Discharge from the genitals can bother not only girls, but also men. Males have normal discharge which is odorless. Their source is the urethra. In women, the discharge is called leukorrhea. If you have noticed unhealthy discharge in yourself, urgently go to a face-to-face appointment with a urologist.
Norm or pathology?
The urethra is the male urethra. From there, they appear from time to time. There is such a thing as urethrorrhea. It can be physiological or libidinal. From the exit of the urethra, discharge of a transparent shade appears. It happens in the morning, right after waking up or when a man is sexually aroused.
Urethrorrhea can be more pronounced or weaker. The lubricant that is released during arousal contains sperm. Therefore, if you do not want to have children yet, it is also worth protecting yourself with preliminary caresses from the genitals. Secretions in men help sperm pass through the urethra and into and out of the partner's vagina. After all, the environment is acidic and this is detrimental to the life of the sperm.
Defecation prostorrhea may be the second leading cause of discharge in boys and men. When a man pushes, he has a discharge on the head of the penis that is odorless and colorless. Sometimes they can have gray-white inclusions. Their consistency is viscous. These are secretions from the prostate and seminal vesicles. Appearance is possible upon completion of bladder emptying. Hence it is called mitional prostorrhea. In extremely rare cases, a man notices such a discharge after coughing. It is not a disease, but a disease that can be cured.
The next type of discharge from a man's genitals is. It includes the secret of the sebaceous glands of the penis head and foreskin. If a man washes, he changes underwear and doesn't wear someone else's underwear, these secretions will be washed off. And they won't be the center of attention. If the hygiene is not so good, there may be a buildup of a rather large amount of smegma. Pathological flora will multiply and develop there, because the genitals and underwear will have an unpleasant smell.
Semen
Sperm - discharge, in which there are a lot of smermia (spermatozoa). Sperm is released during ejaculation, that is, at the moment of maximum pleasure during sexual intercourse of a different nature. Also, in a dream, men and boys sometimes have wet dreams, so sperm is also released from the penis.
Wet dreams mostly occur during puberty. This is 2-5 cases per month. But with changes in the balance of hormones, there may be wet dreams even several times a week. If sperm does not come out of the penis at the time of orgasm, this is called "". This is a disease caused by a violation of muscle tone in the vas deferens. Basically, this happens with brain diseases or chronic inflammation in the ducts.
Pathological discharge
The physiological secretions that are normally found in men and men are described above. Here we will look at the discharges associated with health problems. Basically, pathological discharge from the urethra bothers men with urethritis. This is an inflammatory process that develops in the urethra. An infection or non-infectious factors can cause urethritis.
The infection can be specific or non-specific. Specific is mainly trichomoniasis or gonorrhea. And non-specific urethritis can be triggered by such pathogens:
- mycoplasma
- ureaplasma
- chlamydia
- herpes
- Staphylococcus aureus
- streptococcus
Non-infectious causes of urethritis and associated discharge from the genital tract:
- injury, narrowing of the urethra
- irritation with chemicals
- mechanical damage to the mucous membrane
- influence of allergens
Discharge from the genital tract in males can be different in color, as well as in transparency. It depends on how active the inflammation is, at what stage it is, what kind of flora is caused. The composition of penile secretions includes:
- slime
- liquid
- cells of different origin
If there is a lot of the last named component, the discharge becomes cloudy, which the man himself can visually observe. If epithelial cells appear in large numbers in the secretions, the secretions thicken and acquire a gray tint.
Symptoms of candidiasis:
- white spots on the head of the penis
- the head of the penis has an unpleasant smell, reminiscent of yeast or sour bread
- there are unpleasant sensations on the penis and in the perineal region: burning, itching, sometimes pain
- more secretions when emptying the bladder
- reddish spots on the tip of the penis and inside the foreskin
- white discharge at times other than urination
- pain during sex (on the head and foreskin)
- the sexual partner (wife, girlfriend) complains of discomfort up to pain during intercourse
- the partner has a white discharge of curd consistency
The second possible cause of white discharge in men is ureaplasmosis, chlamydia, mycoplasmosis. It can also be inflammation of the prostate gland, the symptoms of which are:
- frequent need to urinate
- discomfort during bowel movements
- burning in the perineum and urethra
- intermittent and difficult bladder emptying
- sexual disorders
If prostatitis is not treated, the erection will disappear and it will also be impossible to conceive a child in the future. Therefore, if one or more of the above symptoms appear, seek immediate medical attention for a face-to-face consultation.
