Any changes in the ejaculate that are noticeable to the eye are an occasion to contact a urologist. One of the characteristic signs that cannot be overlooked is hemospermia or blood in semen. This pathology is not always dangerous, but can accompany serious diseases, so you can not do without a comprehensive examination.
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Causes of Blood in Semen
Blood during ejaculation is easy to notice by studying the ejaculate. Red blood cells are manifested by light pink lumps and fibers.
Causes of blood in semen:
- pathology of the prostate gland;
- urethral injuries;
- inflammation of the bladder;
- urethra infections;
- cystic formations of seminal vesicles;
- infectious inflammation of the seminal vesicles.
Only a doctor can accurately determine the cause of hemospermia after tests and examinations of the genitals, however, a probable diagnosis can be made by the nature of the accompanying symptoms.
In general, blood in the semen occurs against damage to the tissues of the prostate, urethra or spermatic cord, due to inflammation or organic deposits (calculi). This can occur due to mechanical damage to the tissues of the prostate gland during therapeutic procedures (massage, TRUS, biopsy), or the urethra, for example, when taking a smear for analysis.
Pathology classification
Hemospermia is divided into two types - primary and secondary. Primary hemospermia is caused by endogenous processes that cannot be precisely determined. Blood clots in semen appear spontaneously, are not accompanied by other symptoms and do not indicate pathology. Moreover, the reappearance of such a sign is unlikely.Doctors associate primary hemospermia with a short-term malfunction of the seminal vesicles, which does not pose a threat to health.
Secondary hemospermia is the result of a malfunction of the genitourinary system or surgical procedures on the prostate, urethra or seminal vesicles. Such a symptom accompanies epididymitis, prostatitis, parasitic infestations. In general, hemospermia is not an independent pathology and is always regarded as a symptom of other diseases.
What is hemospermia dangerous
Blood after intercourse is an unnatural reaction of the body, from which you can not just take it and brush it off. Hemospermia in itself is not dangerous, unlike the diseases that cause it. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the warning sign in a timely manner and examine the genitourinary system to exclude dangerous pathologies.
- Hemospermia is an important symptom that allows you to detect diseases that occur in a latent form, including such dangerous pathologies as prostate cancer.
The problem is that with internal ejaculation during the act of disseminating blood in the ejaculate, they can go unnoticed for a long time. As a rule, men find clots only when ejaculating at the time of masturbation or when using barrier contraceptives (condom).
What diseases can the presence of blood in semen indicate?
Almost all diseases of the genitourinary system can be accompanied by hemospermia. First of all, it is necessary to consider such common pathologies as epididymitis and prostatitis.
Epididymitis is the inflammatory process of the epididymis. Hemospermia is one of the main symptoms of an acute form of a disease of an infectious nature. Epididymitis can be suspected by pain and swelling of the testicle, general malaise, fever.
Some pathologies of the prostate gland are also accompanied by blood in the ejaculate.
These include:
- prostate abscess;
- acute infectious prostatitis;
- calculous prostatitis;
- prostate cancer.
With an abscess and acute infectious prostatitis, a strong increase in body temperature, burning in the urethra during urination, sharp pains are observed. However, hematospermia is not the main symptom, moreover, it is problematic to detect it in acute inflammation, because few men can have sex in this state.
Calculous prostatitis is an inflammatory process caused by organic deposits (calculi) in the tissues of the prostate gland. These stones can move, for example, when the muscles of the pelvic floor are strained, and damage the prostate tissue, causing capillary bleeding. This phenomenon often does not cause discomfort, but streaks of blood are found in the ejaculate. It is secreted along with the secretion of the prostate gland, which mixes with seminal fluid during ejaculation. Blood ejaculation may be a symptom of advanced prostate cancer.
- Note! Hematospermia after a prostate biopsy, surgical treatment of an adenoma or drainage of a gland abscess is an absolutely normal phenomenon associated with tissue damage during surgical procedures.
In addition to these diseases, ejaculation with blood often appears against the background of damage to the urethra. This symptom can accompany urethritis, cystitis, urolithiasis - any inflammatory ailments and conditions accompanied by mechanical damage to the mucous membrane of the urethra. Blood clots in this case simply remain on the walls of the urethra and go outside with sperm.
Diagnostics
If a symptom occurs, consult a urologist or andrologist. The doctor will conduct a survey, analyze the accompanying symptoms and schedule an examination.Mandatory tests - bacterial culture of prostate secretion and spermogram.
Among the surveys:
- digital examination of the prostate;
- transrectal ultrasound of the prostate;
- Ultrasound of the testicles and bladder;
- blood test for PSA level;
- smear from the urethra.
PSA levels in the blood can diagnose prostate cancer or adenoma. Since these diseases are age-related pathologies, this analysis is prescribed for men older than 50 years.
To exclude diseases of the kidneys and bladder, an extensive urinalysis should be done. Detection of sand may indicate that blood in the semen is a result of damage to the walls of the urethra.
Pathology treatment
The treatment of hemospermia depends on the reasons, the treatment regimen is prescribed by the doctor after diagnosis.
- For inflammation of the prostate, antibiotics, alpha-blockers and NSAIDs are prescribed. The course of treatment on average takes two weeks.
- With infectious inflammation of the testes, antibacterial therapy and a number of drugs to eliminate the symptoms are also prescribed. The doctor selects antibiotics individually, depending on the results of the tests.
- Surgical treatment is indicated in cases where blood blotches in the seminal fluid are caused by damage to the urethral mucosa due to urethral stricture (pathological narrowing) or calculi in the prostate gland.
- With cancer, drug therapy and radical prostatectomy are practiced.
It is strongly recommended not to self-medicate and turn to traditional medicine.
Forecast and Prevention
The prognosis depends on the cause of the symptom. Primary hemospermia is harmless and often does not require treatment. With infectious inflammation of the prostate gland and seminal vesicles, the prognosis is favorable, but only if the doctor is consulted in a timely manner and all treatment recommendations are followed. Otherwise, the disease becomes chronic, which can cause erectile dysfunction and infertility.
Hematospermia in cancer is one of the late symptoms that appear at stages 3 and 4 of oncopathology, so the prognosis is conditionally unfavorable.
Prevention is a precaution. A man needs a permanent sexual partner, in all other cases it is important to use barrier methods of contraception, as some sexually transmitted diseases cause inflammation in the prostate. It is important to prevent testicular injuries, hypothermia and decreased immunity. Men aged 45-50 years and older are recommended to undergo an annual examination by a urologist, as they are at risk of developing calculous prostatitis, adenoma and prostate cancer.
