Few women know that men also have a discharge. As in women, in men they also occur normally and are odorless. Only in women is it called "leukorrhea" and appears in the vagina, while men flow from the urethra. Of course, any pathological discharge indicates health problems and requires a visit to the doctor.
physiological discharge
The health of men is evidenced by the physiological secretion from the exit of the urethra, which is observed in the following cases:
Libidine or physiological urethrorrhea
This condition is seen when the clear discharge appears during sexual arousal or in the morning immediately after sleep. Their number differs in different men and is directly related to the severity of sexual arousal. But in any case, it's important to remember that this discharge, when excited, contains a small amount of sperm, so if it hits the partner's genitals, she runs the risk of getting pregnant. The function of the described secretions is to ensure the passage of sperm through the urethra and vagina of a woman, where there is an acidic environment that is destructive to the "gingiva", and carrying them in a viable way to the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes for egg fertilization .
defective prostatorrhea
During an increase in intra-abdominal pressure (when forcing), a clear, odorless discharge with possible grayish-white streaks may appear on the head of the penis. This secretion is viscous and consists of a mixture of secretions from the prostate and seminal vesicles. This secretion can appear at the end of urination, in which case it is referred to as vocal prostatorrhea. In exceptional cases, this discharge appears with a strong cough. They are not considered an organic pathology, but only indicate a violation of the autonomic regulation of the functioning of Organs genital organs.
smegma
Smegma (prepucial lubrication) is a secret consisting of secretions from the sebaceous glands of the head of the penis and the foreskin. Normally, if the man observes the rules of personal hygiene, this discharge does not cause any problems, as it is mechanically washed with water. But if hygiene is neglected, smegma builds up and microorganisms multiply in it, which serves as a source of an unpleasant odor.
sperm isolation
Sperm, which contain a large number of sperm, are normally secreted during ejaculation (ejaculation) at the end of sexual intercourse or spontaneously during sleep (wet dreams). Pollution occurs in teenage boys and occurs several times a month or 1 to 3 a week (hormonal changes).
In some cases, spermatorrhoea, that is, the flow of sperm from the urethra without intercourse and orgasm, indicates a pathology when 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 physiological are pathological and primarily indicate inflammation of the urethra or urethritis. The causes of urethritis in men are different, they can be infectious and non-infectious.
Infectious causes are divided into specific and non-specific.
- Specific etiological factors include sexually transmitted diseases such as trichomoniasis.
- Nonspecific infectious urethritis is caused by opportunistic bacteria, viruses and fungi:
- chlamydial urethritis;
- ureaplasma and mycoplasma urethritis;
- candida urethritis or urogenital candidiasis in men;
- herpetic urethritis and others (Escherichia coli, streptococci, staphylococci).
Non-infectious inflammation factors include:
- Allergic Reactions
- mechanical damage to the urethral mucosa
- irritation of the urethra with chemicals
- trauma, narrowing of the urethra.
The male secretion can vary in transparency and color. These parameters are influenced by the intensity of the inflammatory process, its stage and etiological factor. Secretions are made up of fluid, mucus and various cells.
- Cloudy - if there are a large number of cells, then the secretion has a cloudy color.
- Gray or thick - with a predominance of epithelial cells in the secretions, they become gray and thick.
- Yellow, green or greenish yellow - when large numbers of white blood cells are contained in the secretions, they turn yellow and even green, also called purulent secretions.
It should be noted that, with the same pathology, the nature of the discharge changes over time.
white discharge
White discharge in men is due to several reasons. First, thrush must be ruled out. With this disease, the following symptoms are observed:
- the head of the penis has an unpleasant smell of sour bread or yeast;
- the head of the penis is covered with a whitish layer;
- there is itching, burning and even pain in the penis and perineal region;
- discharge appears when urinating;
- there are red spots (irritation, inflammation) on the head and on the inner surface of the foreskin;
- pain occurs during intercourse, discomfort is felt in the head and foreskin;
- white discharge is observed, not just during urination;
- the partner complains of itching and burning, pain during intercourse, tacky discharge.
In addition to urogenital candidiasis, white discharge can be caused by chlamydia and/or ureaplasmosis and mycoplasmosis, and also talk about prostate inflammation, which is characterized by:
- Difficulty and intermittent urination
- burning sensation in the perineum and urethra;
- discomfort during bowel movements;
- frequent need to urinate;
- sexual disorders (decreased libido and erection, rapid ejaculation, cloudy orgasm).
It is important for men to remember that neglected prostatitis can lead not only to persistent erectile dysfunction but also to infertility.
transparent selections
- Chlamydia, ureaplasmosis - transparent mucous secretion is possible with chlamydia or ureaplasmic urethritis in the chronic stage of the disease. With the exacerbation of the process, the number of leukocytes in the secretions increases, acquiring a greenish or yellowish color.
