The discharge from the natural openings of the human body can tell a lot about the state of human health. The nature of discharge from the ear speaks about the health or diseases of the ear, discharge from the nose gives full information about the pathology of this organ, discharge from the penis indicates the state of the organs of the male reproductive system.
Very often, unusual discharge from the penis becomes the first, and sometimes the only symptom of a serious disease. Therefore, a man, paying attention to his sexual organ, should pay attention not only to the size of it, but also to the nature of the secretions.
The secretion of the penis is a collective concept that combines the secretion of the urethra (urethra), the secretion of the sebaceous glands (many located on the head of the penis), and the secretion of pathological formations on the skin. There are three varieties of normal (physiological) secretions and a large variety of pathological discharges.
Physiological secretion from the penis.
The first type of normal secretion is libidinal (physiological) urethrorrhea, which is a transparent secretion that flows from the urethra in the context of sexual arousal. The source of secretions during arousal in men in this case is the urethral glands. The volume of secretions can vary from small to significant, depending on the physiological characteristics of the man and the duration of the period of sexual abstinence. Physiologic urethrorrhea sometimes accompanies the act of defecation. It should be said that the composition of the secret released during urethrorrhea includes a certain number of sperm, which, if they enter the genitals of a woman, can lead to conception and the development of pregnancy.
In some cases, discharge that seems physiological, but in greater quantity, may be a manifestation of a disease of the reproductive system, therefore, if the nature or amount of discharge began to differ from its usual norm, it is worth discussing. this problem with your doctor.
The second type of normal penile secretion 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 removed 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 foreskin sheets and creates the prerequisites for the development of the inflammatory process.
To avoid the accumulation of smegma and subsequent inflammation, it is necessary to wash the penis regularly (1-2 times a day, with plenty of lukewarm water using fragrance-free 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 sperm (semen), a mixture of sperm and sex gland secretions, which is released during ejaculation (ejaculate) during intercourse or masturbation (self-gratification). Usually, the release of sperm is accompanied by sexual flow (orgasm). This group of normal penile discharge also includes wet dreams: involuntary ejaculation (usually at night) that occurs in boys during puberty (after age 14 or 15) and in men after prolonged sexual abstinence. The average frequency of wet dreams varies widely: from 1 to 3 per week to 1 to 2 over 2 to 3 months.
Pathological discharge from the penis.
The causes of the appearance of pathological discharge from the penis can be a wide variety of diseases, including inflammatory processes caused by its own opportunistic flora or sexually transmitted infections, oncological diseases, the consequences of injuries and operations. Pathological secretions from the penis differ in volume (scanty, moderate, abundant), color (transparent, cloudy white, milky white, white, yellow, greenish-yellow, mixed with blood), consistency (liquid, thick), frequency of appearance (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. Keep in mind that the same disease can be accompanied by secretions of a different nature, and at the same time different diseases can provoke the appearance of discharge from the penis that are completely similar in appearance. That is why it is sometimes simply impossible to diagnose a disease only by the appearance of the discharge.
Discharge from the penis associated with sexually transmitted diseases
Mucous secretion from the penis, transparent and viscous with a small number of leukocytes, is characteristic of ureaplasmosis, mycoplasmosis and chlamydia.
Mucopurulent discharge, a translucent milky-white fluid, consisting of urethral mucus, inflammatory exudate, and leukocytes, is characteristic of trichomoniasis, ureaplasmosis, and chlamydia during an exacerbation. Chlamydia is also characterized by the "adherence" of accumulated secretions to the glans penis.
Purulent discharge - a thick, yellow or greenish-yellow, sticky fluid consisting of urethral mucus, exfoliated urethral epithelium, and a significant number of leukocytes, the most common symptom of gonorrhea. A characteristic feature of gonorrheal urethritis is the severity of subjective symptoms, such as pain, pain, itching (especially when urinating), a significant and constant amount of discharge from the urethra.
