agonising disorder for females and distorts their health. It may last a lifetime or prolong for some time and then abate or may appear as and when her health is in a poor state.
LEUCORRHEAL FLOW
• The discharge is often white, like a white portion of an egg or milk colour, or else it may be off-white, yellow, reddish or pinkish, green or light blue, but in most cases, it is odourless and white.
• Flow may stiffen the linen or simply leave back a trace of white powder or scales.
• It may excoriate, the vulva and thighs and the itching caused is sometimes too intense and so much that blood oozes out from the site itched.
• Consistency of discharge varies—from water to consistency of cream, milk, viscous fluid or even albuminous.
• In most cases, discharge emanates from the uterine cavity or vagina. In catarrhal or idiopathic varieties of leucorrhea, the discharge is in mild and liquid form but does not excoriate or irritate the parts. But, when it is dependent on inflammation organic lesions of the uterus or its appendages the discharge becomes fetid, corrosive, acrid, brownish or green.
• The discharge from the uterus is often from the uterine cavity, more albuminous, thick, viscid, and flocculent, and has an alkaline reaction, whereas vaginal discharge is always acidic, thin, white, creamy and milky.
• Leucorrhoeal discharge is more profuse and copious at the time of menses than at any other time, but in some ladies, it continuously goes on, though the quantity of discharge varies.
EFFECTS OF LEUCORRHOEA
• If the discharge is copious and continues for a much longer period, there could be a heaviness in the epigastrium and pain. There is also capricious hunger, nausea and vomiting, fainting spells, desire for those things which have no relation to the malady; digestion is difficult and slow; vertigo, headache; slow motion and general lethargy, pain particularly in shoulder blades and generally in all the limbs; the face is pale, livid, skin is discoloured and dull.
• When the leucorrhoea discharge continues for a fairly long period, the patient feels exhausted even on any attempt to slight exertion. She grows weak and then, palpitation and breathlessness, dull and vacant looks, the margin of eyes surrounded by black rings, all intellectual faculties are weakened, the face is bloated.
CAUSES OF LEUCORRHOEA
• Affects mostly nervous, lymphatic, feeble, cachectic ladies, who have fair complexion, pale skin and soft skin.
• No age is immune from its attack—it can occur anytime between 15-45, though even children at a fairly much younger age (say 8-10) have been the sufferers.
• There is hardly any endemic leucorrhoea, though undoubtedly, some regional foods are deficient in certain elements, which trigger episodes of leucorrhoea.
• Depression, self-mortification, brooding, chagrin, sudden shocking news or death, loss etc.
• Eating oysters, crabs, fish, acid fruits, hard water, beer, cider, too much use of tea, coffee, and purgatives.
• Self-vice or onanism, too much indulgence in sex acts, nymphomania, presence of foreign bodies within the vagina (like pessaries, sponges etc.)
• Menstrual irregularities, vaginitis, uterine displacements, pregnancy, miscarriage, worms in intestines, confinement, easygoing lifestyle, pulmonary phthisis, chronic constipation.
• Piles, diarrhoea, suppression of sweat, milky secretion, bronchial expectoration, vomiting, cold in the head.
• Cancers and ulcerations, local inflammations engorgement of the cervix (neck of the uterus).
• Presence of gonorrhoea, resulting in inflammation, chancres, and other growths. Leucorrhoea of recent origin is not, at all, difficult to cure but, when in chronic form, treatment is not only difficult but much more tedious also, as one has to cure not only leucorrhoea but also other concomitant symptoms. Complications accompanying this disease are most difficult to cure than the main disease itself.