Discharges 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 provides complete information about the pathology of this organ, the discharge from the penis indicates the state of the organs of the male reproductive system.
Very often, an unusual discharge from the penis becomes the first, and sometimes the only, symptom of a serious illness. Therefore, a man, attentive 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 wide variety of pathological discharges.
Physiological discharge from the penis
The first type of normal discharge is libidinal (physiological) urethrorrhea, which is a transparent secret that flows 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 large, depending on the physiological characteristics of the man and the duration 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 sperm, which, if they get into the genitals of a woman, can lead to conception and the development of pregnancy.
In some cases, a discharge that resembles physiology, but in greater quantity, may be a manifestation of a disease of the reproductive system, therefore, if the nature or quantity of discharge began to differ from your usual norm, it is worth discussing this issue 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 low and if daily hygiene procedures are followed, it is easily washed away and causes no problems. If the rules of personal hygiene are violated, smegma accumulates on the skin of the head and between the leaves of the foreskin and creates the prerequisites for the development of the inflammatory process.
To avoid the accumulation of smegma and the resulting 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 penis, carefully removing all secretions.
Normal secretions from the penis also include semen (semen) - a mixture of secretions from the sex glands and sperm, which is released during ejaculation (ejaculation) during intercourse or masturbation (self-gratification). Usually, the release of semen is accompanied by sexual discharge (orgasm). This group of normal discharges from the penis 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 discharge from the penis can be a wide variety of diseases, including inflammatory processes caused by their own opportunistic flora or sexually transmitted infections, oncological diseases, the consequences of injuries and operations. Pathological secretions from the penis differ in volume (few, moderate, abundant), color (transparent, cloudy-white, milky-white, white, yellow, yellow-green, mixed with blood), consistency (liquid, thick), the frequency of occurrence (constant, intermittent, morning, associated with urination or alcohol consumption). 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 discharge from the penis that is completely similar in appearance. This is why it is sometimes simply impossible to diagnose a disease by the appearance of the discharge alone.
Penile discharge 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 "sticking" of accumulated secretions to the glans penis.
Purulent discharge - a sticky liquid of a thick consistency, yellow or yellow-green in color, 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 during urination), a large amount and the 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 several infectious agents (trichomoniasis and chlamydia, gonorrhea and chlamydia, mycoplasmosis and ureaplasmosis, etc. ), which changessignificantly the symptoms and manifestations of the infection. Therefore, based solely 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 penile discharge) are quite easily stopped 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 will return 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 the 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 defensehuman immune.
Non-gonorrheal urethritis - inflammation of the urethra (urethra) is accompanied by the appearance of mucopurulent discharge. A characteristic feature is the absence or slight severity of symptoms (pain, pain, itching) and a small amount of discharge that appears mainly during a long pause between urination.
Allocations with balanoposthitis (inflammation of the foreskin of the penis) are usually very large, 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 discharge.
Discharge from the penis not associated with inflammation
This is a rather rare type of discharge associated with traumatic and tumoral 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 intercourse or masturbation. The main cause of spermatorrhea is a violation of the tone of the muscle 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 hematorrhea is mechanical damage to the urethra due to the introduction of foreign bodies, during a smear, after or during 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.
Prostatorrhea - 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 during its chronic inflammation or other diseases (for example, with a neurogenic bladder, adenomaof the prostate).
Find the cause of penis discharge
Since there are many reasons for the appearance of unusual (non-physiological) discharge from the penis, a qualified urologist should find out the cause of each specific case. When examining a patient with complaints of discharge from the penis, the doctor should carefully examine the skin for rashes, feel the lymph nodes (for their enlargement, pain), examine the sub-clothes.
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 (expanded) and urine blood tests, blood sugar test, smear from the urethra, seeding of urethral secretions, examinationdigital prostate gland, if indicated, 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 a columnar and parabasilar epithelium indicates the severity and depth of the inflammatory process.
Preparing to take a smear. In order for the smear results to be informative and help the doctor make a diagnosis, it is necessary to prepare well for the smear collection procedure. For this purpose, the local use of antibiotics, antiseptics, antifungals is excluded for 3 days before the study. Within 3 hours before the study, it is necessary to refrain from urinating and external toileting of the genitals. 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 urethral swab results 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 numbers - chronic urethritis, urethral leukoplakia.
- Sperm - spermatorrhea.
- Lipoid grains - prostorrhea.
- Mucus without blood cells - urethrorrhea.
- Key cells (small rods on epithelial cells) with a small number of neutrophils - urethritis.
In a normal smear, up to 4 leukocytes in the field of view are detected, the bacterial flora is represented by single cocci, rods.
Finally
The appearance of discharge from the penis is best considered 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, therefore it is not recommended to treat it on your own. Attempts at self-treatment in this case do not lead to cure, but only distort the symptoms of the disease and lead to loss of time - valuable in some serious illnesses. Take care of your health!