There are very few women who know that men are also discharged. It occurs normally in men as well as in women and is odorless. It is called "leucorrhoea" in women only, and it drains from the urethra in men as it exits the vagina. Of course, any pathological discharge indicates poor health and requires a visit to a doctor.
physiological discharge
The health of a man is evidenced by physiological discharge from the exit of the urethra, which is observed in the following cases:
Libidous or physiological urethrorhea
This condition occurs when transparent discharge appears during sexual arousal or immediately after sleep in the morning. Their number is different in different men and is directly related to the intensity of sexual arousal. But in any case, it is important to remember that such a discharge contains a small amount of sperm when stimulated, so there is a risk of getting pregnant if it gets on 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 a destructive acidic environment for the "gum", and take them in a suitable form into the uterine cavity and tubes. for fertilization of the egg.
defective prostatorrhea
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 a discharge is viscous and consists of a mixture of prostate secretions and seminal vesicles. Such discharge can appear at the end of urination, in this case they speak of vocal prostatorrhea. In exceptional cases, such discharge 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 a discharge will not cause discomfort, since it is mechanically washed with water. But if hygiene is neglected, smegma accumulates and microorganisms multiply in it, which serve as a source of unpleasant odor.
Sperm isolation
Sperm containing large numbers of sperm are normally secreted during ejaculation (ejaculation), at the end of sexual intercourse or spontaneously, during sleep (wet dreams). Pollution occurs in adolescent boys and occurs several times a month or 1 to 3 times a week (hormonal changes).
In some cases, spermatorrhea, that is, the outflow 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 pathology and mainly refer to 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 such as trichomoniasis.
- 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 (Escherichia coli, streptococci, staphylococci).
Non-infectious factors of inflammation include:
- allergic reactions
- mechanical damage to the urethral mucosa
- irritation of the urethra with chemicals
- trauma, narrowing of the urethra.
Male discharge may differ 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.
- Cloudy - 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 and thick.
- 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 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 various reasons. First of all, candidiasis should be excluded. 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;
- itching, burning and even pain appear in the penis and perineal region;
- discharge appears when urinating;
- on the head and inner surface of the foreskin there are reddish spots (irritation, inflammation);
- pain occurs during sexual intercourse, discomfort is felt in the head and foreskin;
- not only during urination, white discharge is noted;
- the partner complains of itching and burning, there is pain during intercourse, cheesy discharge.
In addition to urogenital candidiasis, white discharge can be caused by chlamydia and / or ureaplasmosis and mycoplasmosis, and also talk about 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, blurred orgasm).
It is important for men to remember that neglected prostatitis can lead not only to permanent erectile dysfunction, but also to infertility.
Transparent choices
- 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, the number of leukocytes in the secretions increases and they acquire a greenish or yellowish color.
- Trichomoniasis, gonorrhea - also transparent, profuse discharge with abundant 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 transparent discharge appears after a long absence from 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 mixed with greens 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 there is 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 pus-like discharge, a man worries about burning and stinging during urination, frequent and irresistible urges to urinate, a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen and discomfort in the perineum.
Discharge with a smell
hygiene violation
An unpleasant odor of the perineum and penis can be observed, especially if the conditions of intimate hygiene are not observed:
- Smegma is an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms that multiply and die, creating an unpleasant odor if you do not thoroughly wash the external genitalia regularly.
- In addition, in case of metabolic disorders (for example, diabetes mellitus in men), smegma itself may have an unpleasant odor. At the same time, the smegma release is so intense that it gets wet down to your underwear.
Infections
Discharge with smell is most often observed with an infectious lesion of the urethra. First of all, gonorrhea urethritis should be excluded - thick, yellow or green discharge observed during the day.
The smell of sour discharge is a pathognomonic symptom of urogenital candidiasis. Infection with fungi of the genus Candida causes the appearance of a cheesy or milky white discharge.
It is also possible a fishy secretion odor, which is inherent in gardnerellosis, which is more characteristic of women (called bacterial vaginosis), 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 immunity;
- concomitant inflammatory processes of the genitourinary organs;
- intestinal dysbiosis;
- use of condoms containing spermicide;
- long-term treatment with antibiotics or immunosuppressants (cytostatics, corticosteroids);
- tight underwear made of synthetic fabrics;
- obscene sex life.
Also, discharge with an unpleasant odor can be with diseases such as:
- balanitis (inflammation of the glans penis)
- balanoposthitis (inflammation of the inner surface of the foreskin).
But in addition to discharge (not from the urethra, but from smegma), these diseases are accompanied by hyperemia and itching, penile pain, and ulcers and wrinkles on the head.
discharge with blood
Infections
Bloody discharge or discharge with blood streaks is often observed with an infectious lesion of the urethra. 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 this is trauma to the urethra during medical procedures. Spotting may occur immediately if rough bougies, catheter insertion and removal, cystoscopy, or smear are taken. They differ in that the blood is red, does not clot, and the bleeding stops very quickly.
stone pass, sand
Among other things, bloody discharge may occur 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 vessel walls, causing bleeding. In this case, blood is most pronounced when urinating, which is accompanied by pain.
glomerulonephritis
Gross hematuria (blood in the urine, visible during urination) is also possible in the presence of glomerulonephritis. In this case, there is a triad of symptoms: 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, testicles and others) is the appearance of blood in a man. In this case, the blood will be brown or dark, and clots may appear.
Isolation of blood with semen
We must not forget about such a symptom as the release of blood with sperm (hematospermia). Distinguish between false and true hematospermia. When wrong, blood is mixed with semen as it passes through the urethra. 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 pain in the lower back;
- increased body temperature.
One of the causes of hematospermia is:
- overactive sex life or vice versa,
- prolonged sexual abstinence, rupture of 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 in benign and malignant neoplasms of the genitourinary organs
- Presence of stones in testicles and vas deferens
- with varicose veins of the pelvic organs.