Trichomoniasis can cause yellow discharge in men. But in most cases, the disease has a latent course, that is, there will be no symptoms. If there are still symptoms, then there will be, among other things, such:
- discomfort in the perineum
- feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen
- frequent and irrepressible need to urinate
- burning and stinging when urinating
Download with smell
The first possible reason (and the most harmless) is a violation of hygiene. As mentioned above, smegma is a normal male secretion (not disease). If you don't wash regularly, at least once a day, smegma builds up, bacteria multiply inside it, causing unpleasant odors. These scents can vary from person to person.
If you follow the rules of hygiene and the unpleasant smell is still present, the doctor may suspect a metabolic disorder. In these cases, the most common cause is diabetes mellitus. Smegma will stand out in a sufficiently large amount, because the laundry will be wet.
Infections also cause odor losses in men. Basically, a pathological process occurs in the urethra. A doctor may suspect urethritis caused by a gonorrhea infection. The nature of the discharge is described above. If the discharge from the penis smells sour in men, urogenital candidiasis most likely develops.
If the discharge from the genitals smells like fish, then most likely the man has gardnerellosis. The same pathogen in women causes a disease called. But these are very rare cases, in women the disease is much more common. Gardnerella is conditionally pathogenic flora. It multiplies when exposed to certain factors. Factors for the development of gardnerellosis:
- promiscuous sex life
- close-fitting synthetic underwear (made from non-natural materials)
- long courses of antibiotics or immunosuppressants
- spermicidal condoms
- inflammation of the urinary tract
- reduced immunity
Discharge with blood in men
The main reason is infection. The discharge may be completely bloody or include streaks of blood. If the infection multiplies in the urethra, you will notice such a symptom in yourself, but not necessarily. Urethritis is mainly caused in these cases by Candida, Trichomonas or gonorrhea infections. The stronger the inflammation, the more blood is released.
Probable reason number two is careless medical manipulations. The urethra is injured and then the blood is released. Procedures that can damage the urethra:
- catheter placement
- removal of the catheter
- bougienage
- taking a tampon
- cystoscopy
Allocations with blood are simultaneous. It should be noted that in this case the scarlet blood, without clots, quickly stops.
The passage of the stones, sand is the next cause of bloody discharge from the penis. They are secreted by the kidneys or bladder and pass through the urethra. Microliths are hard, damage the mucous membrane and blood vessel walls, which become the direct cause of bleeding. There are also pain sensations.
It also causes, in some cases, bleeding with blood inclusions. The blood in the urine that a man sees when he goes to the bathroom is called gross hematuria. Then, in parallel, symptoms such as increased blood pressure, swelling develop.
There may also be an even more serious cause of bloody discharge in boys and men: cancer. Malignant tumors can be of such organs:
- testicles
- penis
- prostate, etc.
The blood will then be brown or dark and there will be blood clots in the secretions.
Isolation of blood with sperm
This discharge is called "hematospermia". It can be true and false. If the hematospermia is false, the blood mixes with the sperm as it passes through the urethra. If this pathology is true, the blood mixes with the sperm even before it passes through the urethra.
Hematospermia is manifested by such signs (clinical picture):
- disorders of urination
- pain during ejaculation
- discomfort and back pain
- pain and / or swelling in the genitals
- high body temperature
Causes of bleeding with semen:
- prolonged sexual abstinence
- excessively active sex life (during coitus, the walls of blood vessels are torn)
- varicose veins of the pelvic organs
- stones in the testicles and vas deferens
- malignant and benign formations in the genitourinary organs
- biopsy
- genital surgery
Physiological secretions
The health of a man is evidenced by the physiological discharge from the exit of the urethra, which is observed in the following cases:
Libidinous or physiological urethrorrhea
This condition occurs when a clear discharge appears on the head of the penis during sexual arousal or in the morning, immediately after sleep. Their number in different men varies and is directly related to the severity of sexual arousal. But in any case, it is important to remember that such discharges, when excited, contain a small amount of sperm, therefore, if they enter the genitals of the partner, they run the risk of becoming pregnant. The function of the described secretions is to ensure the passage of spermatozoa through the urethra and vagina of a woman, where there is an acidic environment which is harmful to the "gum", and to insert them into a vital form in the uterine cavity and in the fallopian tubes for fertilization of the egg.
