Few women know that men are also discharged. It occurs normally in men as well as in women and is odorless. Only in women it is called "leucorrhoea" and appears in the vagina, while in men it flows from the urethra. Of course, any pathological discharge indicates poor health and requires medical attention.
Physiological discharge
A man's health is evidenced by physiological discharge from the urethra, which is observed in the following cases:
Libidosis or physiological urethritis
This condition is observed during sexual arousal or when a clear discharge appears immediately after waking up in the morning. The number is different in different men and is directly related to the severity of sexual arousal. But in any case, it is important to remember that it contains a small amount of sperm when excited, so if your partner enters the genitals, there is a risk of pregnancy. The task of the secretions described is to allow sperm to pass through the urethra and vagina of a woman with a destructive acidic environment for "chewing gum" and to enter them live into the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes. for egg fertilization.
Defective prosthesis
With increasing intra-abdominal pressure (during tension), a clear odorless discharge with possible gray-white streaks may appear at the top of the penis. Such a discharge is viscous and consists of a mixture of seminal vesicles with prostate secretion. Such a discharge may appear at the end of urination, in which case they are talking about the vocal prostate. In exceptional cases, such a discharge occurs with a strong cough. They are not considered an organic pathology, but indicate a violation of the autonomic regulation of the genitals.
Smegma
Smegma (preputial lubrication) is a secretion formed from the sebaceous glands of the head of the penis and the foreskin. Normally, if a man follows the rules of personal hygiene, such a discharge is not a concern, because it is mechanically washed with water. However, if hygiene is neglected, smegma accumulates and microorganisms that serve as a source of unpleasant odors multiply.
Sperm isolation
Sperm, which contains a large number of sperm, is normally secreted at the end of sexual intercourse during ejaculation (ejaculation) or spontaneously, during sleep (wet dreams). Contamination occurs in adolescent boys or occurs several times a month or 1-3 times a week (hormonal changes).
In some cases, spermatorrhea, ie the release of sperm from the urethra without sexual intercourse and orgasm, indicates a pathology in which the tone of the muscular layer of the vas deferens is disturbed in the presence of chronic inflammation or brain disease.
Pathological discharge
All other secretions beyond the physiology are pathological and mainly indicate inflammation of the urethra or urethritis. The causes of urethritis in men are different, they can be both infectious and contagious.
Infectious causes are divided into specific and non-specific.
- Specific etiological factors include sexually transmitted diseases such as trichomoniasis.
- Non-specific infections are caused by urethritis, opportunistic bacteria, viruses and fungi:
- chlamydial urethritis;
- ureaplasma and mycoplasma urethritis;
- candidal urethritis or urogenital candidiasis in men;
- herpetic urethritis and others (Escherichia coli, streptococci, staphylococci).
Non-infectious factors of inflammation include:
- allergic reactions
- mechanical damage to the urethral mucosa
- chemical irritation of the urethra
- trauma, narrowing of the urethra.
Male discharge may vary in terms of transparency and color. These parameters are influenced by the intensity of the inflammatory process, its stage and etiological factor. Secretions are formed from fluid, mucus and various cells.
- Cloudy - If there are a large number of cells, the discharge has a cloudy color.
- Gray or thick - gray and thick with the predominance of epithelial cells in the secretions.
- Yellow, green or yellow-green - when there is a large number of leukocytes in the secretions, they turn yellow and even green, also called purulent secretion.
It should be noted that the nature of the discharge with the same pathology changes over time.
White discharge
In men, white discharge is caused by several reasons. Candidiasis should be ruled out first. The following symptoms are observed with this disease:
- an unpleasant odor of sour bread or yeast comes from the head of the penis;
- the head of the penis is covered with a whitening coating;
- itching, burning and even pain in the penis and perineal area;
- discharge appears when urinating;
- there are red spots (irritation, inflammation) on the head and inner surface of the circumcision;
- pain occurs during coitus, discomfort is felt in the head and circumcision;
- white discharge is not only during urination;
- The partner complains of itching and burning, pain during sex, a discharge of cheese.
In addition to urogenital candidiasis, white discharge can cause chlamydia and / or ureaplasmosis and mycoplasmosis, as well as inflammation of the prostate gland:
- Difficulty and intermediate urination
- burning sensation in the perineum and urethra;
- discomfort during bowel movements;
- desire to urinate frequently;
- sexual disorders (decreased libido and erection, rapid ejaculation, turbid orgasm).
It is important for men to remember that indifferent prostatitis can cause not only persistent erectile dysfunction, but also infertility.
Transparent options
- Chlamydia, ureaplasmosis - in the chronic stage of the disease with chlamydial or ureaplasmic urethritis is possible clear mucous discharge. As the process intensifies, the number of leukocytes in the secretions increases, and they acquire a greenish or yellowish color.
