Discharge from the natural openings of the human body can say a lot about the state of human health. The nature of ear discharge speaks of the health or disease of the ear, nasal discharge provides comprehensive information about the pathology of this organ, discharge from the penis indicates the condition of the organs of the male reproductive system.
Unusual discharge from the penis is often the first and sometimes the only sign of a serious illness. Therefore, a man should pay attention not only to the size of the genitals, but also to the nature of the secretions.
Penile secretion is a collective term that combines secretions from the urethra (urethra), sebaceous glands (many located at the head of the penis) and pathological skin formations. There are three types of normal (physiological) secretions and a very large range of pathological secretions.
Physiological discharge from the penis
The first type of normal secretion is libidinal (physiological) urethritis, which is a transparent secretion flowing from the urethra against the background of sexual arousal. In this case, the source of secretion during arousal in men is the urethral glands. The amount of secretions can vary from small to significant, depending on the physiological characteristics of the man and the duration of sexual abstinence. Sometimes physiological urethritis accompanies the act of defecation. It should be noted that the secretion secreted during uretrorrhea contains a certain amount of sperm, which, if it enters a woman's genitals, can lead to conception and the development of pregnancy.
In some cases, a physiological but greater amount of secretion may be a manifestation of a disease of the reproductive system, so if the nature or amount of discharge begins to differ from your normal norm, it is worth discussing. your doctor.
The second type of normal discharge from the penis is smegma. Smegma is the secretion of glands located on the foreskin and scalp. 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 scalp and between the layers of the foreskin and creates the preconditions for the development of the inflammatory process.
The genitals should be washed regularly (1-2 times a day, with plenty of warm water using odorless soaps) to prevent the accumulation of smegma and subsequent inflammation. During the washing process, it is important to move the foreskin and wash the glans penis, carefully removing all secretions.
Normal secretions from the penis also include sperm (sperm) - a mixture of sperm and gonadal secretions, which are released during ejaculation (ejaculation) during sexual intercourse or masturbation (self-consent). Sperm release is usually accompanied by sexual secretion (orgasm). This group of normal discharge from the penis also includes wet dreams - involuntary ejaculation (usually at night) in boys during adolescence (after 14-15 years) and in men after prolonged sexual abstinence. The average frequency of wet sleep varies widely - from 1-3 per week to 1-2 per 2-3 months.
Pathological discharge from the penis
The appearance of pathological discharge from the penis can be caused by various diseases, including its own opportunistic flora or sexually transmitted infections, oncological diseases, injuries and inflammatory processes caused by surgery. Pathological secretions from the penis differ in volume (low, medium, abundant), color (transparent, cloudy white, milky white, white, yellow, yellow-green, mixed with blood), consistency (liquid, thick), frequency of formation (permanent, intermediate), in the morning, associated with urine or alcohol intake). The nature of the discharge is affected by the nature of the causative agent, the severity of the inflammation, the condition of the patient's immune system, the "prescription" of the disease, and the presence of concomitant diseases. Note that the same disease may be accompanied by secretions of a different nature, and at the same time, different diseases can cause the appearance of secretions that are completely similar to the appearance of the penis. Therefore, sometimes it is not possible to diagnose a disease just by the appearance of discharge.
Penile discharge due to sexually transmitted diseases
Mucous discharge from the penis - transparent and viscous with a small amount of leukocytes - is characteristic of ureaplasmosis, mycoplasmosis and chlamydia.
Mucous-purulent discharge - a clear milky white fluid consisting of urethral mucus, inflammatory exudate and leukocytes - is characteristic of trichomoniasis, ureaplasmosis and chlamydia during exacerbation. Chlamydia is also characterized by the "adhesion" of accumulated secretions to the glans penis.
Purulent discharge - a thick, yellow or yellow-green sticky fluid consisting of urethral mucus, eroded urethral epithelium and a large number of leukocytes - is the most common symptom of gonorrhea. A characteristic feature of gonorrheal urethritis is the severity of subjective symptoms such as aches, pains, itching (especially during urination), a significant amount of discharge from the urethra, and the persistent nature.
