Few women know that men also have secretions. Like women, men also occur normally and are tasteless. Only women are called "leucorrhea", they appear from the vagina, while men drain from the urethra. Of course, any pathological secretions indicate poor health and need to see a doctor.
Physiological discharge
The physiological secretions discharged from the outlet of the urethra prove the health of the man, which is observed in the following situations:
Libido or physiological urethral discharge
This is observed when a transparent discharge appears during sexual arousal or immediately after going to bed in the morning. They differ in number among different men and are directly related to the severity of sexual arousal. But in any case, it is important to remember that this secretion contains a small amount of sperm when excited, so if they enter the partner's genitals, she is at risk of pregnancy. The function of the described secretions is to ensure that the sperm pass through the woman's urethra and vagina, where there is an acidic environment that is destructive to the "gum", and allow them to enter the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes in a viable form for egg fertilization.
Defective prostate fluid
During the period of increased intra-abdominal pressure (when exerting force), transparent and odorless secretions may appear on the head of the penis, and gray-white stripes may appear. This secretion is viscous and consists of a mixture of prostate secretions and seminal vesicles. This discharge may appear at the end of urination, in which case they are talking about vocal cord prostatic discharge. In special cases, this secretion will be accompanied by a strong cough. They are not regarded as organic diseases, but merely indicate a violation of the autonomous regulation of reproductive organ function.
Smegma
Smegma (foreskin lubrication) is a secret consisting of sebaceous secretions from the head of the penis and the foreskin. Normally, if a person follows the personal hygiene rules, this discharge will not cause inconvenience, because it is washed away mechanically with water. But if you don't pay attention to hygiene, smegma will accumulate and microorganisms will multiply in it, which will produce an unpleasant smell.
Separation of sperm
Sperm contains a large amount of sperm, which is usually secreted during ejaculation (ejaculation) at the end of sexual intercourse, or spontaneously secreted during sleep (dream loss). Pollution occurs in adolescent boys several times a month or 1 to 3 times a week (hormonal changes).
In some cases, spermatorrhea, that is, sperm flowing from the urethra without intercourse and orgasm, indicates a pathology when the tension of the vas deferens muscle layer is disturbed in the presence of chronic inflammation or brain disease.
Pathological secretions
All other secretions beyond the physiological range are pathological and mainly indicate inflammation of the urethra or urethritis. The etiology of male urethritis varies, and it can be infectious or non-infectious.
The causes of infection are divided into specific and non-specific.
- Specific causes include sexually transmitted diseases such as trichomoniasis.
- Non-specific infectious urethritis is caused by opportunistic bacteria, viruses and fungi:
- Chlamydia urethritis;
- Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma urethritis;
- Male candidal urethritis or urogenital candidiasis;
- Herpetic urethritis and others (E. coli, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus).
Non-infectious factors of inflammation include:
- Allergic reaction
- Mechanical damage to the urethral mucosa
- Chemicals irritate the urethra
- Trauma, narrowing of the urethra.
The transparency and color of male secretions may vary. These parameters are affected by the intensity of the inflammatory process, its stage and etiological factors. Secretions are formed by body fluids, mucus and various cells.
- Cloudy-If there are a lot of cells, the discharge is cloudy in color.
- Gray or thick-epithelial cells predominate in the secretions, they become gray and thick.
- Yellow, green or yellow-green-when the secretion contains a large number of white blood cells, the color changes to yellow or even green, which is also called purulent secretion.
It should be noted that for the same pathology, the nature of the discharge changes over time.
White discharge
White discharge in men is caused by many reasons. First of all, candidiasis should be ruled out. For this disease, the following symptoms are observed:
- The head of the penis has an unpleasant smell of sourdough bread or yeast;
- The head of the penis is covered with a white coating;
- Notice itching, burning or even pain in the penis and perineum area;
- Discharge when urinating;
- There are red spots (irritation, inflammation) on the inner surface of the head and foreskin;
- Pain during sexual intercourse, discomfort on the head and foreskin;
- Noticed white discharge, not only during urination;
- The partner complained of itching and burning, pain during intercourse, and a tacky discharge.
In addition to genitourinary candidiasis, white secretions can be caused by chlamydia and/or ureaplasma and mycoplasma, as well as inflammation of the prostate, which is characterized by:
- Difficulty urinating and intermittent urination
- Burning sensation in the perineum and urethra;
- Discomfort during bowel movements;
- Frequent urination;
- Sexual disorders (decreased libido and erection, fast ejaculation, blurred orgasm).
For men, it is important to remember that neglected prostatitis not only causes persistent erectile dysfunction, it can also lead to infertility.
Transparent selection
- Chlamydia, Ureaplasmosis-In the chronic stage of the disease, chlamydia or Ureaplasma urethritis may show clear mucus secretions. As this process intensifies, the number of white blood cells in the secretions increases, and they will appear green or yellow.