- Trichomoniasis, gonorrhea - also a clear, abundant discharge with a large amount of mucus, which is observed during the day, is possible in the initial stage of infection by Trichomonas or gonococci. In the case of chlamydia (ureaplasmosis), subjective sensations are usually absent (pain, itching, burning) and clear discharge appears after prolonged withdrawal from urination.
yellow discharge
The purulent discharge, which includes the scaly epithelium of the urethra, a significant number of white blood cells, and urethral mucus, is yellowish or greenish. Yellow discharge or mixed with foliage is a characteristic sign of sexually transmitted diseases.
- Gonorrhea - The discharge is thick and foul-smelling, is observed during the day and is accompanied by painful urination. A man should first think about a gonorrhea infection if there is a classic pair of symptoms: discharge and itching.
- Trichomoniasis - also with yellow discharge, trichomoniasis is not excluded, although it is often asymptomatic. With severe symptoms of Trichomonas infection, in addition to purulent discharge, men are concerned about burning and burning when urinating, frequent and irresistible urination fissures, heaviness in the lower abdomen and discomfort in the perineum.
Discharge with a smell
Hygiene Violation
An unpleasant odor of the perineum and penis, in particular, can be observed if the conditions of intimate hygiene are not followed:
- Smegma is an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms that, multiplying and dying, create an unpleasant odor if you don't regularly wash the external genitals.
- In addition, the smegma itself may have an unpleasant odor in the case of metabolic disturbances (eg diabetes mellitus in men). At the same time, the release of the smegma is so intense that it penetrates the underwear.
Infections
A smelly discharge is most often seen with an infectious lesion of the urethra. First, one must rule out gonorrheic urethritis—a thick, yellow, or green discharge that is seen throughout the day.
The sour smell of discharge is a pathognomical symptom of urogenital candidiasis. Fungal infection of the Candida genus causes the appearance of a milky white or pasty discharge.
The odor of fish secretions, inherent to gardnerellosis, more characteristic of women (called bacterial vaginosis), is also possible, and in men the development of this disease is somewhat absurd. Gardnerella belongs to conditionally pathogenic microorganisms and begins to actively multiply only under certain conditions:
- weakening of immunity;
- concomitant inflammatory processes of Organs genitourinary organs;
- intestinal dysbiosis;
- the use of condoms with spermicides;
- long-term treatment with antibiotics or immunosuppressants (cytostatics, corticosteroids);
- tight underwear in synthetic fabrics;
- promiscuous sex life.
In addition, the secretion with an unpleasant odor can be associated with diseases such as:
- balanitis (inflammation of the head of the penis)
- balanoposthitis (inflammation of the inner surface of the foreskin).
But in addition to secretion (not from the urethra, but smegma), these diseases are accompanied by hyperemia and itching, pain in the penis, and ulcers and wrinkles in the head.
Discharge with blood
Infections
Bloody discharge or bloody discharge is often seen with an infectious lesion of the urethra. A mixture of blood is characteristic of gonorrhea, Trichomonas or Candida urethritis. Furthermore, the amount of blood is directly related to the intensity of inflammation.
Blood is often seen in chronic urethritis (the mucous membrane of the urethra is loosened and responds with contact bleeding to minor irritation, including passing urine through the duct).
medical manipulations
Another reason for this is trauma to the urethra during medical procedures. In the case of rough bougienage, insertion and removal of a catheter, cystoscopy or smear collection, staining can occur immediately. They differ in that the blood is scarlet, has no clots and the bleeding stops very quickly.
Stone passage, sand
Among other things, bloody discharge can be seen when small stones or sand (from the kidneys or bladder) pass through the urethra. The hard surface of the microliths damages the mucous membrane and vascular walls, causing bleeding. In this case, blood is more noticeable when urinating, which is accompanied by pain.
glomerulonephritis
Macroscopic haematuria (blood in urine, visible during urination) is also possible in the presence of glomerulonephritis. In this case, there is a triad of symptoms: macroscopic hematuria, edema, increased blood pressure.
malignant tumors
One of the signs of malignant tumors of the genitourinary system (cancer of the prostate, penis, testicles and others) is the appearance of blood in men. In that case, the blood will turn brown or dark and clots may appear.
Isolation of blood with semen
We shouldn't forget about a symptom like the release of blood with sperm (hematospermia). Distinguish between true and false hematospermia. When false, the blood mixes with the semen during its passage through the urethra. And with real blood it enters the ejaculation even before it passes through the urethra. Hematospermia is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- pain during ejaculation;
- urination disorders;
- pain and/or swelling in Organs genitals (testicles and scrotum);
- discomfort and pain in the lower back;
- increase in body temperature.
One of the causes of hematospermia is:
- overly active sex life or vice versa,
- prolonged sexual abstinence, while during intercourse there is rupture of the vascular walls of the tissues of Organs genital organs
- previous surgery or biopsy can also cause blood to appear in the semen.
- hematospermia appears in benign and malignant neoplasms of Organs genitourinary organs
- in the presence of stones in the testicles and vas deferens
- with varicose veins of Organs pelvic organs.