Prostorrhea defecation
During an increase in intra-abdominal pressure (during exertion), a transparent and odorless discharge may appear on the head of the penis with possible gray-white streaks. These secretions are viscous and consist of a mixture of prostatic secretion and seminal vesicles. A similar discharge can also appear at the end of urination, in which case we speak of urinary prostorrhea. In exceptional cases, such discharge also 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 the genital organs.
Smegma
Smegma (preputial lubrication) is a secret that consists of secretions from the sebaceous glands of the head of the penis and the foreskin. Normally, if a man observes the rules of personal hygiene, such drains do not create inconvenience, as they are mechanically washed with water. But if hygiene is neglected, smegma accumulates and microorganisms multiply in it, which serves as a source of an unpleasant odor.
sperm excretion
Sperm, which contains a large number of spermatozoa, is normally released during ejaculation (ejaculation) at the end of sexual intercourse or spontaneously, in dreams (pollution). Wet dreams are observed in adolescent boys and occur several times a month or 1-3 a week (hormonal changes).
In some cases, spermatorea, that is, the flow of sperm from the urethra without sexual 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 diseases of the brain.
Pathological discharge
All other secretions that go beyond the physiological are pathologies and mainly indicate inflammation of the urethra or urethritis. 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, this and.
- Nonspecific infectious urethritis is caused by opportunistic bacteria, viruses and fungi:
- chlamydial urethritis;
- ureaplasma and mycoplasma urethritis;
- candidal urethritis or urogenital candidiasis in men;
- herpetic urethritis and others (E. coli, streptococci, staphylococci).
Non-infectious factors of inflammation include:
- allergic reactions
- mechanical damage to the urethral mucosa
- irritation of the urethra by chemicals
- injury, narrowing of the urethra.
Male discharge can vary in transparency and color. These parameters are influenced by the intensity of the inflammatory process, its stage and the etiological factor. The secretions are made up of fluid, mucus and various cells.
- Muddy: If there are a large number of cells, the discharge has a cloudy color.
- Gray or thick - with a predominance of epithelial cells in the secretions, they become gray in color and become thick.
- Yellow, green or yellow-green - when a large number of leukocytes are contained in the secretions, they turn yellow and even green, they are also called purulent discharges.
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 of all, candidiasis should be excluded (see). 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 coating;
- there is itching, burning and even pain in the penis and perineum;
- discharge appears when urinating;
- reddish spots (irritation, inflammation) are noted on the head and inner surface of the foreskin;
- there is pain during intercourse, discomfort is felt in the head and foreskin area;
- white discharge is noticeable not only when urinating;
- the partner complains of itching and burning, pain during intercourse, curd secretion.
Transparent highlights
- Chlamydia, ureaplasmosis - transparent mucous discharge is possible with chlamydial or ureaplasmic urethritis in the chronic stage of the disease. With an exacerbation of the process in the secretions, the number of leukocytes increases and they acquire a greenish or yellowish color.
- Trichomoniasis, gonorrhea - also transparent and abundant discharge with a large amount of mucus, which is observed during the day, is possible at the initial stage of infection with Trichomonas or gonococci. In the case of chlamydia (ureaplasmosis), subjective sensations are often absent (pain, itching, burning), and after prolonged urination, a clear discharge appears.
yellow discharge
Purulent secretions, which include desquamated epithelium of the urethra, a significant number of leukocytes and urethral mucus, are yellowish or greenish. Discharge yellow or with an admixture of green is a characteristic sign of sexually transmitted diseases.
