The state of discharge from a man's penis is an important indicator of the health of his genitourinary system. Such secretions consist of the contents of the urethra, the secretion of the sebaceous glands, which are located on the upper part of the penis, and the pathological discharge.
In order to determine the nature and cause of the discharge, it is important for a man to know which manifestations are normal and which signal the onset of the disease.
Varieties of secretions
Fluid on the head of the penis begins to appear during adolescence and is a sign that the body is maturing and preparing for reproductive function.
Physiological
Even under the condition of absolute health in men, drops of fluid appearing from the urethra can be periodically noticed on the penis. Its quantity and volume differ individually, but only slightly. This odorless liquid is most often present in the morning after waking up before going to the toilet. The change in volume is due to hormonal fluctuations, the state of health and past diseases, the use of certain medications and other reasons.
The complete absence of glandular secretion may be a variant of the norm and does not affect the sexual health of a man. In rare cases, excessive dryness causes discomfort during intercourse, but this problem is easily solved by using special products and lubricants.
There are four types of physiological discharge from the urethra.
Libidinous urethrorrhea
It is a colorless secret that appears on the head of the penis from the ducts of the urethral glands. There are two of these glands on the penis, they are located at the base of the cavernous bodies and are called bulbourethral or cooper glands.
The appearance of a clear liquid occurs against the background of excitement or erection, which periodically occurs in the morning, when testosterone in the blood reaches its maximum values. The abundance of such secretions during arousal in men is different, usually depending on the duration of abstinence from sex, on the degree of arousal and individual physiological characteristics.
During an erection, such mucus acts as a lubricant for the urogenital canal, so that spermatozoa pass through it easily and at the required speed. Since this secret contains single spermatozoa, its contact with the genitals of a woman can lead to pregnancy.
Defecation prostorrhea
During defecation, straining of the muscles of the abdomen and abdominal cavity occurs, which provokes the appearance of mucus on the head, which sometimes contains white-gray streaks. Such viscous mucus is odorless, it contains both the secret of the prostate and seminal vesicles.
The same fluid can be released after urination, which is called micturatory prostorrhea, and after severe coughing attacks, accompanied by a sharp tension in the muscles of the press.
Experts do not consider defecation prostatorrhea a disease, but they distinguish it as a possible sign of the latent phase of prostatitis.
Smegma
The secret of the preputial glands is called smegma. Immediately after isolation, it resembles a white grease of a thick consistency. After the formation of smegma is placed under the foreskin. Preputial lubrication contains fat and elements of bacteria. Its function is to reduce the friction of the penis against the foreskin. Its maximum amount is inherent in adolescence.
If the smegma is not thoroughly washed out periodically, then it begins to decompose, acquires a pungent odor and becomes greener. All this leads to the onset of a pathological process due to the multiplication of microbes, which will lead to inflammation.
Sperm
The ejaculate contains a huge amount of seminal fluid and spermatozoa. In adolescence, spermatorrhea is possible without sexual contact, sometimes during sleep. If the same picture persists after puberty, this may be a sign of dysregulation of the tone of the vas deferens due to inflammation or a brain tumor.
Pathological
Discharge from the urethra also occurs due to various dysfunctions of the organs of the reproductive or urinary system.
It can be caused by such factors:
- Mechanical. They occur after damage to the urethra during sampling using special instruments that are inserted into the lumen of the urethra (ureteroscopy, cystoscopy, etc. ).
- infectious. Are the result of the presence and progress of the number of microbial pathogens. These microbes can be bacteria, fungi or viruses.
- Chemical. They appear as a result of the use of certain drugs and medicines that can be used during the treatment of the genitourinary system or other systems. Often occur as a result of the treatment of the urethra with medicinal solutions.
Sometimes the reason lies in the allergic reaction of the body to environmental factors or the detergents and personal care products used.
The substance that protrudes from the urethra can be mucus, fluid, bacteria or fungi, and pus. Color, transparency, consistency, smell and volumes indicate the intensity and stage of the process. At different stages with the same disease, all these parameters can change.
It is classified as follows:
- Hematorrhea. Characterized by blood inclusions. It can occur both due to injuries, and with arterial hypertension, the presence of tumors in the penis or in the prostate gland.
- Leukocyte urethrorrhea. Occurs when the accumulated contents are released during inflammation. The color, smell and duration of the exudate exit indicates the degree of damage to the epithelium of the urinary canal.
- Mucopurulent masses. Retain leukocyte cells, urethral mucus and serous fluid. Outwardly, it looks like a transparent mucus with a white tint. It is a possible sign of urethritis in chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, etc.
- Pus. Contains many leukocytes and pieces of epithelium. By consistency, it is the thickest, has a yellow or greenish color. It is often accompanied by burning during the outflow of urine. This happens with gonorrhea, gonococcal urethritis or chlamydia.
White discharge
If white, flaky or cheesy discharge with a sour smell appears on the head of the penis, this indicates candidiasis. In men, it is less common than in women, and its appearance means that the immune system is in a depressed state. This happens after a course of strong antibiotics or chemotherapy.
