Discharge from the genitals can bother not only girls, but also boys. Males have a normal odorless discharge. Their source is the urethra. The discharge in women is called leucorrhoea. 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 pop up from time to time. There is such a thing as urethrorea. It can be physiological or libidinal. From the exit of the urethra there is a discharge of a transparent shade. It happens right after waking up in the morning or when a man is sexually aroused.
The urethra may be more prominent or weaker. The lubricant released during arousal contains spermatozoa. Therefore, if you do not want to have children yet, it is worth protecting yourself even with preliminary caresses of the genitals. Male secretions help sperm pass through the urethra and into and out of the partner's vagina. After all, the environment there is acidic and this is harmful to the life of the sperm.
Defecation prostorrhea can be the second cause of discharge in men and women. When a man pushes, there is an odorless and colorless discharge on the head of the penis. Sometimes there may be white-gray inclusions. Their consistency is viscous. These are secretions secreted from the prostate and seminal vesicles. Appearance is possible with the completion of bladder emptying. It is then called mictural prostorrhea. In extremely rare cases, a man notices such a discharge after coughing. It's not a disease, it's a treatable ailment.
The next type of discharge from the genitals of a man. It contains the secret of the sebaceous glands of the glans penis and foreskin. If a man washes, changes his underwear and does not wear someone else's underwear, these secretions are washed away. And they will not be the center of attention. If the hygiene is not that good, there can be quite a large accumulation of smegma. Pathological flora will multiply and develop there, because the genitals and underwear will have an unpleasant odor.
Sperm
Sperm - discharge in which there is a lot of sperm (spermatozoa). Sperm are released during ejaculation, that is, during sexual intercourse of a different nature, at the moment of peak pleasure. Also, in a dream, men and boys sometimes have wet dreams, after which sperm is also released from the penis.
Wet dreams occur mainly during adolescence. This is 2-5 cases per month. But with changes in hormone balance, wet dreams can happen even a few times a week. If the sperm does not flow out of the penis during orgasm, it is called "". This is a disease caused by a violation of muscle tone in the vas deferens. Basically, this happens with diseases of the brain or chronic inflammation in the ducts.
pathological discharge
The physiological secretions normally found in males and females have been described above. Here we will look at 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 may or may not be specific. The specific is mainly trichomoniasis or gonorrhea. And nonspecific urethritis can be triggered by such pathogens:
- mycoplasma
- ureaplasma
- chlamydia
- pale
- 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
- allergen effect
Discharge from the genital tract in men may differ in color, as well as transparency. It depends on how active the inflammation is, at what stage it is, what kind of flora it causes. The composition of secretions from the penis includes:
- slime
- liquid
- cells of different origin
If there is too much of the last named component, the discharge will become cloudy, which is something one can observe visually. If a large number of epithelial cells appear in the secretions, the secretions thicken and take on a gray color.
Symptoms of candidiasis:
- white spots on the head of the penis
- the head of the penis has an unpleasant odor reminiscent of yeast or sour bread
- there are unpleasant sensations in the penis and perineum: 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)
- sexual partner (wife, daughter) complains of discomfort during intercourse, up to pain
- partner has white discharge of a curdled consistency
The second possible cause of white discharge in men is ureaplasmosis, chlamydia, mycoplasmosis. There may also be inflammation of the prostate gland with symptoms:
- frequent urge 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 have children in the future. Therefore, if one or more of the above symptoms occur, consult a doctor immediately 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, there will be some of these, among other things:
- discomfort in the perineum
- feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen
- frequent and overwhelming urge to urinate
- burning and stinging when urinating
Discharge with odor
The first possible reason (and the most harmless) is a violation of hygiene. As mentioned above, smegma is a normal (non-disease) male secretion. If you do not wash it regularly at least once a day, smegma will accumulate, bacteria will multiply in it and cause very unpleasant odors. These odors can vary from person to person.
If you follow the rules of hygiene and the unpleasant odor is still present, the doctor may suspect a metabolic disorder. In such 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 smelly discharge 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 has been described above. If the discharge from the penis in men smells sour, most likely urogenital candidiasis develops.
