Menstrual Blood With Bad Smell, Clots, Pus – Ayurvedic Treatment

By Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa, B.A.M.S As per Ayurveda imbalance in menstrual health can be assessed by the bad smell, clots, pus etc symptoms in the menstrual blood.

Table of Contents

Periods with bad smell

1. Menstrual blood with bad smell: Foul smelling menstruation is explained as Kunapagandhi Artava Dushti. It is one among the 8 types of menstrual disorders mentioned in Ayurveda. This is caused by vitiated blood and Pitta Dosha. In this condition, menstrual blood emits smell of dead body. Read – Artava – Menstrual Blood Formation, Healthy Characteristic Features

Other names – Durgandhita artava dushti – foul smelling menstrual blood Raktaja Artava Dushti – menstrual disorder caused by vitiation of blood Read – Artava Vyapad – Menstrual Disorders Explained In Ayurveda

Signs and Symptoms of Kunapagandhi Menstrual Disorders Kunapagandhi artavam – menstrual blood will have the smell of a dead body. It is caused by vitiated blood.

Analpam – amount of blood discharged during menstruation is more.
Read – Heavy Periods, Menstrual Bleeding: Ayurvedic Treatment

Raktam – since this condition is caused by blood, menstrual blood too will have red color like fresh blood.

Pitta Vedana – woman suffers from burning sensation and various kinds of pain which are typically caused by vitiated pitta. She may experience sucking pain, burning pain etc. This is because blood and pitta have a residence and resident type of relationship wherein pitta lives in blood. They have a tendency to mutually contaminate each other.
Read – Menstrual Pain, Painful Periods – Natural Ayurvedic Herbal Home Remedies

Treatment of Kunapagandhi Menstrual Disorder Kunapagandhi arthava dusti is said to be incurable according to commentator Dalhana. Below mentioned treatments are to ward off foul smell and not to cure disease or abort the disease process. The formulations given thus only help in controlling the foul smell.
Read – Charaka Chikitsa Sthana 30th Chapter – Yoni Vyapat

Internal Medications – Red and white sandalwood decoctions: Bhadrashriya – Chandana Kwatha – Red and white sandalwoods are coolants and balance down Pitta Dosha. They support healthy blood tissue and relieve the inflammation and infection of uterus.

A decoction is prepared with these two: A teaspoon of each of these two sandalwoods is taken in coarse powder form. Added with 2 cups of water. Boiled for 3 – 5 minutes. Filtered. This is allowed to self cool. Filtered.

This is given in 30-50 ml dose, once or twice a day, before food. Once prepared, this Kashaya should be consumed within 12 hours time.
Read – Sandalwood Benefits, How To Use, Side Effects, Research

External therapies – Triphala Kashaya yoni prakshalana Triphala i.e. fruits of Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellirica and Emblica officinalis – These are taken in coarse powder form and decoction is prepared similar to sandalwood, explained above. This decoction is used for Vaginal irrigation. This helps to clear the local vaginal infection efficiently and relieves bad smell.
Read – An Ancient Way Of Using Triphala As An Anti Ageing Remedy

Triphala kalka yoni dharana Paste of Triphala is made with water. It should be filled in the vagina. This helps to relieve non healing wounds, ulcers, and infections that may be causing the foul smell.

Other useful medicines: Chandraprabha Vati – for infection and infertility treatment
Chandanasava, Usheerasava, Patrangasava – for calming Pitta Dosha
Ashokarishta, Shatavari Gulam – to correct hormonal imbalance
Darvyadi Kashaya, Mushali Khadiradi Kashaya
Read – Comparative Study Of PID With Yoni Vyapath

Modern Correlation and Comparative Study
Kunapagandha i.e. smell of dead body being emitted from menstrual blood indicate bad prognosis. Such menstrual blood having smell of dead body or any foul smell is found in necrosis of tissues of female genital organs occurring in carcinomas. These conditions are incurable.
Read – Cancer- Ayurvedic Understanding And Hopeful Treatment Modalities

We can also find the presence of Menometrorrhagia in early stages of carcinomas of endometrium.

