The state of secretion 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 secretions of the sebaceous glands, which are located in the upper part of the penis, and the pathological course.
In order to determine the nature and cause of the discharge, it is important for the man to know which manifestations are normal and which signal the onset of the disease.
Varieties of secretions
The 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 condition in men, drops of fluid coming out of the urethra can be periodically noticed on the penis. Its quantity and volume differ individually, but insignificantly. 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, health and past illnesses, use of certain medications and other causes.
The complete absence of glandular secretion may 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 with the help of special products and lubricants.
There are four types of physiological discharge from the urethra.
Libidinous urethrosis
This is a colorless secretion that appears on the head of the penis from the channels of the urethral glands. The penis has two of these glands, located at the base of the corpora cavernosa and called the bulbourethral or copper glands.
The appearance of clear fluid occurs against the background of arousal 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 varies, usually depending on the duration of abstinence from sex, the degree of arousal and individual physiological characteristics.
During an erection, such mucus acts as a lubricant for the urogenital tract, so that sperm pass through it easily and at the required speed. Because this secretion contains single sperm, its contact with a woman's genitals can lead to pregnancy.
Space defecation
During defecation, tension occurs in the muscles of the abdomen and abdominal cavity, which provokes the appearance of mucus on the head, which sometimes contains white-gray stripes. Such viscous mucus is odorless, contains both the secretion of the prostate and seminal vesicles.
The same fluid can be excreted after urination, which is called micturition, and after severe bouts of coughing, accompanied by a sharp tension in the muscles of the press.
Experts do not consider defecation prostatitis a disease, but distinguish it as a possible sign of the latent phase of prostatitis.
Smegma
The secretion of the preputial glands is called smegma. Immediately after isolation, it resembles a white fat with a thick consistency. After the formation of smegma is placed under the foreskin. The preputial lubricant contains fats and 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 periodically washed thoroughly, it begins to decompose, acquires a pungent odor and becomes greener. All this leads to the beginning of a pathological process due to the multiplication of microbes, which will lead to inflammation.
semen
Ejaculate contains a huge amount of semen and sperm. 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 vascular tone due to inflammation or 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 appear after damage to the urethra during sampling with the help of special instruments that are inserted into the lumen of the urethra (ureteroscopy, cystoscopy, etc. ).
- infectious. They are the result of the presence and progress of the number of microbial pathogens. These microbes can be bacteria, fungi or viruses.
- chemically. They occur as a result of the use of certain drugs and medications that can be used during the treatment of the genitourinary system or other systems. They often occur as a result of treatment of the urethra with drug solutions.
Sometimes the cause lies in the body's allergic reaction to environmental factors or the detergents and personal care products used.
The substance that comes out of the urethra can be mucus, fluid, bacteria or fungus and pus. Color, transparency, texture, odor and volume indicate the intensity and stage of the process. At different stages with the same disease, all these parameters may change.
It is classified as follows:
- hematorrhea. It is characterized by blood inclusions. It can occur due to injuries as well as arterial hypertension, the presence of tumors in the penis or prostate gland.
- Leukocyte urethrosis. Occurs when the accumulated contents are excreted during inflammation. The color, odor, and duration of exudate output indicate the degree of damage to the urinary tract epithelium.
- Mucopurulent masses. Retains leukocyte cells, urethral mucus and serous fluid. Externally it looks like a transparent mucus with a white tinge. A sign of urethritis is possible in chlamydia, ureaplasmosis and others.
- pus. It contains many leukocytes and pieces of epithelium. In consistency it is the thickest, has a yellow or greenish color. It is often accompanied by burning during urine leakage. This occurs with gonorrhea, gonococcal urethritis or chlamydia.
White current
If a white, scaly or cheesy discharge with a sour smell appears on the head of the penis, this indicates candidiasis. It is less common in men than in women, and its appearance means that the immune system is depressed. This happens after a course of strong antibiotics or chemotherapy.
If the fluid at the same time contains frothy inclusions, then we can conclude that it can be concluded that trichomoniasis, ureaplasmosis or mycoplasmosis can be concluded, which are quite often transmitted during unprotected intercourse.
Another disease that can cause white mucus is chronic prostatitis. This symptom is usually accompanied by decreased potency and difficulty urinating.
Transparent accents
The main reasons causing such discharge: chlamydia or chronic ureaplasmosis. In these diseases, this may be the only symptom that indicates the presence of a pathological process. The appearance of clear mucus does not always happen, but only if the man has not gone to the toilet for a long time. Once the process escalates, the color changes from clear to greenish as the content of dead leukocytes increases in the fluid.
Clear mucus is characteristic of the initial stage of gonorrhea. In this disease the mucus is quite viscous, it is secreted in large volumes around the clock.
Yellow or green current
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 picture is characteristic of many sexually transmitted diseases.
In gonorrhea, the consistency of the mucus is very thick, there is a sharp putrid odor 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 urge to urinate and itching in the perineum.
Discharge with a strong odor
Often such a symptom occurs against the background of disregard for the rules of hygiene. Because a warm and humid environment is constantly present in the male genital area, microbes multiply rapidly there. Their waste products cause an extremely unpleasant odor. To prevent such a phenomenon, it is necessary to wash the penis thoroughly every day, removing the foreskin.
Unpleasant odor can also develop in metabolic disorders, diabetes or infectious diseases. In thrush there is a sour smell, and in gardnerellosis - a pronounced smell of fish. Inflammation of the head of the penis and the inner part of the skin fold of the foreskin also cause a specific pungent odor.
Blood problems
Often the blood comes out along with the contents of the urethra due to infectious inflammation. The appearance of such a symptom is possible in 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 epithelium of the mucosa, which causes irritation every time urine leaks from the urethra.
Blood may also come out after 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 kidney stones from the kidneys, the discharge may acquire a pink, red or brownish tinge. In such cases, when urinating, severe pain occurs with localization in the lower part of the small pelvis or lumbar region of the back.
There is blood in the secretion in the later stages of oncological tumors of the urinary tract, cancerous tumors of the ovaries, penis, adenoma and testicular tumors. In this case, the bleeding is characterized by a brown or brown tinge, with blood clots.
Even if the patient appears to have accurately identified the disease, independent treatment choices are strictly prohibited. Many diseases of the reproductive and urinary systems have similar symptoms, and complications that can lead to infertility, loss of potency and other serious consequences for men'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 distributions;
- shadow and turbidity;
- impurities (blood, scales, pus and clots);
- consistency (liquid, sticky);
- odor (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 hears the complaints, he will examine the urethra, genitals, perineum and groin to see 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. He also pays attention to the painful sensations of palpation, the density of the tissues and the presence of ulcers.
The specialist will perform a digital examination of the prostate. It consists of an examination through the rectal cavity. If fluid is removed from the urethra at the same time, it is sent for examination under a microscope. Palpation of the prostate can reveal internal tumor neoplasms and adenomas.
Further diagnosis in most cases proceeds according to the following algorithm:
- general clinical examinations of urine and blood;
- smear for bacanalysis of the contents of the urethra;
- blood sugar test;
- Ultrasound of the internal genitals and urinary organs;
- urography.
In case of very severe inflammation of the genitals, the doctor immediately prescribes antibiotic therapy with broad-spectrum drugs, without waiting for the 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 biopsy results.
Timely seeking medical attention should be a prerequisite for all men who want to maintain sexual health and youth for many years, as early diagnosis ensures the fastest possible relief of the disease and the absence of complications.