If the liquid at the same time contains foamy inclusions, then we can conclude that trichomoniasis, ureaplasmosis or mycoplasmosis, which are quite often transmitted during unprotected intercourse, can be concluded.
Another disease that can cause the appearance of white mucus is chronic prostatitis. This symptom is usually accompanied by a decrease in potency and difficulty urinating.
Transparent highlights
The main reasons causing such excretion: chlamydia or chronic ureaplasmosis. With these diseases, this may be the only symptom that indicates the presence of a pathological process. The appearance of transparent mucus does not always occur, but only if the man has not gone to the toilet for a long time. After the process escalates, the color changes from transparent to greenish, as the content of dead leukocytes increases in the liquid.
Clear mucus is characteristic of the initial stage of gonorrhea. With this disease, the mucus is quite viscous, it is released around the clock in large volumes.
Yellow or green discharge
Yellow or greenish color - a clear sign of the presence of pus, consisting of cells of lymphocytes, mucus from the urethra and fragments of the epithelium of the urethra. This picture is characteristic of many venereal diseases.
With gonorrhea, the consistency of the mucus is very thick, there is a sharp putrefactive odor, and the process of urination becomes painful. Another disease in which the discharge becomes yellow is trichomoniasis. Often there are no more symptoms. Very rarely, this infection is accompanied by frequent urge to urinate and itching in the perineum.
Discharge with a strong odor
Often such a symptom occurs against the background of neglect of the rules of hygiene. Since a warm and humid environment is constantly present in the area of \u200b\u200bthe male genital organs, microbes multiply rapidly there. Their waste products cause an extremely unpleasant odor. In order to prevent such a phenomenon, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the penis every day, moving the foreskin aside.
An unpleasant odor can also develop in case of metabolic disorders, diabetes mellitus or infectious diseases. With thrush, a sour smell occurs, and with gardnerellosis, a pronounced fishy smell. Inflammation of the head of the penis and the inner section of the leathery fold of the foreskin also cause a specific pungent odor.
Bloody issues
Often, blood comes out along with the contents of the urethra due to infectious inflammation. The appearance of such a symptom is possible with candidiasis, gonorrhea, trichomonas urethritis. The greater the amount of mucus and the more blood it contains, the more intense the process.
Small streaks of blood mean that the process has managed to become chronic with a significant loosening of the mucous epithelium, which causes irritation every time urine flows out of the urethra.
Also, blood can come out after a traumatic insertion or removal of a catheter from the urethra, during cystoscopy or taking material for bacteriological analysis.
Due to damage to the walls of blood vessels during the passage of sand and stones from the kidneys, the discharge may acquire a pink, red or brownish tint. In such cases, with the outflow of urine, severe pain appears with localization in the lower part of the small pelvis or lumbar region of the back.
Blood in the discharge is also present in the late stages of oncological tumors of the urinary tract, with cancerous tumors of the ovaries, penis, with adenoma and tumors of the testes. In this case, bleeding is characterized by a brown or brown tint, with blood clots.
Even if it seems to the patient that he has accurately identified the disease, an independent choice of treatment is strictly prohibited. Many diseases of the reproductive and urinary system have similar symptoms, and the complications they can lead to cause infertility, loss of potency and other serious consequences for a man's health.
Where to go for diagnostics
Diseases that are characterized by pathological discharge from the urethra are diagnosed and treated by such specialists:
- dermatovenereologist;
- urologist;
- venereologist;
- nephrologist.
Going to the initial consultation with a specialist, the patient should be ready to answer the following questions:
- the volume of allocations;
- shade and turbidity;
- impurities (blood, flakes, pus and clots);
- consistency (liquid, sticky);
- smell (fishy, sour, absent);
- the dependence of the manifestation of the symptom on the time of day;
- whether it is related to urination, spicy food, alcohol intake and erection).
After the doctor listens to complaints, he will examine the urethra, genitals, perineum and groin in order to track external inflammation, rashes and signs of injury.
With palpation of the lymph nodes in the groin, the doctor will assess the temperature of the skin. Fever is a clear sign of inflammation. In addition, he pays attention to painful sensations when palpated, the density of tissues and the presence of ulcers.
The specialist will conduct a digital examination of the prostate. It consists in examination through the cavity of the rectum. If at the same time fluid is released from the urethra, it is sent for examination under a microscope. Palpation of the prostate can reveal internal tumor neoplasms and adenoma.
Further diagnostics in most cases goes according to the following algorithm:
- general clinical tests of urine and blood;
- smear for bacanalysis of the contents of the urethra;
- blood sugar test;
- Ultrasound of the internal genital and urinary organs;
- urography.
With very severe genital inflammation, the doctor immediately prescribes antibiotic therapy using broad-spectrum agents, without waiting for test results.
If the spotting is significant in volume, the patient will be advised to go to the hospital. In the event that there is a suspicion of cancer, the diagnosis is made on the basis of histology based on the results of a biopsy.
Timely seeking medical help should be a prerequisite for all men who want to maintain sexual health and youth for many years, as early diagnosis guarantees the fastest possible relief from the disease and the absence of complications.