Discharge from the genitals can disturb not only girls, but also men. Males have normal odorless discharge. Their source is the urethra. In women, the discharge is called leukorrhea. If you have noticed an unhealthy discharge, go for a personal examination by a urologist immediately.
Norm or pathology?
The urethra is the male urethra. From there they appear from time to time. There is such a thing as urethrorrhea. It can be physiological or libidinal. A transparent discharge appears from the urethral outlet. It happens in the morning, right after waking up, or when a man is sexually aroused.
Urethrorrhoea can be more pronounced 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 by preliminary stroking of the genitals. In men, secretions help sperm pass through the urethra into and out of the vagina. After all, the environment there is acidic, which is harmful to sperm life.
The defecation area can be another cause of discharge in boys and men. When a man pushes, there is a discharge on the head of the penis that is odorless and colorless. Sometimes they can have white-gray inclusions. Their consistency is viscous. These are secretions from the prostate and seminal vesicles. Occurrence is possible after emptying the bladder. Then it is called the micturition space. In extremely rare cases, a man notices such discharge after coughing. It is not a disease, but a disorder that can be cured.
The next type of male genital discharge isIt includes the secret of the sebaceous glands of the head of the penis and the foreskin. If a man washes himself, changes his underwear and does not put on someone else's underwear, then these secretions will be washed away. And it won't be the center of attention. If the hygiene is not so good, quite a large amount of smegma can accumulate. Pathological flora will multiply and develop there, because the genitals and underwear will smell unpleasant.
Sperm
Sperm - a discharge, in which there are a lot of smermia (sperm). Sperm is released during ejaculation, that is, at the moment of peak pleasure during sexual intercourse of a different nature. Also, in sleep, men and boys sometimes have wet dreams, then sperm is released from the penis.
Wet dreams occur mainly during puberty. That's 2-5 cases a month. But with changes in the balance of hormones, wet dreams can be even several times a week. If the sperm does not come out of the penis at the moment of orgasm, it is called "". This is a disease caused by a violation of muscle tone in the vas deferens. Basically, this happens in diseases of the brain or chronic inflammation in the ducts.
Pathological discharge
Physiological secretions normally found in males and men are described above. Here we look at discharge that is associated with health problems. Basically, pathological discharge from the urethra disturbs men with urethritis. This is an inflammatory process that develops in the urethra. Infection or non-infectious factors can cause urethritis.
The infection can be specific or non-specific. Trichomoniasis or gonorrhea is specific. And non-specific urethritis can be caused by such pathogens:
- mycoplasma
- ureaplasma
- chlamydia
- herpes
- staphylococcus aureus
- streptococcus
Non-infectious causes of urethritis and associated discharge from the genital tract:
- injury, narrowing of the urethra
- irritation by chemicals
- mechanical damage to the mucous membrane
- influence of allergens
Discharge from the genital tract in men can be of different colors and transparency. It depends on how active the inflammation is, in what stage it is, what kind of flora was provoked. The composition of secretions from the penis includes:
- serves
- liquid
- cells of different origins
If there is a lot of the last listed component, then the discharge becomes cloudy, which can be visually noticed by the person himself. If epithelial cells appear in secretions in large numbers, then the secretions thicken and acquire a gray tint.
Symptoms of candidiasis:
- white spots on the head of the penis
- the head of the penis has an unpleasant smell, reminiscent of yeast or sourdough bread
- unpleasant sensations occur on the penis and in the perineal region: 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 on the foreskin)
- sexual partner (wife, girlfriend) complains of discomfort to pain during intercourse
- the partner has a white discharge with a curdled consistency
Another possible cause of white discharge in men is ureaplasmosis, chlamydia, mycoplasmosis. It can also be inflammation of the prostate, the symptoms of which are:
- frequent urge to urinate
- discomfort during bowel movements
- burning in perineum and urethra
- occasional and difficult emptying of the bladder
- sexual disorders
If prostatitis is not treated, then the erection will disappear, and it will also be impossible to conceive a child in the future. Therefore, if one or more of the above symptoms appear, immediately consult a doctor 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, then there will be, among others, such:
- discomfort in the perineum
- feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen
- frequent and irresistible urge to urinate
- burning and stinging when urinating
Discharge with a smell
The first possible reason (and the most harmless) is a violation of hygiene. As mentioned above, smegma is a normal (non-diseased) male secretion. If you do not wash regularly, at least once a day, then smegma accumulates, bacteria multiply in it, causing not very pleasant smells. These smells can vary from person to person.
If you follow the hygiene rules, and the unpleasant smell is still present, the doctor may suspect a metabolic disorder. In such cases, the most common cause is diabetes mellitus. The smegma will stand out in a sufficiently large amount, because the laundry will be wet.
Infections also cause unpleasant discharge in men. Basically, the pathological process occurs in the urethra. A doctor may suspect urethritis caused by a gonorrheal infection. The nature of the discharge is described above. If in men the discharge from the penis has a sour smell, it is most likely that urogenital candidiasis is developing.
