Understanding leucorrhoea in the light of western and Unani perspective - A Review

Leucorrhea or vaginal discharge is a common symptom among females. It is typically whitish, yellowish, or greenish vaginal discharge in females that may be natural or an infection symptom. It is almost mucus discharge which exhibits vaginal epithelial cell exfoliation due to the influence of estrogen on the vaginal mucosa. Differences between physiological and pathological discharges are necessary to recognize. Leucorrhea is a common disease in Unani System of Medicine (USM) in terms of “Sailan-ur-Rahem”. Sailan-ur-Rahem is a chronic inflammatory condition, which primarily involves the mucous membrane (Gisha-e-Mukhati) of the vagina. Ancient practitioners believed that excessive residue (Ghair Tabayi Fuzlat) and digestive deficiency (Zoaf-e-Hazm) were the major causes of leucorrhea. Renowned Unani scholars described various single and compound polyhedral formulations for the management of Sailan-ur-Rahem. Aim of this review is fill the paucity of knowledge among the practitioner and researchers.