The state of discharge of a man's penis is an important indicator of the health of his genitourinary system. These secretions consist of the contents of the urethra, the secretion of the sebaceous glands, located on the upper part of the penis, and the pathological secretion.
To determine the nature and cause of the discharge, it is important for humans to know which manifestations are normal and which signal the onset of the disease.
Varieties of secretions
Fluid in 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 under the condition of absolute health in men, drops of fluid appearing from the urethra can be periodically observed on the penis. Their 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 bathroom. The change in volume is due to hormonal fluctuations, past health status and illnesses, use of certain medications and other reasons.
The complete absence of glandular secretion may be a variant of the norm and does not in any way affect a man's sexual health. In rare cases, excessive dryness causes discomfort during intercourse, but this problem is easily resolved with the use of 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 in the penis, they are located at the base of the corpora cavernosa and are called the bulbourethral or cooper's glands.
The appearance of a clear liquid occurs against the background of excitation or erection, which occurs periodically 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 sexual abstinence, the degree of arousal and individual physiological characteristics.
During an erection, this mucus acts as a lubricant for the urogenital canal, so sperm can pass through it easily and at the required speed. As 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 gray-white streaks. This viscous mucus is odorless, it contains both the secret of the prostate and the seminal vesicles.
The same fluid can be released after urination, which is called micturition prostorrhoea, and after severe coughing fits, accompanied by acute tension in the muscles of the press.
Specialists do not consider defecation prostatorrhea a disease, but 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 thick white grease. After the formation of smegma is placed under the foreskin. The preputial lubrication contains fat and bacterial elements. Its function is to reduce the friction of the penis against the foreskin. Its maximum amount is inherent in adolescence.
If smegma is not washed thoroughly periodically, it begins to decompose, acquires a pungent odor and turns greener. All this leads to the beginning 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, this could be a sign of dysregulation of vas deferens tone 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:
- Mechanic. 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. They 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 medications and medications that may be used while treating the genitourinary system or other systems. They often occur as a result of treating the urethra with medicinal solutions.
Sometimes the reason is 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 fungi 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:
- haematorrhea. Characterized by blood inclusions. It can occur both due to injuries, as with arterial hypertension, the presence of tumors in the penis or prostate.
- leukocyte urethrorrhea. Occurs when accumulated contents are released during inflammation. The color, smell, and duration of exudate output indicate the degree of damage to the urinary tract epithelium.
- Mucopurulent masses. Retain leukocyte cells, urethral mucus, and serous fluid. Externally, it looks like a transparent mucus with a white tint. It is a possible sign of urethritis in chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, etc.
- Pus. It 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 urine output. This happens with gonorrhea, gonococcal urethritis, or chlamydia.
white discharge
If a white, scaly, or cheesy, sour-smelling discharge appears on the head of the penis, this indicates thrush. 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 often transmitted during unprotected sexual intercourse, can be completed.
Another disease that can cause white mucus to appear is chronic prostatitis. This symptom is usually accompanied by a decrease in potency and difficulty urinating.
transparent highlights
The main reasons that cause 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 clear mucus does not always occur, but only if the man has not gone to the toilet for a long time. After the process intensifies, the color changes from transparent to greenish, as the content of dead leukocytes in the liquid increases.
Clear mucus is characteristic of the initial stage of gonorrhea. With this disease, the mucus is quite viscous, it is released 24 hours a day in large volumes.
Yellow or green discharge
Yellow or greenish color - a clear sign of the presence of pus, consisting of lymphocyte cells, urethral mucus and fragments of the urethral epithelium. This image is characteristic of many venereal diseases.
With gonorrhea, the consistency of the mucus is very thick, there is a strong putrefactive odor, and the urination process 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 urge to urinate and itching in the perineum.
Strong odor discharge
Often this symptom occurs against the background of neglect of hygiene rules. As a warm and humid environment is constantly present in the area of the male genitals, microbes multiply quickly there. Its waste products cause an extremely unpleasant odor. To avoid this phenomenon, it is necessary to wash the penis well every day, moving the foreskin away.
An unpleasant odor can also develop in case of metabolic disorders, diabetes mellitus or infectious diseases. With thrush, a sour smell occurs, and with gardnerellose, 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 problems
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 mucosal epithelium, which causes irritation every time urine comes out of the urethra.
In addition, blood may leak after a traumatic insertion or removal of a catheter from the urethra, during cystoscopy or collection of material for bacteriological analysis.
Due to damage to the blood vessel walls during the passage of sand and kidney stones, the discharge may take on a pink, red, or brownish hue. In these cases, with the output of urine, there is an intense pain located in the lower part of the small pelvis or in the lumbar region of the back.
Blood in the discharge is also present in the more advanced stages of oncological tumors of the urinary tract, with cancerous tumors of the ovaries, penis, adenoma, and tumors of the testicles. In this case, the bleeding is characterized by a brown or brown tint, with blood clots.
Even if it appears 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 can cause infertility, loss of potency and other serious consequences for a man's health.
where to go for diagnosis
Diseases characterized by pathological discharge from the urethra are diagnosed and treated by these specialists:
- dermatovenereologist;
- urologist;
- venereologist;
- nephrologist.
Going into the initial consultation with a specialist, the patient should be ready to answer the following questions:
- the volume of allocations;
- shadow and turbidity;
- impurities (blood, flakes, pus and clots);
- consistency (liquid, sticky);
- smell (fishy, sour, absent);
- the dependence of the symptom's manifestation on the time of day;
- whether it is related to urination, spicy food, alcohol intake, and erection).
After the doctor hears the complaints, he will examine the urethra, genitals, perineum, and groin to look for external inflammation, rashes, and signs of injury.
By palpating the lymph nodes in the groin, the doctor will assess the skin temperature. Fever is a clear 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 examination through the cavity of the rectum. If, at the same time, fluid is released from the urethra, it will be sent for examination under a microscope. Palpation of the prostate may reveal internal tumor neoplasms and adenomas.
Additional diagnostics in most cases follow the following algorithm:
- general clinical examinations of urine and blood;
- smear for bacchanalysis of the contents of the urethra;
- blood sugar test;
- Ultrasound of the internal and urinary genital organs;
- urography.
With very severe genital inflammation, doctors immediately prescribe antibiotic therapy with broad-spectrum agents without waiting for test results.
If the stain is significant in volume, the patient will be advised to go to the hospital. If cancer is suspected, 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 to come, as early diagnosis ensures the fastest possible relief from the disease and the absence of complications.