If the discharge from the genitals smells like fish, the man most likely has gardnerellosis. The same pathogen in women causes the so-called disease. But these are very rare cases, the disease is much more common in women. Gardnerella is conditionally pathogenic flora. It multiplies when exposed to certain factors. Factors for the development of gardnerellosis:
- promiscuous sex life
- tight synthetic underwear (made of unnatural materials)
- long courses of antibiotics or immunosuppressants
- spermicidal condoms
- inflammation of the urinary tract
- reduced immunity
Discharge with blood in men
The main reason is infection. The discharge can be either completely bloody or contain traces of blood. If the infection multiplies in the urethra, then you will notice such a symptom, but not necessarily. Urethritis in such cases is mainly caused by infection with Candida, Trichomonas or gonorrhea. The stronger the inflammation, the more blood is released.
Probable reason number two is medical manipulations performed carelessly. The urethra is injured, so blood is released. Procedures that can damage the urethra:
- catheter placement
- catheter removal
- bougienage
- taking a swab
- cystoscopy
Allocations with blood are simultaneous. It should be noted that in this case crimson blood, without clots, stops quickly.
The passage of stones, sand is the next cause of bloody discharge from the penis. They are excreted from the kidneys or bladder and pass through the urethra. Microliths are hard, they damage the mucous membrane and walls of blood vessels, which becomes a direct cause of bleeding. There are also sensations of pain.
It also causes, in some cases, discharge with blood inclusions. Blood in the urine that a man sees when he goes to the toilet is called gross hematuria. Then symptoms such as increased blood pressure and swelling develop in parallel.
There can be an even more serious cause of bloody discharge in men and men - cancer. Malignant tumors can be from the following organs:
- testicles
- penis
- prostate etc.
The blood will then be brown or dark, and blood clots will be present in the discharge.
Isolation of blood with seminal fluid
Such a discharge is called "hematospermia". It can be true or false. If hematospermia is false, then the blood mixes with the seminal fluid during its passage through the urethra. If this pathology is true, then the blood mixes with the sperm before passing through the urethra.
Hematospermia is manifested by such signs (clinical picture):
- urinary disorders
- pain during ejaculation
- discomfort and back pain
- pain and/or swelling in the genitals
- high body temperature
Causes of seminal bleeding:
- prolonged sexual abstinence
- excessively active sexual life (during coitus the walls of blood vessels burst)
- varicose veins of the pelvic organs
- stones in the testicles and vas deferens
- malignant and benign formations in genitourinary organs
- biopsy
- genital surgery
Physiological secretions
A man's health is evidenced by physiological discharge from the urethra, which is observed in the following cases:
Libidinous or physiological urethrorhoea
This condition occurs when a clear discharge appears on the head of the penis during sexual excitement or in the morning, immediately after sleep. Their number in different men varies and is directly related to the strength of sexual excitement. But in any case, it is important to remember that such discharges, when excited, contain a small amount of sperm, therefore, if they enter the partner's genitals, there is a risk of pregnancy. The function of the described secretions is to ensure the passage of spermatozoa through the urethra and vagina of a woman, where there is an acidic environment that is harmful to the "right flesh", and to introduce them in a viable form into the cavity of the uterus and tubes. for egg fertilization.
Prostorrhoea of defecation
During an increase in intra-abdominal pressure (when straining), a clear, 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 secretions and seminal vesicles. A similar discharge can also appear at the end of urination, in which case they speak of a wet room. 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 autonomous regulation of the functioning of the genital organs.
Smegma
Smegma (preputial lubrication) is a secret that consists of secretions from the sebaceous glands of the head of the penis and the foreskin. Usually, if a man follows the rules of personal hygiene, such discharges do not cause inconvenience, because they are mechanically washed away with water. But if hygiene is neglected, smegma accumulates, and microorganisms multiply in it, which serves as a source of unpleasant odor.
semen excretion
Semen, which contains a large number of spermatozoa, is normally released during ejaculation (ejaculation) at the end of sexual intercourse or spontaneously, in sleep (pollution). Wet dreams are observed in adolescents and occur either several times a month, or 1 - 3 times a week (hormonal changes).
In some cases, spermatorrhoea, 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 disease.
Pathological discharge
All other secretions that exceed physiological pathologies and indicate primarily inflammation of the urethra or urethritis. 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, this and.
- Non-specific 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 influenced by the intensity of the inflammatory process, its stage and etiological factor. Secretions are formed from fluids, mucus and various cells.
- Cloudy - if there are a large number of cells, then the discharge has a cloudy color.
- Gray or thick - with a predominance of epithelial cells in the secretion, they become gray in color and become thick.
- Yellow, green or yellow-green - when there is a large number of leukocytes in the secretion, they become yellow or even green in color, they are also called purulent discharge.
It should be noted that with the same pathology, the nature of discharge changes over time.