Currently, patients with sexually transmitted diseases very often have a combined infection, that is, an infection caused by various infectious agents (trichomoniasis and chlamydia, gonorrhea and chlamydia, mycoplasmosis and ureaplasmosis, etc. ), which significantly changes the symptoms and manifestations of infection. Therefore, based solely on information about the nature of the discharge and the patient's complaints, it is not possible to make a final 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 shade, so that after the end of antibiotic therapy it will return with renewed vigor. Also, illiterate treatment leads to the formation of resistance of microorganisms to the antibacterial drugs used.
Penile discharge associated with non-venereal inflammatory processes
In this case, the causative agent of infection becomes a representative of its own opportunistic flora (streptococci, staphylococci, fungi of the genus Candida, Escherichia coli), which became more active as a result of a decrease in the level of immune defense. human. .
Non-gonorrheal urethritis - inflammation of the urethra (urethra) is accompanied by the appearance of mucopurulent discharge. A characteristic feature is the absence or mild severity of symptoms (pain, pain, itching) and a small amount of discharge that appears mainly during a long break between urination.
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, difficulty urinating and potency.
A very common disease of the male genital organs is candidiasis (thrush) - an inflammatory process associated with the activation of opportunistic Candida fungi. Typical manifestations of candidiasis in men are a pronounced reddening of the skin of the penis, the appearance of itching, burning, and also a rather copious curdled discharge.
Discharge from the penis not associated with inflammation.
This is a rather rare type of discharge associated with traumatic and tumor processes in the organs of the reproductive system, as well as with diseases of the nervous system.
Spermatorrhea is the discharge of semen from the urethra without orgasm, outside of sexual intercourse or masturbation. The main cause of spermatorrhea 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, the cause of spermatorrhea cannot be determined.
Hematorrhea is the discharge of blood from the urethra. The most common cause of bleeding 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. Hematorrhea also occurs with trauma to the penis, urethra, malignant tumors of the urethra, penis, prostate, polyps, stone discharge, sand in urolithiasis.
Prostatorrhoea - the leakage 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 neurogenic bladder, prostate adenoma) .
Find the cause of discharge from the penis.
Since there are many reasons for the appearance of an unusual (non-physiological) discharge from the penis, a qualified urologist should look for the cause in each specific case. When examining a patient with complaints of discharge from the penis, the doctor should carefully examine the skin for rashes, palpate the lymph nodes (for their enlargement, pain), examine 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 unusual discharge from the penis will have to undergo are general blood (expanded) and urine tests, a blood sugar test, a smear examination of the urethra, seeding of urethral secretions , a digital examination of the prostate gland, if indicated, an ultrasound of the bladder and prostate, urography, computed tomography.
In inflammatory processes, the most valuable information is given 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 columnar 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 help the doctor make a diagnosis, it is necessary to properly prepare for the smear sampling procedure. For this purpose, the local use of antibiotics, antiseptics and antifungal drugs for 3 days before the study is excluded. Within 3 hours before the study, it is necessary to refrain from urinating and going to the external toilet of the genital organs. Smears are taken no earlier than 3 weeks after the end of systemic antibiotic therapy (introduction of antibiotics orally or in the form of injections).
What do the results of the urethral smear indicate?
- Increased leukocytes: acute urethritis, exacerbation of chronic urethritis.
- Increased eosinophils - allergic urethritis.
- Increased red blood cells: trauma, tumors, excretion of stones or sand with urolithiasis, severe inflammation.
- Epithelial cells in large number: chronic urethritis, urethral leukoplakia.
- Sperm - spermatorrhea.
- Lipoid pimples - prostorrhea.
- Mucus without globules - urethrorrhea.
- Cue cells (small rods in epithelial cells) with a small number of neutrophils - urethritis.
In a normal smear, up to 4 leukocytes are detected in the field of view, the bacterial flora is represented by individual cocci, rods.
Finally
The appearance of 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 in a face-to-face appointment. It is impossible to independently diagnose the pathology that led to the appearance of secretions, therefore it is not advisable to treat it on your own. Self-treatment attempts in this case do not lead to recovery, but only distort the symptoms of the disease and lead to loss of time, a precious thing in some serious diseases. Watch your health!