Few women know that men also experience vaginal discharge. As in women, in men also occurs normally and is odorless. Only in women are it called "leucorrhoea" and they arise from the vagina, whereas in men it drains from the urethra. Of course, any pathological discharge indicates poor health and requires a visit to the doctor.
Physiological release
The health of a man is evidenced by a physiological discharge from the urethral outlet, which is observed in the following cases:
Libidous or physiological urethrorrhoea
This condition is observed when a clear discharge appears during sexual arousal or in the morning, immediately after sleep. Their number in different men is different and is directly related to the severity of sexual arousal. But in any case, it is important to remember that such discharges, when excited, contain a small amount of sperm, so if they enter the genitals of a partner, he risks getting pregnant. The function of the described secretions is to ensure the passage of spermatozoa through the urethra and vagina of a woman, in which there is an acidic environment that damages the "gums", and introduces them in proper form into the uterine cavity and ducts. for fertilization of the egg.
Damaged Prostorrhoea
During an increase in intra-abdominal pressure (during straining), a clear, odorless fluid with possible white-gray streaks may appear on the head of the penis. The fluid is thick and consists of a mixture of prostatic 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 a discharge appears 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 head of the penis and foreskin. Usually, if a man adheres to the rules of personal hygiene, such disposal does not cause discomfort, as 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 odors.
Sperm Isolation
Sperm, which contain large amounts of sperm, are usually released during ejaculation (ejaculation) at the end of intercourse or spontaneously, during sleep (wet dreams). Pollution occurs in teenage boys and occurs several times a month or 1 to 3 weeks (hormonal changes).
In some cases, spermatorrhea, that is, the discharge 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 vaginal discharge
All other secretions that go beyond the physiological are pathological and mainly indicate inflammation of the urethra or urethritis. The causes of urethritis in men are different, they can be infectious and non-infectious.
Causes of infection are divided into specific and non-specific.
- Specific etiologic 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 inflammatory factors include:
- allergic reaction
- mechanical damage to the urethral mucosa
- Urethral irritation with chemicals
- trauma, urethral constriction.
Men's discharge can vary in transparency and color. This parameter is influenced by the intensity of the inflammatory process, its stage and aetiological factors. Secretions are made up of fluid, mucus, and various cells.
- Cloudy - if there are a lot of cells, then the discharge is cloudy.
- Gray or thick - with a predominance 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, they are also called purulent secretions.
It should be noted that with the same pathology, the nature of the discharge changes over time.
vaginal discharge
Vaginal discharge in men is caused by several reasons. First of all, candidiasis should be excluded. With this disease, the following symptoms are observed:
- the head of the penis smells bad from sour bread or yeast;
- the head of the penis is covered with a whitish layer;
- itching, burning and even pain in the penis and in the perineal area are noted;
- discharge when urinating;
- there are reddish spots (irritation, inflammation) on the head and inner surface of the foreskin;
- pain occurs during coitus, discomfort is felt in the head and foreskin;
- white discharge, not only when urinating;
- partner complains of itching and burning, pain during intercourse, discharge like cheese.
In addition to urogenital candidiasis, vaginal discharge can be caused by chlamydia and / or ureaplasmosis and mycoplasmosis, and also speaks of 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 to not only persistent erectile dysfunction, but also infertility.
Transparent option
- Chlamydia, ureaplasmosis - the release of transparent mucus is possible with chlamydial urethritis or ureaplasma in the chronic stage of the disease. With an exacerbation of the process, the number of leukocytes in the secretions increases, and they acquire a greenish or yellowish color.
- Trichomoniasis, gonorrhea - also transparent, abundant discharge with a lot of mucus, which is observed during the day, is possible in the early stages of infection with Trichomonas or gonococci. In the case of chlamydia (ureaplasmosis), subjective sensations are often absent (pain, itching, burning), and a clear discharge appears after prolonged retention of urination.
yellow discharge
Purulent discharge, which includes urethral desquamated epithelium, large numbers of leukocytes and urethral mucus, is yellowish or greenish in color. Vaginal discharge that is yellow or mixed with greenery is a typical sign of a sexually transmitted disease.
