The secretions of the body's natural openings can say a lot about human health. The nature of ear secretions indicates the health or disease of the ear, nasal secretions provide comprehensive information about the pathology of this organ, and penile secretions indicate the state of the organs of the male reproductive system.
Very often, abnormal discharge from the penis becomes the first and sometimes the only symptom of a serious condition. Therefore, men should pay attention to their own sexual organs, not only to pay attention to its size, but also to pay attention to the nature of secretions.
Penile secretions are a collective concept that combines secretions from the urethra (urethra), secretions from the sebaceous glands (many located on the head of the penis), and secretions formed by pathological skin. There are three normal (physiological) secretions and a variety of pathological secretions.
Physiological secretions of the penis
The first normal secretion is the libido (physiological) urethral leak, a transparent secret that flows out of the urethra in the context of sexual arousal. In this case, the source of secretions during male arousal is the urethral glands. The amount of secretions can vary from small to large, depending on the male's physiology and the duration of the sexual abstinence period. Sometimes a physiologic urethra accompanies defecation. It must be said that the composition of urethral secretions contains a certain amount of sperm which, if it enters the female genitals, can lead to conception and the development of pregnancy.
In some cases, a discharge that is similar to physiology but in greater quantity can be a symptom of a reproductive disorder, so if the nature or quantity of the discharge starts to differ from your normal norm, it is worth discussing this with your doctor.
The second normal secretion from the penis is smegma. Smegma is a glandular secretion located in the skin of the foreskin and glans. The amount of smegma is usually small and can be easily washed off without causing any problems if a daily hygiene routine is followed. If the rules of personal hygiene are violated, smegma can accumulate between the skin of the head and the foreskin layer and create the prerequisites for the development of inflammatory processes.
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 warm water and unscented soap). During the wash, be sure to move the foreskin, wash the glans, and carefully remove all secretions.
The normal secretions of the penis also include sperm (semen) – a mixture of gonad secretions and sperm that is released during ejaculation (ejaculation) during intercourse or masturbation (self-satisfaction). Usually the release of sperm is accompanied by sexual release (orgasm). This group of normal penile discharge also includes wet dreams - involuntary ejaculation (usually at night) in boys during puberty (after age 14-15) and in men after prolonged 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
Pathological discharge from the penis can be caused by a variety of diseases, including inflammatory processes caused by own opportunistic flora or sexually transmitted infections, neoplastic disease, the consequences of injury and surgery. Pathological discharge from the penis in amount (small, moderate, abundant), color (transparent, cloudy white, milky white, white, yellow, yellow-green, mixed blood), consistency (liquid, thick), frequency (continuous, intermittent), morning, associated with urination or drinking). The nature of the secretion is influenced by the nature of the pathogen 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. Be aware that the same disorder may be accompanied by a discharge of different nature, and at the same time, different disorders can cause a discharge from the penis that looks exactly the same. This is why it is sometimes impossible to diagnose a disease based on the appearance of secretions alone.
Penile discharge associated with sexually transmitted diseases
Penile mucus discharge—clear and sticky with few white blood cells—is characteristic of ureaplasmosis, mycoplasmosis, and chlamydia.
Mucopurulent discharge - a translucent milky white fluid composed of urethral mucus, inflammatory exudates, and white blood cells - is characteristic during exacerbations of trichomoniasis, ureaplasmosis, and chlamydia. Chlamydia is also characterized by accumulated secretions that "stick" to the glans.
Purulent discharge - a thick, viscous fluid that is yellow or yellow-green in color and consists of urethral mucus, sloughed urothelium, and large numbers of white blood cells - the most common symptom of gonorrhea. A feature of gonorrhea urethritis is the severity of subjective symptoms such as pain, pain, pruritus (especially during urination), and profuse and persistent urethral discharge.
Currently, STD patients often have co-infections - infections caused by multiple infectious agents (Trichomonas and Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia, Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma urealyticum, etc. ), which significantly alter the symptoms and manifestations of STDs. Infect. Therefore, it is not possible to make a final diagnosis and prescribe treatment based solely on information about the nature of discharge and patient complaints. It is important that STD symptoms, including penile discharge, stop easily during self-treatment with antibiotics. However, in this case, the disappearance of symptoms does not mean the disappearance of the disease. The disease just goes into the shadows, so it comes back with new vigor after the antibiotic treatment ends. In addition, illiteracy treatment can lead to the development of resistance in microorganisms to used antimicrobials.