If the discharge from the genitals smells like fish, most likely the man has gardnerellosis. The same pathogen causes a disease called females. But these are very rare cases, the disease is much more common in women. Gardnerella is a conditionally pathogenic flora. It multiplies when exposed to certain factors. Factors for the development of gardnerellosis:
- mixed sex life
- tight synthetic underwear (made from unnatural materials)
- long-term antibiotics or immunosuppressants
- spermicide condom
- urinary tract inflammation
- decreased immunity
Discharge with blood in men
The main cause is infection. The discharge may be completely bloody or contain 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 by infection with Candida, Trichomonas or gonorrhea in such cases. The stronger the inflammation, the more blood is released.
Possible reason number two is careless medical manipulations. The urethra is injured and therefore blood is released. Operations that can damage the urethra:
- catheter placement
- catheter removal
- spark plug
- take a swab
- cystoscopy
Allocations with blood are simultaneous. It should be noted that in this case, red blood without clots quickly stops.
The passage of stones, sand is the next cause of bloody discharge from the penis. They are secreted from the kidneys or bladder and pass through the urethra. Microliths are hard, damage the mucous membrane and walls of blood vessels, which becomes the direct cause of bleeding. There are also pain sensations.
Also, in some cases, it causes discharge with blood inclusions. The blood in the urine that a man sees when he goes to the bathroom is called gross hematuria. Later, symptoms such as increased blood pressure and swelling develop in parallel.
There may be an even more serious cause of bloody discharge in men and women - cancer. Malignant tumors can be from such organs:
- testes
- penis
- prostate etc.
The blood will then be brown or dark and blood clots will be present in the secretions.
Isolation of blood with semen
This type of discharge is called "hematospermia". It can be right and wrong. If the hematospermia is false, the blood mixes with the semen during its passage through the urethra. If this pathology is true, blood is mixed with sperm even before it passes through the urethra.
Hematospermia is manifested by such signs (clinical picture):
- urination disorders
- pain during ejaculation
- discomfort and back pain
- pain and/or swelling in the genitals
- high body temperature
Causes of bleeding with semen:
- long-term abstinence
- overactive sex life (the walls of blood vessels rupture during coitus)
- varicose veins of the pelvic organs
- stones in 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 physiological discharge from the exit of the urethra, which is observed in the following cases:
Libidinous or physiological urethrorhea
This condition occurs when a clear discharge appears on the head of the penis during sexual arousal or just after sleep in the morning. Their number varies in different men and is directly related to the intensity of sexual arousal. But in any case, it is important to remember that such discharges contain a small amount of spermatozoa when stimulated, so there is a risk of getting pregnant if they get into the genitals of the partner. 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 harmful to the "gum", and enter them in a convenient form into the uterine cavity and tubes. for fertilization of the egg.
defecation prostorrhea
During increased intra-abdominal pressure (during stretching), a transparent, odorless discharge with possible gray-white stripes may appear on the head of the penis. Such secretions are viscous and consist of a mixture of prostate secretion and seminal vesicles. Similar discharge can occur at the end of urination, in which case they speak of prostorrhea to micturition. In exceptional cases, such discharge also occurs 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 consisting of secretions from the sebaceous glands of the glans penis and foreskin. Normally, if a man adheres to the rules of personal hygiene, such discharges do not cause discomfort, since they are mechanically washed with water. But if hygiene is neglected, smegma accumulates and microorganisms multiply in it, which serve as a source of unpleasant odor.
semen excretion
Sperm containing large numbers of spermatozoa are normally released spontaneously during ejaculation (ejaculation) or in a dream (pollution) at the end of sexual intercourse. Wet dreams are observed in adolescent boys and occur several times a month or 1 to 3 per week (hormonal changes).
In some cases, spermatorrhea, that is, the flow of sperm from the urethra without sexual intercourse and orgasm, indicates a pathology when the tone of the muscle layer of the vas deferens is disturbed in the presence of chronic inflammation or brain diseases.
pathological discharge
All other secretions that go beyond the physiological are pathologies and primarily refer to inflammation of the urethra or urethritis. different, they can be both contagious 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 mycoplasmal 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 with chemicals
- injury, narrowing of the urethra.
Male discharge can vary in transparency and color. These parameters are affected by the intensity, stage and etiological factor of the inflammatory process. The secretions are composed 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 the predominance of epithelial cells in the secretions they become gray in color and thicken.
- Yellow, green or yellow-green - when a large number of leukocytes are found in the secretions, they become yellow or even green in color, 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 various reasons. First of all, candidiasis should be excluded (see ). With this disease, the following symptoms are observed:
- the head of the penis smells unpleasantly of sourdough 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 during urination;
- reddish spots (irritation, inflammation) appear on the head and inner surface of the foreskin;
- there is pain during intercourse, discomfort is felt in the area of the head and foreskin;
- white discharge appears not only during urination;
- the partner complains of itching and burning, there is pain during sexual intercourse, cessation of discharge.
