Hematospermia is referred to as the presence of fresh or altered blood in male semen. Its prevalence figures have remained unknown as many patients stay unrecognized or some cases are not reported to the medics.
Hematospermia is a medical condition that is widespread in young to the average aged males particularly 30 to 40 years. Most men after ejaculation fail to check the presence of blood in their semen, which could contribute to lack of its prevalence among men.
Is Hematospermia a Serious Medical Condition?
Hematospermia is not a serious condition and thus it should not give you sleepless nights. Unless it’s a sign of another medical condition, the blood in the male ejaculate may vanish on its own. For instance, if the bleeding is due to an infection, one is advised to take antibiotics to stop the bleeding.
What to Look For?
However, if you experience increased episodes of blood in your semen and pain when ejaculating or signs of urinary tract infection, seek medical advice from an experienced urologist.
A male may notice brown semen during or after the sexual act. Whatsoever, people tend to associate rough sex with the presence of blood in the semen which is unfortunately incorrect. Harsh injuries in the genitals or in the urinary tract can cause bleeding although this should not be termed as Hematospermia.
Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs are common medication for managing and treating Hematospermia. Fluoroquinolones, doxycycline, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim are some of the antibiotics that are administered to patients experiencing blood in their semen due to genitourinary tract infections.
They are normally prescribed in a two-week course. If one is experiencing recurrent episodes, follow up is required but for easily treated Hematospermia it’s not necessary.
In most cases, men ejaculate semen, which is thick, clear and white or grey in colour. Presence of any other discolouration can be alarming and stressful. It is always a clear indicator that something is wrong in your system. Brown semen is a sign of presence of blood particles in your ejaculation and can be due to various reasons like infection, injuries or tumours.
Symptoms of Hematospermia
Presence of blood in the semen, which is usually noticed after ejaculation although it’s not painful. These are the main indicators that you might be suffering from Hematospermia:
- One may experience pain during ejaculation.
- Burning sensation when urinating or experiencing pain when urinating.
- Complications when it comes to discharging your bladder completely.
- Presence of blood in the urine, which is referred to as hematuria.
- Discharges from the penis or other signs of sexually transmitted diseases.
- Inflammation of the genitalia or pain in the sexual organs.
- Increased temperatures, racing heartbeats or unusual high blood pressure than the normal rate.
Causes of Hematospermia
Blood in the semen can be due to various causes:
Infection
Infection is the main cause of blood in male semen. Blood can flow from infected organs such as glands, tubes and ducts that produce and excrete semen which includes:
a) Prostate -this is a gland that is responsible for the production of the fluid share of semen.
b) Urethra- it’s a tube that acts as a passage of urine and semen from the penis.
c) Epididymis and vas deferens – they are very small tubes where sperm mature before they are released.
d) Seminal vesicles – responsible for the addition of extra fluid to the semen.
Blood in the semen can come from sexually transmitted infection (STI) like gonorrhea, chlamydia or from bacterial/viral infection.
Trauma or medical process
Medical procedures such as prostate biopsy can lead to blood particles in the semen. Medical procedures conducted to treat urinary tract infections can cause slight trauma, which automatically causes chronological bleeding of the track. Though the blood in the semen will disappear in few weeks after the medical procedure.
Other medical techniques that can cause blood present in the semen include vasectomy, radiation therapy or injections for treating hemorrhoids. Vigorous sex or masturbation, pelvic fracture, testicles injury or any injury to the sexual organs can cause inflammation that will produce blood in the semen.
Testicular cancer and prostate cancer can also cause the presence of blood in the semen. Although prostate cancer patients will not be able to notice the defect except if they undergo a prostate biopsy.
Polyps and tumors
Most men who ejaculate semen with blood have tumors though they are mostly found in the prostate gland. Although blood in the semen can be due to testicular cancer, urinary tract infections or bladder, older men who at risk of suffering from cancer should be tested Hematospermia once they notice brown semen.
Polyps start growing in the reproductive system that appear like bumps, though they are not associated with any medical condition can cause ejaculation of semen with blood and can cause cancer.
Blood vessel puzzles
Blood vessels are found in all organs that are involved in semen production, transportation and ejaculation such as prostate and the tubes. Once they are tempered with, bleeding will occur and thus one will notice blood in the semen.
Inflammation
Organs that are involved in sperm production and ejaculation like prostate gland might be swollen due to injuries, irritation, trauma or infection. Once this occurs, they produce semen, which is brown in color.
HIV, leukemia, liver disease and high blood pressure could be other medical conditions that can result in blood in the semen.
Effects of Hematospermia
Blood in the semen can affect one in the following ways:
- Premature ejaculation – when the genitalia is swollen, there is always extra white blood cells in the semen which maximizes semen viscosity. This leads to premature ejaculation. The survival rate of the sperms is also reduced.