At present, patients with sexually transmitted diseases often have a combined infection - ie infection with several infectious agents (trichomoniasis and chlamydia, gonorrhea and chlamydia, mycoplasmosis and ureaplasmosis, etc. ). Therefore, it is not possible to make a final diagnosis and prescribe treatment based solely on information about the nature of the discharge and the patient's complaints. It is important to stop the symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases (including penile discharge) very easily during self-medication with antibiotics. However, the absence of symptoms in this case does not mean the disappearance of the disease. The disease simply goes into the shadows, so it will hardly return after antibiotic therapy. In addition, illiterate treatment leads to the formation of resistance of microorganisms to the antibacterial drugs used.
Penile discharge associated with non-venous inflammatory processes
In this case, the causative agent of the infection is a representative of its own opportunistic flora (streptococcus, staphylococcus, Candida fungi, Escherichia coli), which become more active as a result of reduced levels of human immune defense. .
Non-gonorrheal urethritis - inflammation of the urethra (urethra) is accompanied by the appearance of mucopurulent discharge. A characteristic feature is the absence or absence of symptoms (pain, soreness, itching) and a small amount of discharge, which is visible during a long break, mainly between urination.
Manifestations of balanoposthitis (inflammation of the foreskin of the penis) are usually very significant, mucopurulent or purulent, accompanied by pain in the head of the 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), pain in the perineum, impaired urination and potential.
A very common disease of the male genitalia is candidiasis - an inflammatory process associated with the activation of opportunistic Candida fungi. Typical manifestations of the liver in men are redness, itching, burning of the skin of the penis, as well as a fairly thick curly discharge.
Discharge from the penis not related to inflammation
This is a very 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.
Spermatorea is the flow of sperm from the urethra without orgasm outside of sexual intercourse or masturbation. The main cause of spermatozoa is a violation of the tone of the vas deferens muscle membrane, associated with diseases of the central nervous system, less chronic inflammatory processes. In some cases, the cause of spermatorrhea can not be determined.
Hematorrhea is a bleeding from the urethra. The most common cause of hematorrhea is mechanical damage to the urethra when taking a swab, after an instrumental examination of the urethra, bladder, or during the entry of foreign bodies. Hematorea also occurs with malignant tumors of the penis, urethra, urethra, penis, prostate, polyps, discharge of stones, sand damage in urolithiasis.
Prostatorea - leakage of prostate secretions from the urethra - is characterized by a decrease in the tone of the smooth muscle fibers of the secretory duct of the prostate gland during chronic inflammation or other diseases (for example, with neurogenic bladder, prostate adenoma).
Find the cause of the discharge from the penis
Since there are many reasons for the appearance of abnormal (non-physiological) discharge from the penis, a qualified urologist should look for 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 growth, pain), examine the underwear.
The nature of the secretion from the penis is assessed at the beginning of the examination and after a light massage of the urethra, which is performed 2-3 hours after the cessation of urination. Mandatory tests that a man with abnormal discharge from the penis must undergo include general blood tests (enlarged) and urine, blood sugar test, smear test from the urethra, scattering of urethral secretions, and digital examination of the prostate. gland, if indicated, bladder and prostate ultrasound, urography, computed tomography.
The most valuable information in inflammatory processes 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 cylindrical and parabasic 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 to help the doctor make a diagnosis, it is important to properly prepare for the smear sampling procedure. For this purpose, the local use of antibiotics, antiseptics, antifungal drugs 3 days before the study is excluded. Urinary and external urination of the genitals should be avoided for 3 hours before the study. The ointments are taken no later than 3 weeks after the end of systemic antibiotic therapy (oral or injectable antibiotics).
What do urethral smear results show?
- Increased leukocytes - acute urethritis, exacerbation of chronic urethritis.
- Increased eosinophils - allergic urethritis.
- Increased red blood cells - trauma, tumors, urolithiasis, stones or sand, severe inflammation.
- Numerous epithelial cells - chronic urethritis, urethral leukoplakia.
- Spermatozoa - spermatorrhea.
- Lipoid grains - prostorrhea.
- Mucus without blood cells - urethritis.
- A small number of neutrophils in the main cells (small rods on the epithelial cells) - urethritis.
In a normal smear, up to 4 leukocytes are found in the field of view, the bacterial flora is represented by single cocci, rods.
Finally
The appearance of a discharge from the penis is best considered a sign of a disease, the nature of which can be determined only by a doctor and only in a face-to-face meeting. It is not possible to independently determine the pathology that causes the appearance of secretions, so it is not recommended to treat it yourself. Attempts to self-medicate in this situation do not lead to recovery, but distort the symptoms of the disease and lead to a loss of time - it is valuable in some serious diseases. Take care of your health!