There are few women who know that men also have a flow. As with women, they are normal in men and odorless. It is only called "leucorrhoea" in women and flows from the vagina while men flow from the urethra. Of course, any abnormal discharge is a sign of poor health and you should see a doctor.
Physiological discharge
A man's health is evidenced by physiological secretions from the urethral outlet, which can be observed in the following cases:
Libidous or physiological urethrorrhea
This condition is observed when transparent secretions appear during sexual arousal or in the morning, immediately after sleep. Their numbers vary from man to man and are directly related to the severity of sexual arousal. But in any case, it is important to note that such secretions contain a small amount of sperm when excited, so if they get into a partner’s genitals, there is a risk of pregnancy. The secretions described are designed to allow sperm to pass through a woman's urethra and vagina, where it has a destructive effect on the "gums" in an acidic environment and delivers it in a viable form to the uterine cavity and tubes to fertilize the egg.
Defective prostatorrhea
As intra-abdominal pressure increases (during exertion), clear odorless secretions and possible gray-white streaks may appear on the head of the penis. Such secretions are viscous and consist of a mixture of prostate secretions and nuclei. Such secretions may occur at the end of urination, in which case they speak of vocal prostatic cancer. In exceptional cases, such secretions occur with a strong cough. They cannot be considered as organic pathology, but only refer to a violation of the autonomous regulation of genital function.
Smegma
Smegma (preputial lubrication) is a secret that consists of secretions from the sebaceous glands of the penis head and foreskin. Generally, if a man adheres to personal hygiene rules, such a discharge will not cause any inconvenience as it will need to be washed mechanically with water. But if hygiene is ignored, smegma accumulates and microorganisms multiply in it, which is a source of unpleasant odor.
Isolation of sperm
Sperm that contain a large number of sperm are usually excreted at the end of intercourse or spontaneously during sleep (wet dreams) during ejaculation (ejaculation). The contamination occurs in adolescent boys and occurs several times a month or 1-3 times a week (hormonal changes).
In some cases, spermatorrhea, i. e. , the outflow of sperm from the urethra without intercourse and orgasm, indicates pathology when the tone of the iron deferent muscle layer is disturbed in the presence of chronic inflammation or brain disease.
Pathological discharge
Any other secretion that goes beyond physiology is a pathology, and primarily indicates inflammation of the urethra or urethritis. The causes of urethritis in men are different, they can be infectious and non-infectious.
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 urethral mucosa
- urethral irritation with chemicals
- trauma, narrowing of the urethra.
Male secretions may vary in transparency and color. These parameters are influenced by the intensity, stage, and etiological factor of the inflammatory process. The secretions are made up of fluid, mucus and various cells.
- Cloudy - if there are a large number of cells, the discharge is cloudy in color.
- Gray or thick - with the predominance of epithelial cells in the secretion, it will be gray and thick.
- Yellow, green, or yellow-green — when secretions contain large amounts of leukocytes, they turn yellow or even green, also called purulent discharge.
It should be noted that with the same pathology, the nature of the secretion changes over time.
White discharge
In men, there are several reasons for white discharge. First, candidiasis should be ruled out. The following symptoms can be observed with this disease:
- the head of the penis smells unpleasantly sour bread or yeast;
- the head of the penis is covered with a whitish coating;
- itching, burning and even pain can be observed in the penis and perineal region;
- when urinating, urination appears;
- there are reddish spots (irritation, inflammation) on the foreskin head and inner surface;
- pain occurs during cohabitation, discomfort in the head and foreskin;
- white discharge is observed not only during urination;
- the partner complains of itching and burning, pain during intercourse, cheesy discharge.
In addition to urogenital candidiasis, white discharge can be caused by chlamydia and / or ureaplasmosis and mycoplasmosis, and we can also talk about inflammation of the prostate, which is characterized by:
- Difficulty and intermittent urination
- burning sensation in the perineum and urethra;
- discomfort during defecation;
- frequent urination;
- sexual disorders (decreased libido and erections, rapid ejaculation, vague 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 mucosal secretions are possible in the case of chlamydia or ureaplasma urethritis in the chronic stage of the disease. As the process worsens, the number of leukocytes in the secretion increases and they turn a greenish or yellowish color.
- Trichomoniasis, gonorrhea - also transparent, copious secretions, many mucus that can be observed during the day, are possible in the early stages of infection with Trichomonas or gonococcus. In chlamydia (ureaplasmosis), subjective sensations are often absent (pain, itching, burning) and transparent secretions appear after urination is withdrawn.