White discharge
White discharge in men occurs for several reasons. First of all, candidiasis should be ruled out (see). The following symptoms are observed in this disease:
- the head of the penis smells unpleasantly like sour bread or yeast;
- the head of the penis is covered with a whitish coating;
- there is itching, burning, and even pain in the penis and in the perineum;
- discharge appears during urination;
- reddish spots (irritation, inflammation) are observed on the head and the inner surface of the foreskin;
- there is pain during intercourse, discomfort is felt in the area of the head and foreskin;
- white discharge is noticed not only during urination;
- partner complains of itching and burning, pain during intercourse, has breast discharge.
Transparent accents
- Chlamydia, ureaplasmosis - transparent mucous discharge is possible with chlamydial or ureaplasma urethritis in the chronic stage of the disease. With the deterioration of the processes in the secretions, the number of leukocytes increases, which take on a greenish or yellowish color.
- Trichomoniasis, gonorrhea - also transparent, abundant discharge with a large amount of mucus, which are observed during the day, are possible in the initial stage of infection with trichomonas or gonococcus. In the case of chlamydia (ureaplasmosis), subjective feelings are often absent (pain, itching, burning), and clear discharge appears after prolonged urination.
yellow discharge
Purulent discharge, which includes desquamated urethral epithelium, a significant number of leukocytes, and urethral mucus, is yellowish or greenish. Yellow or green discharge is a characteristic sign of sexually transmitted diseases.
- Gonorrhea - the discharge is thick and has an unpleasant rotten smell, it is observed during the day and is accompanied by pain when urinating. A man 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 it is often asymptomatic. With pronounced symptoms of trichomonas infection, in addition to purulent discharge, a man is disturbed by a frequent and irresistible urge to urinate, a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen and discomfort in the perineum.
Discharge with a smell
Violation of hygiene
The unpleasant smell of the perineum and penis can be especially noticeable if the conditions of intimate hygiene are not respected:
- Smegma is an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms that, multiplying and dying, create an unpleasant odor if you do not regularly wash the external genitalia.
- In addition, smegma itself can have an unpleasant odor in case of metabolic disorders. At the same time, the release of smegma is so intense that it is absorbed through the underwear.
infections
Discharge with a smell is most often observed in infectious lesions of the urethra. First of all, gonorrhoeal urethritis should be ruled out - thick, yellow or green discharge that occurs during the day.
The sour smell of secretions is a pathognomonic symptom of urogenital candidiasis. Infection with Candida fungi causes a cheesy or milky white discharge (see).
It is also possible to have a fishy smell of the discharge that is characteristic of gardnerella, which is quite characteristic for women (called bacterial vaginosis), and in men the development of this disease is rather nonsense. Gardnerella belongs to conditionally pathogenic microorganisms and begins to reproduce actively only under certain conditions:
- weakening of the immune system;
- accompanying inflammatory processes of the genitourinary organs;
- intestinal dysbacteriosis;
- use of condoms with spermicides;
- long-term treatment with antibiotics or immunosuppressants (cytostatics, corticosteroids);
- tight-fitting underwear of synthetic fabrics;
- promiscuous sex life.
Discharge with blood
infections
Bloody or blood-stained discharge is often seen in infectious lesions of the urethra. Blood admixture is characteristic of gonorrheal, trichomonad or candidal urethritis. Moreover, the amount of blood is directly related to the intensity of inflammation.
Blood is often observed in chronic urethritis (the mucous membrane of the urethra is relaxed and reacts with contact bleeding to the slightest irritation, including the passage of urine through the canal).
Medical manipulations
Another reason for this is trauma to the urethra during medical procedures. In the case of rough drilling, insertion and removal of catheters, cystoscopy or swabbing, one-phase bleeding can be observed. They differ in that crimson blood has no clots, and the bleeding itself stops very quickly.
Passage of stones, sand
Among other things, discharge with blood can be seen when a small stone or sand (from the kidney or bladder) passes through the urethra. The hard surface of microliths damages the mucosa and walls of blood vessels, causing bleeding. In this case, blood is most noticeable during urination, which is accompanied by pain.
Glomerulonephritis
In the presence of glomerulonephritis, large hematuria is also possible. In this case, there is a triad of symptoms: large hematuria, edema, increased blood pressure.
Isolation of blood with seminal fluid
We must not forget about such a symptom as discharge (hematospermia). There are false and true hematospermia. With fake blood, it mixes with the seminal fluid during its passage through the urethra. And with real blood enters the ejaculate 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);
- back discomfort and pain;
- increase in body temperature.
One of the causes of hematospermia is:
- excessively active sex life or vice versa,
- prolonged sexual abstinence, while during intercourse the vascular walls in the tissues of the genital organs burst
- previous surgery or biopsy can also cause blood in the semen
- hematospermia occurs with benign and malignant neoplasms of the genitourinary organs
- in the presence of stones in the testicles and vas deferens
- with dilated veins of the pelvic organs.
As you know, discharge from the penis in men can be both physiological and pathological. Physiological secretions are the result of the activity of the gonads, including the result of sexual excitement.
Such discharges from the penis are a clear viscous liquid and their presence does not cause discomfort in men. Physiological discharge on 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 of a pathological nature and is usually accompanied by a certain infection.