- Trichomoniasis, gonorrhea - both transparent, abundant discharge of mucus observed during the day is possible in the early stages of infection with Trichomonas or gonococci. In the case of chlamydia (ureaplasmosis), subjective sensations are infrequent (pain, itching, burning) and a clear discharge appears after prolonged urination.
Yellow discharge
The desquamated epithelium of the urethra, the purulent discharge consisting of a large number of leukocytes and urethral mucus, is yellowish or greenish in color. It is a characteristic sign of sexually transmitted diseases mixed with yellow discharge or greenery.
- Gonorrhea - the discharge has a thick and unpleasant putrid odor, is observed during the day and is accompanied by pain when urinating. If you have a classic pair of symptoms, a man should think about gonorrhea infection: discharge and itching.
- Trichomoniasis - with yellow discharge, trichomoniasis is not excluded, although it is often asymptomatic. With severe symptoms of Trichomonas infection, in addition to purulent discharge, a man may experience burning and stinging when urinating, frequent and irresistible urges to urinate, a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen, and discomfort in the perineum.
Empty with a scent
Violation of hygiene
An unpleasant odor from the perineum and penis can be observed, especially if the rules of intimate hygiene are not followed:
- Smegma multiplies and dies if you do not wash your external genitalia regularly, it is an excellent place for microorganisms that create an unpleasant odor.
- In addition, smegma itself can have an unpleasant odor during metabolic disorders (for example, diabetes in men). At the same time, the release of smegma is so intense that it passes through the underwear.
Infections
Discharge with an odor is most often observed with an infectious lesion of the urethra. First of all, gonorrheal urethritis should be excluded - a thick, yellow or green discharge observed during the day.
The sour smell of discharge is a pathognomonic symptom of urogenital candidiasis. Infection with fungi of the genus Candida causes the appearance of a white discharge with cheese or milk.
Gardnerellosis, which is more common in women (called bacterial vaginosis) and is more common in men, is nonsense. Gardnerella is a conditionally pathogenic microorganism and begins to actively reproduce only under certain conditions:
- weakening of immunity;
- inflammatory processes of the genitourinary organs;
- intestinal dysbiosis;
- use of condoms with spermicides;
- long-term treatment with antibiotics or immunosuppressants (cytostatics, corticosteroids);
- narrow underwear made of synthetic fabrics;
- perverted sex life.
Discharge with an unpleasant odor can also be caused by the following diseases:
- balanitis (inflammation of the head of the penis)
- balanoposthitis (inflammation of the inner surface of the circumcision).
However, in addition to discharge (smegma, not from the urethra), these diseases include hyperemia and itching, pain in the penis, ulcers and wrinkles on the head.
Discharge of blood
Infections
With an infectious lesion of the urethra, bloody discharge or discharge with streaks of blood is often observed. The blood mixture is characteristic of gonorrheal, trichomonas or candidal urethritis. In addition, the amount of blood directly depends on the severity of the inflammation.
Blood is often seen in chronic urethritis (the mucous membrane of the urethra relaxes and responds to the slightest irritation, including passing through the urethra, with contact bleeding).
Medical manipulations
Another reason for this is damage to the urethra during medical procedures. Rough bougienage, catheter insertion and removal, cystoscopy, or smear removal may result in sudden staining. They are characterized by red blood, no clotting and the bleeding stops very quickly.
Passage of stones, sand
Among other things, small stones or sand (from the kidneys or bladder) can cause bleeding when passing through the urethra. The hard surface of microliths causes bleeding by damaging the mucous membranes and vessel walls. In this case, the blood is most noticeable when urinating, accompanied by pain.
Glomerulonephritis
General hematuria (blood in the urine, seen in the urine) is also possible in the presence of glomerulonephritis. This condition has three symptoms: general hematuria, edema, and increased blood pressure.
Malignant tumors
One of the symptoms of malignant tumors of the genitourinary system (cancer of the prostate, penis, testicles, etc. ) is the formation of blood in men. In this condition, the blood will be brown or dark and clots may appear.
Isolation of blood with sperm
We must not forget a symptom such as bleeding with sperm (hematospermia). Distinguish between true and false hematosperm. When wrong, the blood mixes with the sperm as it passes through the urethra. True blood enters the ejaculate even before it passes through the urethra. Hematospermia is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- pain during ejaculation;
- urinary disorders;
- pain and / or swelling in the genitals (testicles and scrotum);
- discomfort and pain in the lower back;
- increase in body temperature.
One of the causes of hematospermia:
- excessive active sex life or vice versa,
- Prolonged sexual abstinence, rupture of the walls of blood vessels in the tissues of the genitals during sexual intercourse
- previous surgeries or biopsies can also cause blood to appear in the sperm
- Hematospermia appears in benign and malignant neoplasms of the genitourinary organs
- in the presence of stones in the testicles and vas deferens
- with varicose veins of the pelvic organs.