Thus, this kunapagandi menstrual disorder or raktaja menstrual disorder can be closely correlated with the ‘early stage of endometrial carcinoma’.

Menstrual Blood With clots

Granthibhuta rtava Dushti is one among the 8 types of menstrual disorders mentioned in Ayurveda. This is caused by vitiation of kapha and vata. In this condition, menstrual blood has clots in it when it is discharged.
Read – Artava – Menstrual Blood Formation, Healthy Characteristic Features

Signs and Symptoms of Granthibhuta Menstrual Disorders
Granthibhuta means having cyst like like appearance. In Granthibhuta menstrual disorder, menstrual blood looks filled with clots.

Kapha involvement is very much necessary in the pathology as the clots are formed by the kapha itself, owing to its stability and heaviness qualities. Vata further aids in formation of clots in blood when it associates with vitiated kapha.
Read – Artava Vyapad – Menstrual Disorders Explained In Ayurveda

Granthibhuta menstrual disorder may be considered to occur following excessive and regular consumption of foods and life activities which cause vitiation of both vata and kapha.
Read – Gynecological Disorders Causes, Types As Per Ayurveda

Since this pathological manifestation of menstrual blood is formed by dual dosha vitiation, signs and symptoms of this condition too will have mixed symptoms of vata and kapha.
Read – Vatala Yoni Vyapad – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Symptoms
Dwi dosha varna – Menstrual blood will have colours manifested by both vitiated vata and kapha in mixed proportions. Colour may be red, black or dark violet as caused by vitiated vata or white and yellowish colour due to vitiated kapha. Colours specific to vata and kapha vitiation may mix up to give weird colours of menstrual blood due to dual vitiation of doshas.
Read – Vaginal White Discharge (Leucorrhea) Ayurvedic Treatment, Home Remedies

Dwi dosha vedana – Pain and discomfort associated with menstrual bleeding in granthibhuta menstrual disorder will also be caused by both vata and kapha. This means to tell that the pain will be of mixed proportions comprising of pains specific to both kapha and vata.
Read – Menstrual Pain, Painful Periods – Natural Ayurvedic Herbal Home Remedies

The woman may experience pricking, throbbing, stabbing or piercing pain due to vata vitiation. At the same time she may also experience coldness, dull pain, itching, unctuousness and putrid smell due to kapha vitiation. Pains specific to vata and kapha vitiation may combine to give weird types of pain.
Read – Vaginal Itching: Causes, Symptoms, Ayurveda Remedies, Tips

Treatment of Granthibhuta Menstrual Disorder
Internal Medications –
Pathadi Kwatha
Decoction of Patha (Cissampelos pareira), Trikatu (black pepper, long pepper and ginger), and Vrikshaka (Holarrhena antidysenterica) should be administered orally.
Other useful medicines –
Kulathadi kashaya – made with horsegram
Kumaryasava, Chandraprabha Vati, Raja Pravartini vati,

Modern Correlation and Comparative Study
Many times severe bleeding during menstrual cycle is associated with passage of clots. But in case of Granthibhuta Artava Dushti, excessive bleeding during menstruation has not been mentioned as part of clinical symptoms.
Read – Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: Ayurvedic Treatment, Therapies, Medicines

In this instance, the term granthibhuta i.e. clotted appearance of menstrual blood probably refers to thick mucoid or muco-purulent discharges associated with slough. This is often seen in malignant disorders of reproductive organs of women, especially those occurring in cervix of uterus. This menstrual disorder is said to be incurable.
Read – Cancer- Ayurvedic Understanding And Hopeful Treatment Modalities

This condition is also called puyanibha artava vyapad.

Signs and Symptoms of Putipuyanibha Menstrual Disorders
Puti means putrid. This points out towards the menstrual blood having smell of decaying substances.

Puya means pus. This points out towards the menstrual blood containing pus in it.
Thus, puti relates to smell of menstrual blood and puya relates to its appearance.

