Few women know that men also have discharge.Like women, men also experience them normally and are odorless.Only in women it is called "leucorrhoea" and it comes from the vagina, while in men the discharge comes from the urethra.Of course, any abnormal discharge indicates health and requires consultation with a doctor.
Physiological secretion
A man's health is indicated by physiological discharge from the urethral outlet, which is observed in the following cases:
Libidinal or physiological urethrorrhea
This condition is observed when a clear discharge appears during sexual arousal or in the morning, immediately after sleep.Their number is different in men and is directly related to the severity of sexual arousal.But in any case, it is important to remember that such discharge, when aroused, contains a small amount of sperm, so if it gets on the partner's genitals, he has a risk of getting pregnant.The function of the described secretion is to ensure the passage of spermatozoa through the urethra and vagina of a woman, where there is an acidic environment that is harmful to "living things", and they enter the uterine cavity and tubes in a viable form for fertilization of the egg.
Prostatorrhea of defecation
During increased intra-abdominal pressure (during straining), clear, odorless discharge with possible gray-white streaks may appear on the tip of the penis.Such discharge is viscous and consists of a mixture of prostate secretions and seminal vesicles.A similar discharge can appear after urination, in which case they talk about urinary prostatorrhea.In exceptional cases, such discharge appears with a strong cough.They are not considered an organic pathology, but only indicate a violation of the autonomous regulation of the functioning of the genital organs.
I heard
Smegma (preputial lubricant) is a secretion that consists of the sebaceous glands of the head of the penis and the foreskin.Usually, if a man observes the rules of personal hygiene, such discharge does not cause inconvenience, because it is mechanically washed off with water.But if hygiene is neglected, mucus accumulates and microorganisms multiply in it, which is the source of unpleasant odor.
Sperm release
Semen, which contains a large amount of semen, is usually released during ejaculation (ejaculation) at the end of sexual intercourse or spontaneously during sleep (emission).Spotting is observed in teenage boys and occurs several times a month or 1-3 times a week (hormonal changes).
In some cases, spermatorrhea, i.e. discharge of sperm from the urethra without intercourse or orgasm, indicates a pathology when the tone of the muscular layer of the blood vessel is disturbed due to chronic inflammation or brain diseases.
Pathological discharge
All other discharges that are beyond physiological are pathological and indicate, primarily, inflammation of the urethra or urethritis.The causes of urethritis in men are different;They can be both infectious and non-infectious.
Infectious causes are divided into specific and non-specific.
- Specific etiological factors include sexually transmitted diseases - trichomoniasis.
- Non-specific infectious urethritis is caused by opportunistic bacteria, viruses and fungi:
- chlamydial urethritis;
- Ureaplasma and mycoplasmic urethritis;
- Candida urethritis or urogenital candidiasis in men;
- Herpetic urethritis and others (Escherichia coli, streptococci, staphylococci).
Non-infectious inflammatory factors include:
- Allergic reactions
- Mechanical damage to the mucous membrane of the urethra
- Irritation of the urethra by chemicals
- Trauma, urethral stricture.
Male discharge can vary in transparency and color.These parameters are influenced by the intensity of the inflammatory process, its stage and etiological factor.The discharge consists of fluid, mucus and various cells.
- Cloudy - if there are a large number of cells, then the discharge has a cloudy color.
- Gray or thick - when epithelial cells predominate in the secretion, they acquire a gray color and become thick.
- Yellow, green or yellow-green - when discharge contains a large number of leukocytes, they turn yellow and even green in color;They are also called purulent discharge.
It should be noted that the nature of the discharge changes over time with the same pathology.
white discharge
White discharge in men is caused by several reasons.First of all, candidiasis should be ruled out.The following symptoms are observed during this disease:
- There is an unpleasant smell of sour bread or yeast in the head of the penis;
- The head of the penis is covered with a whitish coating;
- There is itching, burning and even pain in the penis and perineum;
- Discharge appears during urination;
- There are reddish spots on the inner surface of the head and forehead (irritation, inflammation);
- pain occurs during coitus, discomfort is felt in the head and anus area;
- White discharge is observed not only during urination;
- The partner complains of itching and burning, pain during intercourse and has a cheesy discharge.
In addition to urogenital candidiasis, white discharge can be caused by chlamydia and/or ureaplasmosis and mycoplasmosis, as well as inflammation of the prostate gland, which is characterized by:
- difficulty and intermittent urination;
- burning sensation in the perineum and urethra;
- discomfort during bowel movements;
- frequent urge to urinate;
- Sexual disorders (decreased libido and erection, rapid ejaculation, loss of orgasm).
For men, it is important to remember that advanced prostatitis can cause not only permanent erectile dysfunction, but also infertility.
