The discharge from the natural openings of the human body can tell a lot about the state of human health. The nature of the discharge from the ear speaks about the health or diseases of the ear, the discharge from the nose gives complete information about the pathology of this organ, the discharge from the penis indicates the state of the organs of the male reproductive system.
Most often, an unusual discharge from the penis becomes the first, and sometimes the only, symptom of a serious illness. Therefore, a man, paying attention to his sexual organ, should pay attention not only to its size, but also to the nature of the secretions.
Discharge from the penis is a collective concept that combines discharge from the urethra (urethra), discharge from the sebaceous glands (many located on the head of the penis), and discharge from pathological skin formations. There are three varieties of normal (physiological) secretions and a large variety of pathological discharges.
Physiological discharge from the penis
The first type of normal discharge is libidinal (physiological) urethrorrhea, which is a transparent secret flowing from the urethra against the background of sexual arousal. The source of secretions during arousal in men in this case are the urethral glands. The volume of secretions can vary from small to significant, depending on the physiological characteristics of the man and the length of the period of sexual abstinence. Sometimes physiological urethrorrhea accompanies the act of defecation. It should be said that the composition of the secret released during urethrorrhea includes a certain amount of spermatozoa, which, if it enters the genitals of a woman, can lead to conception and the development of pregnancy.
In some cases, discharge that resembles physiological, but in larger quantities, may be a manifestation of a disease of the reproductive system, therefore, if the nature or amount of discharge begins to differ from your usual norm, it is worth discussing. this problem with your doctor.
The second type of normal discharge from the penis is smegma. Smegma is the secretion of glands located in the skin of the foreskin and glans penis. The amount of smegma is usually small, and if daily hygiene procedures are followed, it is easily washed off and does not cause any problems. If the rules of personal hygiene are violated, smegma accumulates on the skin of the head and between the sheets of the foreskin and creates prerequisites for the development of the inflammatory process.
To avoid the accumulation of smegma and the consequent inflammation, it is necessary to wash the penis regularly (1-2 times a day, with plenty of warm water using unscented soaps). In the process of washing, it is imperative to move the foreskin and wash the glans, carefully removing all secretions.
Normal penile secretions also include semen (semen) - a mixture of secretion from the sex gland and sperm, which is released during ejaculation (ejaculation) during intercourse or masturbation (complacency). Usually the release of semen is accompanied by sexual secretion (orgasm). This group of normal penile secretions also includes wet dreams - involuntary ejaculation (usually at night) which occurs in boys during puberty (after 14-15 years) and in men after prolonged sexual abstinence. The average frequency of wet dreams varies widely: from 1-3 per week to 1-2 for 2-3 months.
Pathological discharge from the penis
The causes of the appearance of pathological secretions from the penis can be a wide variety of diseases, including inflammatory processes caused by one's own opportunistic flora or sexually transmitted infections, oncological diseases, consequences of injuries and operations. Pathological secretions of the penis differ in volume (scarce, moderate, abundant), color (transparent, opaque white, milky white, white, yellow, yellow-green, mixed with blood), consistency (liquid, thick), frequency of onset ( constant, intermittent, morning, associated with urination or alcohol intake). The nature of the discharge is influenced by the nature of the causative agent of the disease, the severity of the inflammation, the state of the patient's immune system, the "prescription" of the disease and the presence of concomitant diseases. Note that the same disease can be accompanied by secretions of a different nature, and at the same time, different diseases can lead to the appearance of discharges from the penis that are completely similar in appearance. That is why it is sometimes simply impossible to diagnose a disease by the appearance of the discharge alone.
Discharge from the penis associated with sexually transmitted diseases
Mucous discharge from the penis - transparent and viscous with a small amount of leukocytes - is characteristic of ureaplasmosis, mycoplasmosis and chlamydia.
Mucopurulent discharge - a translucent milky-white liquid, consisting of urethral mucus, inflammatory exudate, and leukocytes - is characteristic of trichomoniasis, ureaplasmosis, and chlamydia during an exacerbation. Chlamydia is also characterized by the "attachment" of accumulated secretions to the glans.
Purulent discharge - a sticky liquid of thick consistency, yellow or yellow-green in color, consists of urethral mucus, exfoliated urethral epithelium and a significant number of leukocytes - the most common symptom of gonorrhea. A feature of gonorrhea urethritis is the severity of subjective symptoms, such as pain, pain, itching (especially when urinating), a significant amount and a constant nature of discharge from the urethra.
Currently, patients with sexually transmitted diseases very often have a combined infection, that is, an infection caused by different infectious agents (trichomoniasis and chlamydia, gonorrhea and chlamydia, mycoplasmosis and ureaplasmosis, etc. ), which significantly changes the symptoms and manifestations of the infection. Therefore, based only on information about the nature of the discharge and the patient's complaints, it is not possible to make a definitive diagnosis and prescribe treatment. It is important that the symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases (including discharge from the penis) are stopped quite easily in the process of self-treatment with antibiotics. However, in this case, the disappearance of the symptoms does not mean the disappearance of the disease. The disease simply goes into the shadows, so that after the end of antibiotic therapy it returns with renewed vigor. In addition, illiterate treatment leads to the formation of resistance of microorganisms to the antibacterial drugs used.
