Author:
Dr Preeti Singh
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery
NHMC & RC
Agra

Abstract:
Leucorrhea is a very common presenting symptom in females. It affects their physical as well as mental health. Unfortunately patient feels embarrassed in front of others and very shy to share this problem even with the female doctors, (especially unmarried girls) that’s why leucorrhea treatment is little bit challenging. In this article I focus on some preventive tips and homoeopathic medicines for leucorrhoea .

Key words: leucorrhoea, homoeopathic medicine, preventive tips

Introduction:
Leucorrhoea is strictly defined as an excessive normal vaginal discharge. Leucorrhoea is excessive discharge of a thick, whitish or yellowish, sticky, foul-smelling material from vagina.
Excessive secretion is due to:

1. Physiologic
2. Cervical cause.
3. Vaginal cause.
   
   Physiologic: Leucorrhoea develops physiologically at puberty, during pregnancy, at ovulation and in some woman during premenstrual phase of menstrual cycle. Most probably due to increase vascularity of uterus, cervix or vagina.
   
   Cervical cause: mucus discharge from endocervical glands increased in conditions like- chronic cervicitis, cervical erosion, mucus polyp.
   
   Vaginal cause: when discharge originates in vagina it self as transudation from vaginal wall.
   
   Other causes:
    Hormonal imbalance caused due to severe mental stress and trauma can cause leucorrhoea in young girls.
    Improper vaginal hygiene.
    Overindulgence in sexual activity.
    Excessive intake of spicy, oily and junk food
    Lack of nutrients.
    Urinary tract infection.
    Irritation due to contraceptive devices.
    Irritation by external contraceptives used by either partners.
    Alcohol and smoking.
   Symptoms:
    Thick whitish/yellowish discharge
    Fatigue
    Lower back pain
    Irritability
    Lack of concentration in work
    Itching of vagina
    Lower abdominal cramps and pain
    Pain in calves
   
   Preventive Tips:
   Leucorrhoea can easily prevented by certain changes in lifestyle.
    Maintain proper hygiene.
    Wash undergarments properly and let them dry under the Sun.
    Use loose and cotton undergarments.
    Wash vagina with neem water/ lemon water.
    Wash genital during every bath, after bath dry the region with a clean cloth.
    Do not let moisture in genital area.
    If undergarments get wet in rain, change them immediately.
    Use proper lifestyle and diet during periods. Change sanitary pads at every 6- 8 hours.
    Take healthy nutrition rich diet.
    Avoid simple carbs like white rice, white bread, maida, refined products.
    Eat complex carbs like whole grains, brown rice, oats etc.
    Drink water residue, which is used for preparation of white rice.
    Eat lean protein like fish, yoghurts, nuts, sprouts, egg etc.
    Eat, fresh and green vegetables, low fat dairy products.
    Avoid junk and oily, spicy food.
    Take proper exercise as well as rest.
    Drink plenty of water.
    Avoid stress.
    Avoid tea, coffee, alcoholic drinks.
    Do not watch or read sexually stimulating things

Homoeopathic medicines for leucorrhoea/ vaginal discharge:

1. AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM:

Leucorrhoea with lameness of back across the sacro-iliac articulation: dark yellow, sticky corroding; worse after menses.

2. AGARICUS MUSCARIUS:

Leucorrhoea with much itching.

3. AGNUS CASTUS:

Leucorrhoea; transparent, but staining linen yellow; passes imperceptibly from the very relaxed parts.

4. ALETRIS FARINOSA:

Leucorrhopea due to weakness and anemia.

5. ALNUS:

Leucorrhoea with erosion of cervix, bleeding easily.

6. ALUMINA:

Leucorrhoea: acrid and profuse, running down to heels (Syph), worse during daytime, > by cold bathing.

7. AMBRA GRISEA:

Leucorrhoea : thick, bluish-white mucus, especially or only at night (Caust., Mer., Nit. ac.).

8. AMMONIUM CARBONICUM:

Leucorrhoea : watery, burning from the uterus; acrid, profuse from the vagina; excoriation of vulva.

9. AMMONIUM MURIATICUM:

Leucorrhoea : like white of egg, preceded by griping pain about the navel; brown, slimy, painless, after every urination.

10. ANACARDIUM:

Leucorrhoea with soreness and itching.

11. ANTIMONIUM CRUD:

Leucorrhea watery acrid lumpy.

