The state of discharge from a man's penis is an important indicator of the health of his genitourinary system. These secretions include the contents of the urethra, the secretion of the sebaceous glands, located on the upper part of the penis, and 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 reproduction.
Physiological
Even in absolutely healthy conditions in men, drops of fluid from the urethra can periodically be noticed on the penis. Its quantity and volume differ individually, but only slightly. This odorless liquid is most often present in the morning when you wake up before going to the toilet. The change in volume is due to hormonal fluctuations, past health and illnesses, the use of certain medications and other reasons.
The complete absence of glandular secretion can be a variant of the norm and in no way affects a man's sexual health. 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 such glands on the penis, they are located at the base of the corpora cavernosa and are called bulbourethral glands or copper glands.
The appearance of 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 these secretions during arousal in humans is different, usually depending on the duration of sexual abstinence, the degree of arousal and individual physiological characteristics.
During an erection, this mucus acts as a lubricant for the urogenital canal, so that sperm pass through it easily and at the required speed. Since this secret contains unique sperm, its contact with a woman's genitals can lead to pregnancy.
Defecation prostorrhoea
During defecation, tension of the muscles of the abdomen and abdominal cavity occurs, which causes 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, called urinary prostorrhea, and after strong coughing attacks, accompanied by strong tension in the muscles of the press.
Experts do not consider prostatorrhea defecation as 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 looks like white fat 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 off periodically, it begins to break down, acquires a pungent odor and becomes greener. All this leads to the appearance 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 sperm. In adolescence, spermatorrhea is possible without sexual contact, sometimes during sleep. If the same picture persists after puberty, it may be a sign of dysregulated vas deferens tone due to inflammation or a brain tumor.
Pathological
Discharge from the urethra also occurs due to various malfunctions of the organs of the reproductive or urinary system.
It can be caused by such factors:
- Mechanical. They occur after injury to the urethra during removal using special instruments inserted into the lumen of the urethra (ureteroscopy, cystoscopy, etc. ).
- infectious. Are the result of the presence and progression 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 drugs that can be used when treating the genitourinary system or other systems. Often occur as a result of treatment of the urethra with medicinal solutions.
Sometimes the reason lies in the body's allergic reaction to environmental factors or the detergents and personal care products used.
The substance protruding from the urethra can be mucus, fluid, bacteria or fungus, and pus. Color, transparency, consistency, smell and volumes indicate the intensity and stage of the process. At different stages of 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 high blood pressure, the presence of tumors in the penis or in the prostate.
- Leukocytic urethrorrhea. Occurs when accumulated contents are released during inflammation. The color, smell and duration of the outflow of exudate indicate 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 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 flow 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 occurs after a course of strong antibiotics or chemotherapy.
If the liquid at the same time contains foamy inclusions, we can conclude that trichomoniasis, ureaplasmosis or mycoplasmosis, which are quite often transmitted during unprotected sex, 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 in urinating.
Transparent reflections
The main reasons provoking such shedding: 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 escalation of the process, 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 lymphocyte cells, mucus from the urethra and fragments of the epithelium of the urethra. This image is characteristic of many venereal diseases.
With gonorrhea, the consistency of mucus is very thick, there is a strong smell of putrefaction, and the process of urination becomes painful. Another disease in which the discharge turns yellow is trichomoniasis. Often there are no more symptoms. Very rarely, this infection is accompanied by frequent urges to urinate and itching in the perineum.
Discharge with a strong odor
Often such a symptom occurs against the background of neglect of hygiene rules. Since a warm and humid environment is constantly present in the area of the male genitals, the microbes multiply there rapidly. Their waste gives off an extremely unpleasant smell. In order to avoid such a phenomenon, it is necessary to wash the penis well every day, spreading the foreskin.
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 part of the leathery fold of the foreskin also causes a specific pungent odor.
bloody issues
Often blood comes out 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 strong loosening of the mucous epithelium, which causes irritation every time urine flows from the urethra.
Also, blood may come out after a traumatic insertion or removal of a catheter from the urethra, during cystoscopy or when 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 the lumbar region of the back.
Blood in the discharge is also present in the later stages of oncological tumors of the urinary tract, with cancerous tumors of the ovaries, penis, with adenomas and tumors of the testicles. In this case, the 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 cause lead to infertility, loss of potency and other serious consequences for the health of men.
Where to go for a diagnosis
Diseases characterized by pathological discharge from the urethra are diagnosed and treated by such specialists:
- dermatovenerologist;
- urologist;
- venereologist;
- nephrologist.
During the initial consultation with a specialist, the patient should be prepared to answer the following questions:
- the volume of allowances;
- 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 consumption and erection).
After listening to complaints, the doctor will examine the urethra, genitals, perineum, and groin 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 an obvious sign of inflammation. In addition, he pays attention to painful sensations on palpation, tissue density and the presence of ulcers.
The specialist will perform a digital examination of the prostate. It consists of an 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 may reveal internal tumor neoplasms and adenomas.
In most cases, additional diagnostics proceed 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 internal genital and urinary organs;
- urography.
In case of very severe genital inflammation, the doctor immediately prescribes antibiotic therapy using broad-spectrum agents, without waiting for test results.
If the spotting is large in volume, the patient will be advised to go to hospital. If cancer is suspected, the diagnosis is made on the basis of histology based on the results of a biopsy.
Seeking medical help quickly should be a prerequisite for all men who want to maintain their sexual health and youth for many years, because early diagnosis guarantees the fastest possible relief from the disease and the absence ofcomplications.