To sum up – Putipuyanibha menstrual disorder is a condition wherein the menstrual blood smells like decomposing substance and also contains pus in it.
Read – Artava Vyapad – Menstrual Disorders Explained In Ayurveda

This condition is said to be caused by vitiation of both pitta and kapha.

The author of Ashtanga Hridaya i.e. master Vagbhata has opined that this condition is caused by dual vitiation of blood and pitta.
Author of Ashtanga Sangraha who is known as Vagbhata I, agrees with the opinion of master Sushruta that this condition is caused due to vitiated pitta and kapha.

Putipuyanibha menstrual disorder occurs due to excessive and regular consumption of foods and life activities which cause vitiation of both pitta and kapha.
Read – Gynecological Disorders Causes, Types As Per Ayurveda

Since pathological manifestation is caused by dual dosha vitiation, the signs and symptoms of this condition too will have mixed symptoms of pitta and kapha.

Symptoms
Dwi dosha varna – The menstrual blood will have colours manifested by both vitiated pitta and kapha in mixed proportions. Colour may be yellowish or bluish as caused by vitiated pitta and white or yellowish colour due to vitiated kapha. Colours specific to pitta and kapha vitiation may mix up to give weird colours of menstrual blood due to dual vitiation of doshas.
Read – Vaginal White Discharge (Leucorrhea) Ayurvedic Treatment, Home Remedies

Dwi dosha vedana – Pain and discomfort associated with menstrual bleeding in putipuyanibha menstrual disorder will also be caused by both pitta and kapha.

Pain will be of mixed proportions comprising of pains specific to both pitta and kapha. Woman may experience sucking and burning pain, burning sensation, raised heat, fever etc symptoms due to pitta vitiation. At the same time she may also experience coldness, heaviness, dull pain, itching, unctuousness and putrid smell due to kapha vitiation. Pains specific to pitta and kapha vitiation may combine to give weird types of pain. Pitta and kapha type of pains may occur in mixed proportions.
Read – Menstrual Pain, Painful Periods – Natural Ayurvedic Herbal Home Remedies

Treatment of Putipuyanibha Menstrual Disorder
Treatment of Putipuyanibha menstrual disorder is same as the treatment of kunapagandhi menstrual disorder.

Treatment is similar to foul smelling menstrual discharge.
Read – Udavartini – Causes, Pathogenesis, Symptoms, Treatment

Internal Medications –
Decoction of sandalwood and red sandalwood should be given to drink.
Triphala Kashaya yoni prakshalana
Vaginal irrigation should be done by using the decoction prepared with Triphala.
Triphala kalka yoni dharana
Paste of Triphala should be filled in the vagina of the woman suffering from kunapagandhi / putipuyanibha menstrual disorder.

Modern Correlation and Comparative Study
In putipuyanibha menstrual disorder, menstrual discharge resembling pus or consisting putrid smell or consisting of pus is seen in acute infective condition of reproductive system. This disorder is said to be incurable.

Seeing the above said description, this menstrual disorder may be closely correlated and compared with ‘senile pyometra’.
Read – Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: Ayurvedic Treatment, Therapies, Medicines

This condition can be correlated to ‘severe endometritis leading pyometra’. Here, entire endometrium is destroyed leading to permanent and incurable amenorrhea.

Mutra Purisha Gandhi Artava Dushti is one among 8 types of menstrual disorders mentioned in Ayurveda. In this condition, the discharged menstrual blood emits smell of urine and feces.
Read – Artava – Menstrual Blood Formation, Healthy Characteristic Features

Putrid smell

Signs and Symptoms of Mutra Purisha Gandhi Artava
Dushti

Mutra means urine. Purisha means feces. Gandhi means
smell. In Mutra purisha gandhi menstrual disorder, discharged menstrual blood
has smell of urine and feces.

