Discharge in Spanish

What it means

In medicine, discharge is a fluid that comes out of the body. Discharge can be normal or a sign of disease. Vaginal discharge, for example, refers to secretions from the vagina: glands in the cervix and the walls of the vagina normally produce clear mucus, and ovulation, pregnancy, and sexual excitement can increase the amount of normal discharge. Abnormal discharge means an abnormal amount, color, consistency, or odor, and different types of infections may cause it. A sudden change in the amount, color, odor, or consistency of discharge is a change that could indicate a problem such as infection. In English the same word has a second meaning: discharge also means release of a patient from care.

Discharge in Spanish

Spanish term: Secreción
Gender and article: feminine: la secreción (plural: las secreciones)
Pronunciation: seh-kreh-SYOHN

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
flujo	General	Word the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia uses for vaginal discharge (flujo vaginal).
drenaje	General	MedlinePlus en español defines ear discharge (secreción del oído) as "el drenaje" of blood, ear wax, pus or fluid, and lists "Drenaje o flujo del oído" among that article's alternative names.

Secreción is the Spanish headword the National Cancer Institute dictionary pairs with its English entry discharge, defined as líquido que sale del cuerpo. It is feminine: la secreción, una secreción blanca; the plural is secreciones. MedlinePlus en español names the body site after it, as in secreción del oído for discharge from the ear and secreción de la vagina, which it lists among the alternative names of its vaginal discharge article.

For vaginal discharge that article writes flujo vaginal, and flujo is masculine: un flujo anormal. For the ear, MedlinePlus en español also gives drenaje o flujo del oído. The English word carries a second sense: the National Cancer Institute English entry adds that discharge also means release of a patient from care, while its Spanish entry secreción consists of the two sentences about fluid. When an English form says discharge, check whether it means a fluid or leaving care before choosing the Spanish word.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	I have noticed a discharge that is not normal for me.	He notado una secreción que no es normal para mí.
Clinician	Where is the discharge coming from?	¿De dónde le sale la secreción?
Patient	There is a yellow discharge coming from my ear.	Me sale una secreción amarilla del oído.
Clinician	When did you first notice it?	¿Cuándo la notó por primera vez?
Clinician	Has the amount, color, or odor of the discharge changed?	¿Ha cambiado la cantidad, el color o el olor de la secreción?
Patient	Yes, there is more than before, and it has a bad odor.	Sí, hay más que antes y tiene mal olor.
Clinician	Do you also have itching, fever, or pain?	¿También tiene picazón, fiebre o dolor?
Patient	On this form, does "discharge" mean a fluid or leaving the hospital?	En este formulario, ¿"discharge" quiere decir una secreción o el alta del hospital?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Discharge
Spanish (Español)	Secreción
Chinese (中文)	分泌物
Korean (한국어)	분비물
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Dịch tiết
Filipino (Tagalog)	Pagdagas
Portuguese (Português)	Secreção
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	สารคัดหลั่ง
Japanese (日本語)	分泌物

Where you'll see it

chartintake formmedical recordgynecology note

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: General care: tests, procedures and medicines

All terms in this area: General care: tests, procedures and medicines — Atención general: pruebas, procedimientos y medicamentos

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.