There are few women who know that men also have discharge. As with women, with men they are normally open and odorless. Only in women it is called "leucorrhoea" and they appear from the vagina while the men flow out of the urinary tract. Of course, any pathological discharge indicates poor health and requires a visit to a physician.
Physiological discharge
The health of a man is evidenced by physiological discharge from the outlet of the urinary tract, which is observed in the following cases:
Libidous or physiological urethrorrhea
This condition is observed when transparent discharge occurs during sexual intercourse or in the morning, immediately after sleep. Their number in different men differs and is directly related to the severity of sexual recovery. But in any case, it is important to remember that such discharge, when aroused, contains a small amount of sperm, so when they reach the genitals of the partner, they risk getting pregnant. The function of the secretions described is to guarantee the passage of spermatozoa through the urethra and vagina of a woman, where there is an acidic environment that is destructive to the "gum", and they in a viable form and d'Get uterine help in the tube for fertilizing the egg.
Defective Prostatorrhea
During an increase in intra-abdominal pressure (during exertion), an odorless, transparent discharge with possible gray-white streaks on the head of the penis may occur. Such a discharge is viscous and consists of a mixture of prostate secretions and seminal vesicles. Such discharge may occur at the end of urination, in which case they speak of a vocal prostatorrhea. In exceptional cases, such discharge appears with a strong cough. They are not considered as 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 secretion that consists of secretions from the sebaceous glands of the head of the penis and the foreskin. Normally, when a man observes the rules of personal hygiene, such a discharge does not create any disadvantage as it is mechanically washed off with water. But when hygiene is neglected, smegma accumulates, and microorganisms multiply in what serves as a source of an unsympathetic odor.
Sperm isolation
Sperm that contain a large number of sperm are usually secreted during ejaculation (ejaculation) at the end of sex or spontaneously, during sleep (wet dreams). Pollution occurs in adolescents and occurs either several times a month or 1 to 3 times a week (hormonal changes).
In some cases, sperm, i. e. the outflow of sperm from the urinary tract without sex 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 diseases of the brain.
Pathological discharge
All other secretions that go beyond physiology are pathology and mainly indicate inflammation of the urinary tract or urethritis. The causes of urethritis in men are different, they can be both contagious and non-contagious.
Infectious causes are divided into specific and non-specific.
- Specific etiological factors include sexually transmitted diseases such as trichomoniasis.
- Non-specific 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 urinary mucosa
- Irritation of the urinary tract with chemicals
- Trauma, narrowing of the urinary tract.
Male discharge may vary in transparency and color. These parameters are influenced by the intensity of the inflammatory process, its stage and etiological factor. The secretions are formed from fluid, mucus and various cells.
- Cloudy - if there are a large number of cells, then the discharge has a cloudy color.
- Gray or thick - with an excess of epithelial cells in the secretions they become gray and thick.
- Yellow, green or yellow-green - when a large number of leukocytes are contained in the secretions, they turn yellow and 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 several reasons. First, candidiasis should be ruled out. With this disease the following symptoms are observed:
- the head of the penis smells unpleasantly of sour bread or yeast;
- the head of the penis is covered with a white coating;
- Itching, burning and even pain in the penis and in the perineal region are noted;
- Discharge appears when urinating;
- there are red spots (irritation, inflammation) on the head and the inner surface of the foreskin;
- Pain occurs during coitus, discomfort is felt in head and foreskin;
- white discharge is noticed, not only during urination;
- the partner complains of itching and burning, pain during intercourse, has a crazy 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 in intermittent urination
- a burning sensation in the perineum and urinary tract;
- Discomfort during bowel movements;
- frequent urination to urinate;
- sexual disorders (decreased libido and erection, rapid ejaculation, disappeared orgasm).
It is important for men to remember that neglected prostatitis can not only lead to persistent erectile dysfunction, but also to infertility.
Transparent selection
- Chlamydia, ureaplasmosis - transparent mucosal discharge is possible with chlamydial or ureaplasic urethritis in the chronic stage of the disease. With a worsening of the process, the number of leukocytes in the secretions increases, and they get a green or yellowish color.