- Gonorrhea - thick vaginal discharge and has an unpleasant foul odor, observed during the day and accompanied by pain when urinating. A man should first think of a gonorrhea infection if there is a classic pair of symptoms: vaginal discharge and itching.
- Trichomoniasis - also 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 worried about burning and stinging sensation when urinating, frequent and unbearable urge to urinate, feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen and discomfort in the perineum.
Discharge with smell
Hygiene violation
An unpleasant odor of the perineum and penis, in particular, can be observed if intimate hygiene conditions are not followed:
- Smegma is an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms, which multiply and die, creating an unpleasant odor if you do not thoroughly wash the external genital organs.
- In addition, smegma itself can have an unpleasant odor in case of metabolic disorders (for example, diabetes mellitus in men). At the same time, the release of smegma is so strong that it penetrates the underwear.
Infection
Odorless discharge is most often observed with infectious lesions of the urethra. First of all, gonorrheal urethritis should be excluded - a thick, yellow or green discharge that is observed throughout the day.
The sour smell of the discharge is a pathognomonic symptom of urogenital candidiasis. Fungal infection of the genus Candida triggers the appearance of a milky white discharge or cheese.
A fishy smell from secretions is also possible, which is inherent in gardnerellosis, which is more characteristic in women (the so-called bacterial vaginosis), and in men, the development of the disease is rather implausible. Gardnerella belongs to conditionally pathogenic microorganisms and begins to multiply actively only under certain conditions:
- weakened immunity;
- concomitant inflammatory processes in the genitourinary organs;
- intestinal dysbiosis;
- use of condoms with spermicides;
- long-term treatment with antibiotics or immunosuppressants (cytostatics, corticosteroids);
- tight underwear made of synthetic fabrics;
- free sex life.
In addition, vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor can be caused by diseases such as:
- balanitis (inflammation of the head of the penis)
- balanoposthitis (inflammation of the inner surface of the foreskin).
But in addition to discharge (not from the urethra, but smegma), the disease is accompanied by hyperemia and itching, pain in the penis, and ulcers and wrinkles are found on the head.
Come out with blood
Infection
Bloody discharge or bloody discharge with streaks of blood is often observed with infectious lesions of the urethra. Mixed blood is characteristic of gonorrhea, Trichomonas or candidal urethritis. In addition, the amount of blood is directly related to the intensity of inflammation.
Often, blood is observed in chronic urethritis (the mucous membrane of the urethra is loosened and responds to bleeding in contact with minor irritations, including the passage of urine through the canal).
Medical manipulation
Another reason for this is trauma to the urethra during medical procedures. In the case of rough bougienage, catheter insertion and removal, cystoscopy, or smear removal, spotting may occur all at once. They differ in that the blood is red, has no clots, and the bleeding itself stops very quickly.
Part 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 the microliths damages the mucous membranes and walls of blood vessels, causing bleeding. In this case, blood is most noticeable during urination, 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 tumor
One of the signs of a malignant tumor of the genitourinary system (cancer of the prostate gland, penis, testicles, etc. ) is the appearance of blood in men. In this case, the blood will be brown or dark in color, and clots may appear.
Isolation of blood with semen
We should not forget about such a symptom as the release of blood with sperm (hematospermia). Differentiate between false and true hematospermia. If false, the blood mixes with the semen during its passage through the urethra. And with true 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 of the genitals (testes and scrotum);
- discomfort and pain in the lower back;
- increase in body temperature.
One of the causes of hematospermia is:
- an overactive sex life or vice versa,
- Prolonged sexual abstinence, while during sexual intercourse there is a rupture of the walls of blood vessels in the tissues of the genital organs
- Previous surgery or biopsy can also cause blood to appear in the semen
- Hematospermia occurs in both benign and malignant neoplasms of the genitourinary organs
- with stones in the testes and vas deferens
- with varicose veins in the pelvic organs.