12. ANTIPYRINUM:

Watery leucorrhea.

13. ARALIA RACEMOSA:

Leucorrhoea foul smelling, acrid, with pressing-down pain.

14. ARGENTUM METALLICUM:

Leucorrhoea foul, excoriating.

15. ARGENTUM NITRICUM:

Leucorrhoea profuse with erosing of cervix.

16. ARSENIC ALBUM:

Leucorrhoea acrid, burning, offensive, thin.

17. ASARUM EUROPAEUM:

Tanecious, yellow leucorrhoea.

18. AURUM MURIATICUM:

Burning, yellow, acrid leucorrhoea.

19. BERBERIS VULGARIS:

Leucorrhoea, grayish mucus, with painful urinary symptoms.

20. BERBERIS VULGERIS:

Leucorrhoea, grayish mucus, with painful urinary symptom. 21.BORAX VENETA:

Leucorrhoea : profuse, albuminous, starchy, with sensation as if warm water were flowing down; for two weeks between the catamenia.

22. BOVISTA LYCOPERDON:

Leucorrhoea acrid, thick, tough, greenish, follows Menses.

23. BUFO:

Watery leucorrhoea.

24. CALCAREA ARSENICA:

Offensive bloody leucorrhoea.

25. CALCAREA CARBONICA:

Leucorrhoea, milky [Sepia.]. Burning and itching of parts before and after menstruation; in little girls.

26. CALCAREA PHOSPHORICA:

Leucorrhoea, like white of egg. Worse morning.

27. CALCAREA SILICATA:

Leucorrhoea, painful.

28. CARBO VEGETABILLIS:

Leucoprrhoea before menses, thick, greenish, milky, excoriating.

29. CARBOLICUM ACIDUM:

Leucorrhoea in children.

30. CAULOPHYLLUM THALICTROIDES:

Leucorrhoea, acrid, exhausting, upper eyelids heavy, has to raise them with the fingers (gels); with moth spots on forehead (Sep); in little girls; preventing pregnancy.

31. CAUSTICUM:

Leucorrhoea at night, with great weakness.

32. CISTUS CANADENSIS:

Bad smelling leucorrhoea.

33. COCCULUS INDICUS:

Leucorrhoea in place of menses or between periods (iod, xan); like the washing of meat; like serum, echorous, bloody; during pregnancy.

34. CONIUM MACULATUM:

Leucorrhoea; ten days after menses (Bor., Bov.); acrid; bloody; milky; profuse; thick; intermits. Leucorrhoea after micturation.

35.  ECHINACEA:

Offensive, excoriating leucorrhoea

36. ERIGERON:

Leucorrhoea with urinary irritation

37. EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS:

Leucorrhoea, acrid, fetid.

38.  EUPION:

After menses, yellow leucorrhoea, with severe backache.

39. FAGOPYRUM:

Pruritus valvae, with yellow leucorrhoea, worse, rest.

40. FERRUM IODATUM:

Leucorrhoea like boiled starch.

41. FLORIC ACID:

Copious and excoriating leucorrhoea.

42. FRAXINUS AMERICANA:

Watery, Unirritating leucorrhoea.

43. GAUCO:

Leucorrhoea copious, corroding, putrid debilitating.

44. GRAPHITES:

Leucorrhoea : acrid, excoriating; occurs in gushes day and night; before and after menses (before Sep.; after, Kreos.).

45. HEPER SULPH:

Extremely offensive leucorrhoea.

46. HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS:

Leucorrhoea : ropy, thick, viscid, yellow; hanging from os in long strings (Kali bi.); pruritus.

47. IODIUM:

Leucorrhoea: arid, corrosive, staining and corroding the linen; most abundant at times of menses.

48. KALI HYDRODICUM:

Corrosive Leucorrhoea, with subacute inflammatory conditions of the womb in young married women.

49. KALMIA LATIFOLIA:

Leucorrhoea follows menses.

50. KREOSOTUM:

Leucorrhoea acrid, corrosive, offensive: worse between periods (Bov., Bor.); has the odor of green corn; stiffens like starch, stains the linen yellow.

51. LYCOPODIUM:

Leucorrhoea acrid with burning in vagina.

52. MAGNESIUM MURATICUM:

Leucorrhoea: after exercise; with every stool; with uterine spasm; followed by metrorrhagia; two weeks after menses for three or four days. (bar-c., bov.,con.).