- Infertility – Hematospermia can block the vas deferens, which will prevent semen from coming out after ejaculation and thus lead to infertility
- Reduction of sexual drive – if Hematospermia is not well treated, the inflammation spreads to the reproductive parts thus reducing the sexual function of the person.
- Blood in the semen can cause low testosterone levels in men, thus reduces their stamina in bed.
Diagnosis of Hematospermia
To identify blood in the semen, a medical profession conducts a complete medical history of the patient through physical examination to detect a clinically and treatable cause of the blood in the semen.
Medical history
The main objective of conducting the medical history is to eliminate the patient’s interpretation of blood particles in his urine or blood from his partner when having the sexual intercourse as Hematospermia.
The doctor seeks to understand the duration and appearance of the symptoms such as pain when erecting, penetrating or ejaculating, and pain in the genital parts, which are all causes of blood in the semen.
The practitioner also seeks to know on one’s sexual practices and medication depending on age as it could be a relevant cause. A physical examination on the genitals to check whether they may have swollen is carried out.
Clinical examination
Various clinical tests are carried out which include:
Urinalysis- this is also medically referred to as urine culture. Its conducted to check whether one may be having any urinary tract infections or defects.
PSA testing – this is done by testing prostate -specific antigen in the blood to check for the presence of prostate cancer which causes blood in the semen.
“Condom test”- this is conducted to establish whether blood in the semen can be emanating from partners menstrual blood. One is required to wear a condom and then the physician examines the “ protected” semen from the blood.
STD Test – a test is carried out if one thinks that they may be having sexually transmitted diseases.
However, if one experiences frequent episodes of Hematospermia, Cystoscopy, Transrectal ultrasound examination and CT and MRI scanning are conducted.
Treatments of Hematospermia
In some instances, there is no need of treatment; the blood in the semen usually goes away on its own without taking any drugs.
However, if the presence of blood in the semen is caused by a medical condition, treating the condition always helps in managing hematospermia. For example, if urinary tract infection is causing bleeding if one takes antibiotics the bleeding stops. Treatment depends on the duration and amount of blood, the age of the patients and signs of Hematospermia.
According to a study in Germany, people who are below 40 years of age and experiencing blood in the semen should not be worried as there might be no dangerous underlying disease. However, if one is over 45 years, having urinary tract infection signs, ejaculation complications, the frequent presence of blood in the semen or having a bleeding disorder or any other medical condition, you will need treatment to cure Hematospermia.
Treatment of Hematospermia mainly depends on the cause and includes; taking antibiotics for the cases of infection, anti-inflammatory drugs to treat the swollen parts and medicines to cure medical conditions like liver disease, high blood pressure etc.
Natural Remedies for Hematospermia
If you notice blood in the semen, you can observe the following natural remedies to manage the condition:
- Take enough of food rich in Vitamin D. This will assist in minimizing the calcium deposits on your organs.
- Take enough water – this ensures that your organs remain hydrated.
- Cranberry juice will help in combating the effects of swelling and any infection on your organs.
- Taking selenium will aid in clearing the blood in the semen due to a condition is known as prostatitis.
- Take quercetin, a supplement that is found in red onions and potatoes to reduce the prostatitis effects.
- Sitz bath, will assist in calming irritation and minimize inflammation.
Although blood in the semen can lower the testosterone levels in men, there are supplements that will boost the levels by increasing the testosterone hormones in the blood directly. Top natural testosterone boosters include:
- Ginger – this a common spice in the kitchen and studies have shown that ginger boosts the levels of testosterone.
- Vitamin D – it’s a fat-soluble vitamin produced by the body after exposure to sunlight. Increase in vitamin D in the body boosts testosterone levels and improves one’s health generally.
- D – Aspartic acid – this a natural amino acid that increases the levels of testosterone levels and works by increasing the follicle and luteinizing stimulating hormones.
Conclusion
Young men may experience blood in the semen after ejaculating once or thrice without any other medical condition or symptoms and can disappear without treatment after some time.
Although the bleeding is not painful, medical examinations should be conducted to ascertain and treat the cause. Herbal medicines have proved to be an effective approach when treating Hematospermia.
They are safe and do not cause any allergic reactions on the body. If you have been taking medicine with no positive result, its time to give a try to the herbal medicines.
Author Bio:
Dwayne Austin is a multi-faceted author, blogger & fitness instructor from Indiana, US. He has been writing blogs on mens health. He encourages people to live a healthy lifestyle. Connect with Dwayne via Facebook and Twitter.
References
https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/
https://www.performanceinsiders.com
http://www.actforlibraries.org/
Ken Weiss is a health blogger who is passionate about natural and holistic cures for men’s health issues. He is the founder of menshealthcures.com