This condition is caused by vitiation of all three doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha dosha and is said to be incurable.
Read – Artava Vyapad – Menstrual Disorders Explained In Ayurveda

Since this pathological manifestation is caused by
simultaneous vitiation of all three doshas, the signs and symptoms of this
condition too will have mixed symptoms of vata, pitta and kapha doshas.

This condition obviously occurs due to excessive consumption of foods and activities which lead to vitiation of all three doshas.
Read – Gynecological Disorders Causes, Types As Per Ayurveda

Disease specific symptoms
As the name of the disease indicates, this menstrual disorder is characterized by presence of ‘smell of urine and faeces in menstrual blood’. Organs of storage and discharge of faeces i.e. rectum and urine i.e. urinary bladder are very close to uterus in women, they are placed in line with each other.

Read – Garbhashaya – Anatomy Of Uterus, Ayurvedic Perspective

Anatomically they are not connected to each other. Since the name of the disease describes the smell of urine and faeces in the menstrual blood, it indicates that a connectivity through openings or fistula has been established between rectum, urinary bladder and female reproductive tract wherein there is mixing of proportions of urine and faeces in menstrual blood. Obviously these organs are connected to each other and there is mutual contamination. This is said to be a complicated condition and is declared as incurable.

Apart from this, the signs and symptoms of vitiation of all three doshas can be evident in this disorder.
Read – Anatomy Of Female Reproductive System – Ayurvedic Perspective

Tri dosha varna –
Menstrual blood will have colours manifested by all three doshas in mixed proportions. Menstrual blood will have black or red colour due to vitiated vata, bluish or yellowish colour due to vitiated pitta and whitish colour due to vitiated kapha. Colours specific to all three doshas may mix up to give weird colours of menstrual blood due to dual vitiation of all three doshas.

Tri dosha vedana –
Pain and discomfort associated with menstrual bleeding in mutra purisha gandhi menstrual disorder will also be caused by all three vitiated doshas. Pain will be of mixed proportions comprising of pains specific to vata, pitta and kapha.
Read – Menstrual Pain, Painful Periods – Natural Ayurvedic Herbal Home Remedies

Woman may experience pricking, throbbing, stabbing or piercing types of pain due to vata vitiation, sucking and burning pain, burning sensation, raised heat, fever etc symptoms due to pitta vitiation and coldness, unctuousness, heaviness, putrid smell etc due to kapha vitiation. Pains specific to each individual dosha may combine to give weird types of pain. Doshic pains may occur in mixed proportions or intermittently.
Read – Nashtartava – Anartava – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Remedies, Diet

Treatment of Mutra Purisha Gandhi Menstrual Disorder
Since the Mutra Purisha Gandhi menstrual disorder is incurable, the treatment for the same has not been explained anywhere in the Ayurvedic treatises.
Read – Ayurvedic Diet And Lifestyle During Menstruation (Periods)

Modern correlation

Modern Correlation and Comparative Study
Mutra Purisha Gandhi menstrual disorder is characterized by the presence of smell of urine and feces in the menstrual blood. This is a dangerous scenario. The smell of urine and feces in the menstruation blood can usually be noted when these substances get mixed up. The mixture of urine and feces with menstrual blood is possible in the cases of vesico-vaginal fistula, vesico-uterine fistula and recto-vaginal fistula or fistulas connecting uterus / vagina, urinary bladder and rectum. These conditions are very difficult to treat even today.
Read – Anal Fistula: Ayurvedic Concept, Types, Treatment

When fistula is present, connecting these organs, the woman will have constant dribbling of urine and feces or incontinence of feces, but we do not find these symptoms enlisted in Ayurvedic classics. Sometimes, in advanced cervical malignancy, this type of smell may be noticed in the menstrual blood. Probably, this condition has been explained in mutra purisha gandhi menstrual disorder.
Read – Physiology Of Menstruation, Menstrual Cycle – Ayurvedic Perspective

Considering the above said
explanation, mutra purisha gandhi menstrual disorder can be closely correlated
and compared to one or the other of the below mentioned conditions –