53. MAGNESIA SULPHURICA:

Thick leucorrhoea, as profuse as the menses, with weary pain in small of the back and thighs, on moving about.

54. MEDORRHINUM:

Leucorrhoea thin, acrid,excoriating, fishy odor

55. MERCURIUS:

Leucorrhoea: acrid, burning, itching with rawness; always worse at night; pruritus, < from contact of urine which must be washed off (sulph.).

56. MEZERIUM:

Leucorrhea like albumen, very corroding.

57.      MILLEFOLIUM HERBA:

Leucorrhoea of children from atony (Cal.).

58. MUREX PURPUREA:

Leucorrhoea: << mental depression, happier when leucorrhoea is worse.

59. MURATIC ACIDUM:

Leucorrhea, during menses.

60. NATRUM CARBONICUM:

Leucorrheal discharge, offensive, irritating, preceded by colic.

61. NATRUM PHOSPHORICUM:

Leucorrhea, discharge creamy or honey colored, or acid and watery.

62. NATRUM SULPHURICUM:

Leucorrhea yellowish green, following gonorrhea in female. Leucorrhea with hoarseness.

63. NITRIC ACIDUM:

Leucorrhea brown, flesh-colored, watery or stringy, offensive

64. NUX MOSCHATA:

Leucorrhoea in place of menses (Coc.); patient awakened with dry tongue (Lach.); physometra (Lac c., Lyc.).

65. PHOSPHORICUM ACIDUM:

Yellow leucorrhea, after menses

66. PHOSPHORUS:

Leucorrhea, profuse, smarting, corrosive, instead of menses.

67.  PICRIC ACID:

Pain in left ovary and Leucorrhea before menstruation. Pruritus vulvae.

68.      PSORINUM:

Leucorrhoea : large, clotted lumps of an intolerable odor; violent pains in sacrum; debility; during climaxis.

69.  PULSATILLA:

Leucorrhea acrid, burning, creamy. Pain in back; tired feeling.

70. ROBINIA:

Acrid, fetid leucorrhea

71. SABINA:

Leucorrhea after menses, corrosive, offensive 72.SANGUINARIA:

Leucorrhea fetid, corrosive.

73. SANICULA AQUA:

Leucorrhoea with strong odor of fish brine. 74.SECALE CORNUTUM:

Leucorrhoea : green, brown, offensive.

75.      SEPIA:

Leucorrhea yellow, greenish with much itching

76.      SILICEA:

A milky, acrid leucorrhea during urination.

77.      STANNUM METALLICUM:

Leucorrhoea great debility weakness seems to proceed from chest (from abdomen, pelvis, phos., sep.).

78.      SULPHUR:

Leucorrhea, burning, excoriating.

79.      SULPHURICUM ACIDUM:

Acrid burning leucorrhea, often of bloody mucus.

80.      SYPHILINUM:

Leucorrhoea : profuse, soaking through the napkins and running down to the heels (Alum.).

81.      THLASPI BURSA PASTORIS:

Leucorrhoea : bloody, dark, offensive; some days before and after menses.

82.      THUJA:

Profuse leucorrhea; thick greenish.

83.      TILIA EUROPA:

Much slimy leucorrhea when walking

84. TRILLIUM PENDULUM:

Leucorrhea copius, yellow, stringy.

85. XANTHOXYLUM:

Leucorrhea at time of menses.

Conclusion: Individualized/constitutional treatment is the basis of homoeopathy, but in case of leucorrhoea, as females are very shy to share this problem and don’t want to give much details or history, therapeutics with preventive measures are very helpful.

References:

1. Textbook of gynaecology 6^th edition by D.C Dutta.
2. Shaw’s textbook of gynaecology 16^th edition by VG Padubidri and SN Daftary.
3. Allen’s Keynotes, Rearranged and Classified with Leading Remedies of Materia Medica and Bowel Nosodes by H.C Allen.
4. Boericke W. Pocket Manual of homoeopathic meteria medica & repertory comprising of the characterstics and guiding symptoms of all remedies (clinical and pathologenetic) including Indian drugs. New Delhi; B.Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.;2012.
5. www.homeobook.com
6. www.procto.com
7. www.verywellhealth.com
8. www.thehealthsite.com

Dr Preeti Singh
B.H.M.S, M.D (HOM.)
Assistant Professor Surgery NHMC & RC AGRA (U.P)