Discharge from the penis associated with non-venereal inflammatory processes
In this case, the causative agent of infection becomes a representative of its own opportunistic flora (streptococcus, staphylococcus, fungus of the genus Candida, Escherichia coli), which has become more active as a result of a decrease in the level of human immune defense.
Non-gonorrhea urethritis - inflammation of the urethra (urethra) is accompanied by the appearance of mucopurulent secretions. One feature is the absence or mild severity of symptoms (pain, pain, itching) and a small amount of discharge that appears mainly during a long pause between urinating.
Allocations with balanoposthitis (inflammation of the foreskin of the penis) are usually very significant, mucopurulent or purulent, accompanied by pain in the glans penis, swelling and redness of the foreskin.
Prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland) is accompanied by the appearance of mucous and mucopurulent secretions (depending on the severity of the inflammatory process), pulling pains in the perineum, impaired urination and potency.
A very common disease of the male genital organs is thrush (candidiasis), an inflammatory process associated with the activation of opportunistic Candida fungi. Typical manifestations of thrush in men are pronounced redness of the skin of the penis, the appearance of itching, burning, and also quite abundant curdled secretions.
Discharge from the penis not associated with inflammation
This is a rather rare type of discharge associated with trauma and tumor processes in the organs of the reproductive system, as well as diseases of the nervous system.
Spermatorhea is the release of semen from the urethra without orgasm, outside of sexual intercourse or masturbation. The main cause of spermatorhea is a violation of the tone of the muscular membrane of the vas deferens associated with diseases of the central nervous system, less often with chronic inflammatory processes. In some cases, it is not possible to determine the cause of the spermatorhea.
Hematorrhea is the leakage of blood from the urethra. The most common cause of hematorrhea is a mechanical injury to the urethra due to the introduction of foreign bodies, when taking a smear, after or during an instrumental examination of the urethra, bladder. Hematorea also occurs with trauma to the penis, urethra, malignant tumors of the urethra, penis, prostate, polyps, secretion of stones, sand in urolithiasis.
Prostatorea - loss of prostatic secretion from the urethra - is observed with a decrease in the tone of smooth muscle fibers of the excretory duct of the prostate gland during its chronic inflammation or other diseases (for example, with a neurogenic bladder, prostate adenoma).
Finding the cause of penile discharge
Since there are many reasons for the appearance of unusual (non-physiological) secretions from the penis, a qualified urologist should look for the cause of each specific case. When examining a patient with penile discharge disorders, the doctor must carefully examine the skin for rashes, feel the lymph nodes (for their enlargement, pain), examine the underwear.
The nature of the discharge from the penis is assessed at the beginning of the examination and after a light massage of the urethra, which is carried out after 2-3 hours of abstinence from urination. Among the mandatory studies that a man with an unusual discharge from the penis will have to undergo are general (expanded) blood and urine tests, a blood glucose test, a smear from the urethra, seeding of urethral secretions, a digital examination of the prostate gland, if indicated, ultrasound of the bladder and prostate, urography, computed tomography.
In inflammatory processes, the most valuable information is provided by the study of the urethral smear. The results of this study depend on the severity and duration of the disease. Inflammation is indicated by the presence of 4 or more leukocytes, the appearance of the cylindrical and parabasilar epithelium indicates the severity and depth of the inflammatory process.
Preparation for taking a smear. In order for the smear results to be informative and to help the doctor make a diagnosis, you need to properly prepare for the smear sampling procedure. For this purpose, the local use of antibiotics, antiseptics, antifungal drugs is excluded for 3 days before the study. Within 3 hours before the study, it is necessary to refrain from urination and external toilet of the genital organs. Smears are taken no earlier than 3 weeks after the end of systemic antibiotic therapy (introduction of antibiotics by mouth or in the form of injections).
What do the results of the urethral smear indicate?
- Increased leukocytes - acute urethritis, exacerbation of chronic urethritis.
- Increase in eosinophils - allergic urethritis.
- Increase in red blood cells - trauma, tumors, excretion of stones or sand with urolithiasis, severe inflammation.
- Epithelial cells in large numbers - chronic urethritis, urethral leukoplakia.
- Sperm - spermatorrea.
- Lipoid grains - prostorrhea.
- Mucus without blood cells - urethrorrhea.
- Key cells (small rods on the epithelial cells) with a small number of neutrophils - urethritis.
In a normal smear, up to 4 leukocytes are detected in the visual field, the bacterial flora is represented by single cocci, rods.
In the end
The appearance of the discharge from the penis is best considered as a symptom of a disease, the nature of which can only be determined by a doctor and only during a face-to-face appointment. It is impossible to independently diagnose the pathology that led to the appearance of secretions, so it is not recommended to treat it yourself. Attempts at self-treatment in this case do not lead to recovery, but only distort the symptoms of the disease and lead to a waste of time, which is valuable in some serious diseases. Take care of your health!