- Gonorrhea - the discharge is thick and has an unpleasant putrid smell, is observed during the day and is accompanied by pain when urinating. A man should first think about a gonorrhea infection if there is a classic pair of symptoms: discharge and itching.
- Trichomoniasis - even 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 is disturbed by a frequent and irresistible urge to urinate, a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen and discomfort in the perineum.
Download with smell
Violation of hygiene
If the conditions of intimate hygiene are not observed, an unpleasant odor of the perineum and penis can be observed in particular:
- Smegma is an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms which, by multiplying and dying, create an unpleasant odor if you do not regularly wash your external genitals thoroughly.
- In addition, the smegma itself can have an unpleasant smell in case of metabolic disorders. At the same time, the release of smegma is so intense that it is absorbed through the underwear.
infections
Discharge with a smell is more often observed with an infectious lesion of the urethra. First of all, gonorrhea urethritis should be excluded - thick, yellow or green discharge that occurs during the day.
The acrid smell of secretions is a pathognomic symptom of urogenital candidiasis. Infection with fungi of the genus Candida causes the appearance of cheese or milky white secretions (see).
A fishy smell of discharge is also possible, which is inherent in gardnerellosis, which is quite characteristic of women (called bacterial vaginosis), and in men the development of this disease is rather absurd. Gardnerella belongs to conditionally pathogenic microorganisms and begins to multiply actively only under certain conditions:
- weakening of the immune system;
- concomitant inflammatory processes of the genitourinary organs;
- intestinal dysbacteriosis;
- use of condoms with spermicides;
- long-term treatment with antibiotics or immunosuppressants (cytostatics, corticosteroids);
- tight underwear made of synthetic fabrics;
- promiscuous sex life.
Discharge with blood
infections
Bloody discharge or blood-streaked discharge is often observed with an infectious lesion of the urethra. A blood mixture is characteristic of gonorrhea, trichomonas or candidal urethritis. Furthermore, the amount of blood is directly related to the intensity of the inflammation.
Often, blood is observed in chronic urethritis (the mucous membrane of the urethra loosens and responds with contact bleeding to the slightest irritation, including the passage of urine through the canal).
Medical manipulations
Another reason for these is trauma to the urethra during medical procedures. In case of crude bougienage, catheter insertion and removal, cystoscopy or smear, one-stage bleeding may be observed. They differ in that scarlet blood does not have clots, and the bleeding itself stops very quickly.
Passage of stones, sand
Among other things, discharge with blood can be observed when small stones or sand (from the kidneys or bladder) pass through the urethra. The hard surface of the microliths damages the mucosa and vessel walls, causing bleeding. In this case, blood is most noticeable when urinating, which is accompanied by pain.
Glomerulonephritis
Gross hematuria is also possible in the presence of glomerulonephritis. In this case, there is a triad of symptoms: gross hematuria, edema, increased blood pressure.
Isolation of blood with sperm
We must not forget about such a symptom as discharge (hematospermia). There are false and true hematospermias. With fake blood, it is mixed with sperm as it passes through the urethra. And with real blood it enters the ejaculate even before it passes through the urethra. Hematospermia is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- pain during ejaculation;
- urination disorders;
- pain and / or swelling in the genitals (testicles and scrotum);
- discomfort and back pain;
- increase in body temperature.
One of the causes of hematospermia is:
- excessively active sex life or vice versa,
- prolonged sexual abstinence, while during intercourse there is a rupture of the vascular walls in the tissues of the genital organs
- a previous surgery or biopsy can also cause blood in the semen
- hematospermia appears with benign and malignant neoplasms of the genitourinary organs
- in the presence of stones in the testes and vas deferens
- with varicose veins of the pelvic organs.
As you know, discharge from a man's penis can be both physiological and pathological. Physiological include secretions that are the result of the activity of the gonads, including the result of sexual arousal.
Such discharges from the penis are a clear viscous liquid and do not cause any discomfort in a man by their presence. Physiological discharge on the head of the penis in a healthy man is normal and quite common. The rest of the discharge on the head in men is pathological in nature and, as a rule, is accompanied by a particular infection.