- Trichomoniasis, gonorrhea - also transparent, abundant discharge with a lot of saliva, which are observed during the day, are possible in the first stage of infection with Trichomonas or gonococci. In the case of chlamydia (ureaplasmosis), subjective sensations are often absent (pain, itching, burning), and transparent discharge appears after prolonged abstinence from urination.
Yellow discharge
Purulent discharge containing the desquamated epithelium of the hernia, a significant number of leukocytes and urinary mucus, are 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 unsympathetic crazy smell, is observed during the day and is accompanied by pain when urinating. A man should first think of a gonorrheal infection when 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 a pus-like discharge, a man is concerned about burning and stinging when urinating, often in irresistible urge to urinate, a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen and discomfort in the perineum.
Discharge with an odor
Violation of hygiene
An unsympathetic odor of the perineum and penis, in particular, can be observed if the conditions of intimate hygiene are not followed:
- Smegma is an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms that, multiplying and dying, create an unsympathetic odor if you do not regularly wash the external genitalia thoroughly.
- In addition, smegma itself may have an unsympathetic odor in case of metabolic disorders (for example diabetes mellitus in men). At the same time, the release of Smegma is so intense that it drives through the underwear.
Infections
Discharge with an odor is most commonly observed with an infectious lesion of the urethra. First, gonorrheal urethritis should be ruled out - thick, yellow or green discharge that is observed throughout the day.
The sour smell of discharge is a pathognomonic symptom of urogenital candidiasis. Infection with fungi of the genus Candida provokes the appearance of a cheesy or soft white discharge.
A fishy odor of secretions is also possible, which is inherent in gardnerellosis, which is more characteristic of women (called bacterial vaginosis), and in men, the development of this disease is rather nonsense. Gardnerella belongs to condition pathogenic microorganisms and begins to multiply actively only under certain conditions:
- Weakening of immunity;
- concomitant inflammatory processes of the genitourinary organs;
- intestinal dysbiosis;
- the use of condoms containing spermicides;
- long-term treatment with antibiotics or immunosuppressants (cytostatics, corticosteroids);
- tight underwear made of synthetic fabrics;
- promiscuous sex life.
Even discharge with an unpleasant odor can be associated with diseases such as:
- Balanitis (inflammation of the head of the penis)
- balanoposthitis (inflammation of the inner surface of the foreskin).
But in addition to the discharge (not from the urinary tract, but smegma), these diseases are accompanied by hyperemia and itching, pain in the penis, and ulcers and wrinkles are found on the head.
Discharge with blood
Infections
Bloody discharge or discharge with streaks of blood is often observed with an infectious lesion of the urinary tract. A mixture of blood is characteristic of gonorrheal, trichomonas or candidal urethritis. In addition, the quantity of blood is directly related to the intensity of the inflammation.
Blood is often observed in chronic urethritis (the mucous membrane of the urinary tract is loosened and responds with contact bleeding to the slightest irritation, including the passage of urine through the duct).
Medical manipulations
Another reason for this is trauma to the urethra during medical procedures. In the case of rough bougienage, insertion and removal of a catheter, cystoscopy, or taking a smear, stains can occur immediately. They differ in that the blood is scarlet, has no clotting, and the bleeding itself stops very quickly.
Passage of stone, sand
Among other things, bloody discharge can be observed when small stones or sand (from the kidneys or bladder) pass through the urethra. The hard surface of microliths damages the mucous membranes and vascular walls, causing bleeding. In this case, blood is most noticeable 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, penis, testicles and others) is the appearance of blood in a man. In this case, the blood will be brown or dark, and climbing may occur.
Isolation of blood with semen
We must not forget such a symptom as the release of blood with sperm (hematospermia). Difference between false and true hematospermia. If it is wrong, blood is mixed with the sperm during its passage through the urethra. And with real blood, the ejaculate enters 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 pain in the lower back;
- increased body temperature.
One of the causes of hematospermia is:
- excessively active sex life or vice versa,
- prolonged sexual abstinence, during sex there is a rupture of the vascular walls and the tissues of the genital organs
- previous surgery or biopsy may also cause blood and semen to appear
- Hematospermia appears in benign and malignant neoplasms of the genitourinary organs
- and presence of stones in the testicles and vas deferens
- with varicose veins of the pelvic organs.