Urethral discharge syndrome in men

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Hung - Doctor of Endocrinology - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

There are many different causes of urethral discharge in men, but the main cause is a bacterial infection and can often be cured with antibiotics.

Urethral discharge syndrome in men is a phenomenon in which fluid or pus flows from the urethral opening of a man, in addition to symptoms such as painful urination and difficulty.
The urethra is an organ of the urinary tract, shaped like a long tube connecting the bladder with the opening of the urinary tract (urine hole). This organ is responsible for transporting urine from the bladder to the outside of the body, and at the same time transporting semen from the seminal vesicles out of the body when ejaculation occurs. The inflammation of the urethra leads to bad effects in the process of excreting urine as well as semen, even causing harmful complications to the patient's health.
Urethritis in men, if not treated promptly, can lead to the risk of epididymitis, urethral stricture, even leading to infertility.

When it comes to urethritis in men, people often assume it's caused by the bacteria gonorrhea (N. gonorrhoeae), but that's just one of the pathogens.
One of the causes of the disease is due to the inappropriate use of soap during bathing, or the spermicide in condoms used during sexual activity, leading to irritation and sensitivity to the body. feel itchy, uncomfortable.
In addition, urethritis can be caused by the invasion of bacteria and fungi; such as E. Coli, skin staphylococcus (S. epidermidis) , saprophytic staphylococcus (S. saprophyticus) appear due to poor hygiene of the glans groove, foreskin narrowing, whereby bacteria enter the urethra causing inflammation .
If a man has sex with a partner who is infected with gonorrhea or Chlamydia or Mycoplasma, there is a high risk of gonorrhea urethritis.

The incubation period is long, from 1-5 weeks The disease is not widespread. Almost no symptoms of painful urination, frequent urination The urethral discharge is little, usually clear fluid.

Urethritis caused by gonorrhea bacteria is divided into 2 types: acute and chronic

Widespread illness; symptoms of pain and itching appear; difficulty urinating, frequent urination; burning perineal area; burning when urinating. Urethral discharge is abundant, yellow-green (sometimes accompanied by blood), most in the early morning when waking up. Painful, bloody ejaculation during sex. It should be noted that about 10% of cases of urethritis caused by gonorrhea bacteria, there are almost no obvious symptoms that make the patient not take precautions.

Symptoms appear lower abdominal pain, burning perineum. Urethral fluid is secreted a lot at the opening of the flute in the early morning. Presence of pus in the urine.

To diagnose urethritis in men accurately, it is necessary to conduct a test of mucus or pus in the early morning right after waking up.
In case the patient has urethritis caused by gonorrhea bacteria, Gram stain can be performed to find bacteria to determine (the necessary condition is to take the correct specimen).
In case of disease caused by other bacteria, it is necessary to conduct a culture of mucus and pus; In the case of gonorrhea bacteria, if Gram cannot be examined, the same procedure must be followed.
For cases of diseases caused by Chlamydia or Mycoplasma bacteria, the diagnosis will be more difficult because Chlamydia has not been cultured in an artificial medium, and the artificial medium for Mycoplasma culture is limited. At that time, we need to carry out the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) gene amplification reaction. This method has high sensitivity and almost absolute accuracy rate, but its disadvantage is high cost and limited medical facilities can conduct this reaction.

Men need to pay attention to cleaning their genitals every day. In the event that a narrowing of the foreskin is detected, it is advisable to consult a doctor immediately for timely treatment. If urethritis is suspected, especially due to infection, the patient also needs to see a specialist soon to have a treatment plan that brings positive results, limiting possible complications when infected. urethra. Pay attention not to have sex indiscriminately and respect monogamy.
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