Transparent highlights
- Chlamydia, ureaplasmosis - transparent mucous discharge is possible with chlamydial or ureaplasmic urethritis in the chronic stage of the disease. With the exacerbation of the process in the secretions, the number of leukocytes increases and they acquire a greenish or yellowish color.
- Trichomoniasis, gonorrhea - also transparent, profuse discharge with a large amount of mucus, 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 usually absent (pain, itching, burning), and clear discharge appears after prolonged urination.
yellow discharge
Purulent discharge containing the shed epithelium of the urethra, a significant number of leukocytes and urethral mucus is yellowish or greenish. Yellow discharge or a mixture of greenery is a characteristic sign of sexually transmitted diseases.
- Gonorrhea - the discharge is thick and has an unpleasant putrid odor, is observed during the day and is accompanied by pain during urination. A man should first consider a gonorrhea infection if he has a classic dual symptom: discharge and itching.
- Trichomoniasis - also trichomoniasis with yellow discharge, although usually asymptomatic, is not excluded. With severe symptoms of trichomonas infection, in addition to purulent discharge, a man is disturbed by frequent and irresistible urge to urinate, a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen and discomfort in the perineum.
Discharge with odor
hygiene violation
If the conditions of intimate hygiene are not observed, an unpleasant odor can be observed, especially in the perineum and penis:
- Smegma is an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms that multiply and die, creating an unpleasant odor if you do not regularly wash the external genitals thoroughly.
- In addition, smegma itself may have an unpleasant odor in case of metabolic disorders. At the same time, the smegma release is so intense that it gets wet down to your underwear.
infections
Discharge with an odor is most 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 smell of sour secretion is a pathognomonic symptom of urogenital candidiasis. Infection with fungi of the genus Candida provokes the appearance of cheesy or milky white discharge (see ).
The fishy discharge odor inherent in gardnerellosis, which is characteristic of women (the so-called bacterial vaginosis), is also possible, and the development of this disease in men 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 containing spermicide;
- long-term treatment with antibiotics or immunosuppressants (cytostatics, corticosteroids);
- tight underwear made of synthetic fabrics;
- obscene sex life.
discharge with blood
infections
With an infectious lesion of the urethra, bloody discharge or blood-streaked discharge is often observed. The mixture of blood is characteristic of gonorrhea, trichomonas or candidal urethritis. Also, the amount of blood is directly related to the intensity of the inflammation.
Often, blood appears in chronic urethritis (the mucous membrane of the urethra relaxes and responds to the slightest irritation with contact bleeding, including the passage of urine through the duct).
Medical manipulations
Another reason for these is trauma to the urethra during medical procedures. Single-stage bleeding can be seen in case of coarse bougie, catheter insertion and removal, cystoscopy or smear. They differ in that the scarlet blood does not clot and the bleeding stops very quickly.
Passage of stones, sand
Among other things, a discharge with blood may appear when small stones or sand (from the kidneys or bladder) pass through the urethra. The hard surface of the microliths causes bleeding by damaging the mucosa and vessel walls. In this case, blood is most noticeable during urination, 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 semen
We should not forget about such a symptom as discharge (hematospermia). There are false and true hematospermia. It is mixed with semen as it passes through the urethra with fake blood. And real blood enters the ejaculate before passing through the urethra. Hematospermia is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- pain during ejaculation;
- urination disorders;
- pain and/or swelling of the genitals (testes and scrotum);
- discomfort and back pain;
- increase in body temperature.
One of the causes of hematospermia is:
- overactive sex life or vice versa,
- prolonged sexual abstinence, rupture of the vascular walls in the tissues of the genital organs during sexual intercourse
- previous surgery or biopsy may also cause blood in the semen
- hematospermia occurs with benign and malignant neoplasms of the genitourinary organs
- Presence of stones in testicles and vas deferens
- with varicose veins of the pelvic organs.
As you know, discharge from the penis of a man can be both physiological and pathological. Physiological includes secretions that are the result of the activity of the gonads, including as a result of sexual arousal.
Such discharge from the penis is a clear, viscous liquid and due to its presence does not cause any discomfort in a man. Physiological discharge from 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 certain infection.