- Trichomoniasis, gonorrhea-It is also possible to have clear, large secretions in the initial stage of infection with Trichomonas or Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and a large amount of mucus may be observed during the day. In the case of chlamydia (ureaplasmosis), there is usually no subjective sensation (pain, itching, burning) and a transparent discharge will appear after prolonged urination.
Yellow discharge
Purulent secretions, including desquamated urethral epithelium, large amounts of white blood cells, and urethral mucus, are pale yellow or green. Yellow secretions or mixed with green plants are characteristic signs of sexually transmitted diseases.
- Gonorrhea-thick secretions with an unpleasant smell of rotting, observed during the day, and pain when urinating. If there are two typical symptoms: discharge and itching, men should first consider gonorrhea infection.
- Trichomoniasis-there is also yellow discharge, trichomoniasis is not excluded, although it is usually asymptomatic. The severe symptoms of trichomoniasis infection, in addition to pus-like secretions, men are also worried about burning and stinging when urinating, frequent urination and irresistible urination, heaviness in the lower abdomen, and perineal discomfort.
Odorous discharge
Violation of hygiene
If you do not observe the privacy and hygiene conditions, you will especially notice the unpleasant smell of the perineum and penis:
- Smeme is an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms. If you do not clean the external genitalia thoroughly from time to time, the microorganisms will multiply and die, producing an unpleasant smell.
- In addition, in the case of metabolic disorders (for example, male diabetes), smegma itself can produce an unpleasant odor. At the same time, the release of smegma is so strong that it penetrates into the underwear.
Infect
Odorous secretions are most commonly observed in urinary tract infectious lesions. First, gonorrhea urethritis—the thick, yellow, or green discharge observed throughout the day—should be ruled out.
The sour taste of secretions is a pathological symptom of urogenital candidiasis. Candida fungal infections can cause milky white or milky discharge.
The fishy smell of secretions is also possible, which is inherent to gardnerellosis, which is a characteristic of women (called bacterial vaginosis), and in men, the development of this disease is nonsense. Gardnerella is a conditional pathogenic microorganism, which only starts to reproduce actively under certain conditions:
- Weakened immunity;
- Inflammatory processes accompanying the genitourinary organs;
- Intestinal flora imbalance;
- Use condoms containing spermicide;
- Long-term use of antibiotics or immunosuppressive agents (cytostatics, corticosteroids) treatment;
- Tight underwear made of synthetic fibers;
- Promiscuity sex life.
In addition, secretions with an unpleasant smell may be related to the following diseases:
- Balanitis (inflammation of the penis)
- Balanosis (inflammation of the inner surface of the foreskin).
But in addition to secretions (not the urethra, but smegma), these diseases are also accompanied by hyperemia and itching, penile pain, ulcers and wrinkles on the head.
Discharge with blood
Infect
Infectious lesions of the urinary tract, bloody secretions or bloodshot secretions are often observed. The blood mixture is characteristic of gonorrhea, trichomoniasis or candidal urethritis. Moreover, blood volume is directly related to the intensity of inflammation.
Usually, blood is observed in chronic urethritis (the mucous membrane of the urethra is loosened, the slightest irritation, including contact bleeding when urine passes through the urethra).
Medical operation
Another reason is the trauma to the urethra during medical procedures. In the case of thick needle sticks, insertion and removal of catheters, cystoscopy, or smears, spots may appear immediately. The difference between them is that the blood is scarlet, there are no clots, and the bleeding itself will stop soon.
The passage of stones and sand
Among other things, when small stones or sand (from the kidneys or bladder) pass through the urethra, bloody secretions can be observed. The hard surface of the micro-stones can damage the mucous membranes and blood vessel walls, causing bleeding. In this case, blood is most obvious when urinating, and it is accompanied by pain.
glomerulus nephritis
Patients with glomerulonephritis may also have gross hematuria (blood in the urine that can be seen during urination). In this case, there are three symptoms: gross hematuria, edema, and elevated blood pressure.
Malignant tumor
One of the signs of malignant tumors of the genitourinary system (prostate cancer, penile cancer, testicular cancer, etc. ) is the presence of blood in men. In this case, the blood will be brown or black, and clots may appear.
Separate blood with semen
We must not forget symptoms like the release of blood from sperm (hemospermia). Distinguish between fake blood sperm and real blood sperm. If it is fake, the blood will mix with semen as it passes through the urethra. Even before it passes through the urethra, the real blood enters the semen. Hemospermia is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Pain during ejaculation;
- Dysuria;
- Pain and/or swelling of the genitals (testicles and scrotum);
- Discomfort and pain in the lower back;
- Increased body temperature.
One of the causes of blood sperm is:
- Overactive sex and vice versa,
- Long-term abstinence, and during sexual intercourse, the blood vessel walls in the reproductive organs rupture
- Previous surgery or biopsy may also cause blood in the semen
- Blood sperm appears in benign and malignant tumors of the genitourinary organs
- In the presence of stones in the testicles and vas deferens
- Varicose veins of the pelvic organs.