A clear choice
- Chlamydia, ureaplasmosis - in the chronic stage of the disease, during chlamydial or ureaplasmal urethritis, a transparent discharge of the mucous membrane is possible.As the process worsens, the number of leukocytes in the discharge increases and they acquire a greenish or yellowish color.
- Trichomoniasis, gonorrhea - also clear, abundant discharge with a large amount of mucus, which is observed during the day, is possible in the initial stage of infection with trichomonas or gonococcus.In the case of chlamydia (urethaplasmosis) there are often no subjective sensations (pain, itching, burning) and clear discharge appears after prolonged abstinence from urination.
Yellow discharge
Purulent discharge, which includes disintegrated urethral epithelium, a significant number of leukocytes and urethral mucus, has a yellowish or greenish tint.Yellow discharge or mixed with greenness is a characteristic sign of sexually transmitted diseases.
- Gonorrhea - the discharge is thick and has an unpleasant rotten smell, is observed throughout the day and is accompanied by pain during urination.A man should first think about a gonorrhea infection if he has 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, a man suffers from burning and pain during urination, a frequent and irresistible urge to urinate, a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen and discomfort in the perineum.
Discharge with smell
poor hygiene
Especially the unpleasant smell of the perineum and penis can be noticed if intimate hygiene conditions are not observed:
- Smegma is the perfect environment for microorganisms that multiply and die, producing an unpleasant odor if the external genitalia are not washed regularly.
- In addition, smegma can have an unpleasant odor if there is a metabolic disorder (for example, diabetes in men).In this case, the secretion of smegma is so intense that it is absorbed through the underwear.
infections
Discharge with a smell is most often observed with an infectious lesion of the urethra.First of all, you should rule out gonorrheal urethritis - thick, yellow or green discharge that is observed throughout the day.
The sour smell of discharge is a pathognomonic symptom of urogenital candidiasis.Candida infections cause a cheesy or milky-white discharge.
It is also possible to smell the discharge of fish, which is inherent in gardnerellosis, which is more typical for women (so-called bacterial vaginosis), while the development of this disease in men is quite meaningless.Gardnerella is a conditionally pathogenic microorganism and begins to actively reproduce only under certain conditions:
- weakened immunity;
- accompanying inflammatory processes of the urogenital organs;
- intestinal dysbiosis;
- use of condoms with spermicides;
- long-term treatment with antibiotics or immunosuppressants (cytostatics, corticosteroids);
- Tight underwear made of synthetic fabrics;
- Promiscuous sex life.
Also, discharge with an unpleasant smell can occur due to diseases such as:
- Balanitis (inflammation of the head of the penis)
- Balanoposthitis (inflammation of the inner surface of the skin).
But in addition to discharge (not from the urethra, but from the smegma), these diseases are accompanied by hyperemia and itching, pain in the penis, ulcers and wrinkles on the head.
bloody discharge
infections
Bloody discharge or blood-tinged discharge is often observed with an infectious lesion of the urethra.Mixing blood characterizes gonorrhea, trichomonas or candidiasis urethritis.Moreover, the amount of blood is directly related to the intensity of inflammation.
Blood is often observed in chronic urethritis (the mucous membrane of the urethra is loose and reacts with contact bleeding to the slightest irritation, including when passing through the urethra).
Medical manipulations
Another reason for this is damage to the urethra during medical procedures.Bleeding may occur immediately during rough ablation, catheter insertion and removal, cystoscopy, or swabbing.They differ in that the blood is scarlet, does not have clots, and the bleeding itself stops very quickly.
passing stones, 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 microliths damages the mucous membrane and the walls of blood vessels, which causes bleeding.In this case, blood is most noticeable during urination, which is accompanied by pain.
Glomerulonephritis
In the presence of glomerulonephritis, gross hematuria (blood in the urine, visible during urination) is also possible.In this case, a triad of symptoms appears: gross hematuria, edema, increased blood pressure.
Malignant tumors
One of the signs of malignant tumors of the genitourinary system (cancer of the prostate gland, penis, testicle, etc.) is the appearance of blood in men.In this case, the blood will turn brown or dark, and clots may appear.
Blood discharge with semen
We should not forget such a symptom as the release of blood with spermatozoa (hematospermia).There is false and true hematospermia.In false cases, blood mixes with sperm as it passes through the urethra.And it is true that blood enters the ejaculate 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 is:
- an overly active sex life or vice versa,
- Long-term sexual abstinence, during intercourse, rupture of the vascular walls in the tissues of the genital organs occurs.
- A previous surgery or biopsy may cause blood in the semen
- Hematospermia is manifested in benign and malignant neoplasms of the genitals.
- In the presence of stones in the testicles and vas deferens
- with varicose veins of the pelvic organs.