Penile secretions associated with non-STD inflammatory processes
In this case, the infected pathogen becomes a representative of its own opportunistic flora (Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Candida, Escherichia coli), which become more active due to the reduced level of the body's immune defenses.
Non-gonococcal urethritis - inflammation of the urethra (urethra) with the appearance of mucopurulent discharge. One feature is the absence or mild severity of symptoms (pain, aches, itching) and the presence of a small amount of discharge mainly during long breaks between urinations.
The distribution of balanoposthitis (inflammation of the foreskin of the penis) is usually very prominent, mucopurulent or purulent, with pain in the glans, swelling and redness of the foreskin.
Prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland) is accompanied by the appearance of mucus and mucopurulent discharge (depending on the severity of the inflammatory process), perineal pain, impaired urination and potency.
A very common disease of the male reproductive organs is thrush (candidiasis) - an inflammatory process associated with opportunistic Candida activation. The typical presentation of thrush in men is marked redness of the skin on the penis, itching, burning, and a large, clotted discharge.
Penile discharge not associated with inflammation
This is a rather rare type of discharge that has been associated with trauma and neoplastic processes in reproductive organs and neurological disorders.
Nocturnal emission is the discharge of semen from the urethra without orgasm outside of sexual intercourse or masturbation. The main cause of nocturnal emission is the impaired fascial tension of the vas deferens associated with central nervous system diseases, and chronic inflammatory processes are less common. In some cases, the cause of nocturnal emission cannot be determined.
A hemorrhage is the discharge of blood from the urethra. The most common cause of blood leakage is mechanical damage to the urethra due to the introduction of a foreign body during a smear, after or during instrumentation of the urethra, bladder. Bleeding also occurs in penile trauma, urethra, urethral malignancy, penis, prostate, polyps, stone discharge, sand in urolithiasis.
Prostatic leakage - leakage of prostate secretions from the urethra - is observed as the tone of the smooth muscle fibers of the prostatic excretory duct decreases during its chronic inflammation or other diseases (eg, neurogenic bladder, prostate adenoma).
Finding the Cause of Penile Discharge
Since there are many causes 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 a complaint of penile discharge, the doctor should carefully examine the skin for a rash, feel the lymph nodes (for swollen, painful), and examine the underwear.
The nature of penile secretions is assessed at the beginning of the examination and after gentle massage of the urethra, which is carried out after 2-3 hours of continence. Mandatory tests for men with abnormal penile discharge include general blood work (enlargement) and urine, blood sugar test, urethral smear, urethral discharge seeding, digital prostate gland, bladder and prostate if indicatedUltrasound, urography, computed tomography.
During the inflammatory process, the most valuable information is the study of urethral smears. The results of this study depended on the severity and duration of the disease. The presence of 4 or more leukocytes indicates inflammation, and the presence of cylindrical and parabasal epithelium indicates the severity and depth of the inflammatory process.
Ready for smearing. 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. To this end, topical antibiotics, antiseptics, and antifungals were excluded 3 days before the study. Urination and external genital toilet use should be avoided for 3 hours prior to the study. Do a smear test no earlier than 3 weeks after the end of systemic antibiotic therapy (oral or injectable).
What do urethral smear results indicate?
- Leukocytosis - acute urethritis, exacerbation of chronic urethritis.
- Eosinophilia - allergic urethritis.
- Increased red blood cells - trauma, tumor, stone or sand excretion and urolithiasis, severe inflammation.
- Massive epithelial cells - chronic urethritis, leukoplakia.
- Sperm - Nocturnal emission.
- Lipid particles - galactorrhea.
- Mucus without blood cells - urethra.
- Key cells with few neutrophils (small rods on the epithelium) - urethritis.
In a normal smear, up to 4 leukocytes can be detected in the visual field, and the bacterial flora is represented by a single coccus, rod.
At last
The appearance of penile discharge is best viewed as a symptom of a disease, the nature of which can only be determined by a doctor, and only during an in-person appointment. The pathology leading to the appearance of the discharge cannot be independently diagnosed, so self-treatment is not recommended. Attempting to self-medicate in this situation will not lead to recovery, but will only distort the symptoms of the disease and result in a loss of time -- precious in some serious illnesses. Take care of your health!