Yellow discharge
Purulent discharge, which includes the exfoliating epithelium of the urethra, a significant number of leukocytes, and urethral mucus, is yellowish or greenish. Yellow secretions or mixed with green are a hallmark of venereal diseases.
- Gonorrhea - secretions with a thick and unpleasant rotting odor, observed during the day and accompanied by pain when urinating. One should first think of a gonorrheal infection if there is a classic pair of symptoms: discharge and itching.
- Trichomoniasis - also with yellow discharge, trichomoniasis is not excluded, although often asymptomatic. With severe symptoms of Trichomonas infection, in addition to purulent discharge, one is worried about burning and stinging sensations during urination, frequent and irresistible urination stimuli, feeling of difficulty in the lower abdomen, and discomfort in the perineum.
Discharge with an odor
Violation of hygiene
In particular, unpleasant odors can be observed in the perineum and penis if intimate hygiene conditions are not observed:
- Smegma is an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms that, when multiplied and killed, produce an unpleasant odor if the external genitalia are not thoroughly washed regularly.
- In addition, smegma itself may have an unpleasant odor in metabolic disorders (e. g. , diabetes in men). At the same time, the release of smegma is so intense that it soaks the underwear.
Infections
Odorous secretions are most commonly observed with an infectious lesion of the urethra. First, gonorrheal urethritis - a thick, yellow or green discharge that is observed throughout the day - should be ruled out.
The sour smell of secretions is a pathognomic symptom of urogenital candidiasis. Infection with fungi of the genus Candida causes the appearance of cheesy or milky white secretions.
The fishy odor of secretions is also possible, which lies in gardnerellosis, which is more common in women (this is called bacterial vaginosis), and in men the development of this disease is quite meaningless. Gardnerella belongs to the conditionally pathogenic microorganisms and only begins to multiply actively under certain conditions:
- weakening of immunity;
- concomitant inflammatory processes in the urogenital organs;
- intestinal dysbiosis;
- use of condoms with spermicides;
- long-term treatment with antibiotics or immunosuppressants (cytostatics, corticosteroids);
- tight underwear made of synthetic fabric;
- promising sex life.
In addition, unpleasant-smelling secretions 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 secretions (not from the urethra, but from the megma), these diseases are accompanied by hyperemia and itching, pain in the penis, and ulcers and wrinkles on the head.
Emptying with blood
Infections
In the case of an infectious lesion of the urethra, bloody secretions or blood streaks are often observed. Blood mix is characteristic of gonorrheal, Trichomonas, or candidal urethritis. In addition, the amount of blood is directly related to the intensity of the inflammation.
Blood is often observed in chronic urethritis (the mucous membrane of the urethra loosens and responds to the slightest irritation through contact bleeding, including passage of urine through the duct).
Medical manipulations
Another reason for this is urethral trauma during medical procedures. Coarse bougienage, catheter insertion and removal, cystoscopy, or smear may result in simultaneous staining. These differ in that the blood is scarlet, there are no blood clots, and the bleeding itself stops very quickly.
Passing stones and sand
Among other things, bloody discharge is observed as small stones or sand (from the kidneys or bladder) pass through the urethra. The hard surface of microlytes damages the mucous membranes and vessel walls, causing bleeding. In this case, the blood is most noticeable during urination, which is painful.
Glomerulonephritis
Gross hematuria (blood seen in the urine while urinating) is also possible in the presence of glomerulonephritis. In this case, there are three types of symptoms: gross hematuria, edema, hypertension.
Malignant tumors
One sign of malignant tumors of the urogenital system (prostate cancer, cancer of the penis, testicles, and others) is the appearance of blood in a man. In this case, the blood will turn brown or dark and blood clots may appear.
Isolation of blood with sperm
We must not forget a symptom such as the release of blood with sperm (hematatospermia). A distinction must be made between false and true hematatospermia. If it is fake, the blood mixes with the sperm as it passes through the urethra. And he enters the ejaculate with real blood before he passes through the urethra. Hematatospermia has the following symptoms:
- pain during ejaculation;
- urinary disorders;
- 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 hematatospermia is:
- overly active sex life or vice versa,
- prolonged sexual abstinence, while rupture of the walls of the genitals during intercourse
- previous surgery or biopsy may also cause blood to appear in the sperm
- hematatospermia appears in benign and malignant tumors of the urogenital organs
- in the presence of stones in the testes and iron deferens
- pelvic organs with varicose veins.