For men, it is initially a shock when the semen has taken on a reddish color. While this may indicate a serious sign of illness, there are also harmless causes that can cause blood in semen.
What is blood in semen?
The presence of blood in semen usually occurs painlessly, but it causes a great deal of concern among those affected. Usually, human semen takes on a white or yellowish color. The color and consistency of the semen depend on dietary and exercise habits. On the other hand, if there is blood in the semen, it is called hematospermia. The presence of blood in the semen is usually painless, but causes great concern among those affected. The symptoms occur predominantly in men between the ages of 25 and 40. However, there is no age group that is excluded from hematospermia. In urology, hematospermia is a well-known complaint. A high proportion of men are reported to suffer from hematospermia at least once in their lifetime.
Causes
Hematospermia is usually a harmless injury to the penile vessels due to prolonged and often repetitive sexual intercourse. If a vein in the seminal vesicle bursts, blood is discharged with the seminal fluid during an effusion. Blood in semen can furthermore be caused by prostate inflammation. Inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis) affects the seminal vesicle or the draining seminal ducts. It is the cause of bleeding in up to 50 percent of cases. In rare cases, benign enlargement of the prostate is also diagnosed. Prostate cancer is eventually implicated as a possible cause. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men, but is often accompanied by other symptoms. Furthermore, hematospermia can be caused by infections such as urethritis or epididymitis. Only in rare cases does the complaint underlie tumor formation. Possible tumors include prostate carcinoma, seminal vesicle carcinoma, or condylomata acuminata. Likewise, it is possible that systemic diseases are present. For example, coagulation disorders, hypertension, and liver disease can cause blood in semen.
Diseases associated with this symptom
- Malignant lymphoma
- Condylomata acuminata
- Prostatitis
- Prostate cancer
- Urethritis
- Blood clotting disorder
- Liver disease
- Blood clotting disorder
- Epididymitis
Diagnosis and course
If blood in semen occurs only temporarily and is not associated with any other symptoms, it is a harmless complaint. In contrast, it is recommended to consult a general practitioner or a urologist if hematospermia persists for more than five days. The doctor starts with an anamnesis, during which the patient’s medical history is taken. Along with this, he obtains information about dietary and daily habits. Then the diagnosis is accompanied by a physical examination and blood pressure measurement. For a more detailed analysis, the blood count and liver values can be checked. Furthermore, blood coagulation is examined in the laboratory, while a urinalysis is performed. If the doctor has not yet found a cause, a spermiogram is performed and a sperm culture is created. Finally, a cystoscopy may be performed. It should be noted that in about 33 percent of cases, no cause can be found for the blood appearing in the semen despite an extensive examination.
Complications
Men initially experience shock when there is blood in the semen. Arguably, this can indicate a serious condition, but there are also harmless causes. Generally, semen is yellowish or white in color. However, if there is blood in the semen, it is anything but normal. Blood in semen does not cause pain to the affected person, but causes the worst fears. However, in urology blood in semen is completely normal, it is very well known and men suffer this phenomenon at least once in their life. Blood in semen can have very different causes, maybe it is just a harmless injury of the vessels in the penis. This occurs relatively often, especially after prolonged sexual intercourse is not uncommon. If a vein in the seminal vesicle bursts, the semen turns red.Blood in semen can also indicate a disease, such as prostatitis. In half of all cases it is responsible for it. But it can also be prostate cancer, it is the most common type of cancer in men. But with this diagnosis, other symptoms can be seen. Very often blood in semen is caused by inflammation, a tumor is diagnosed in the rarest cases. Blood in semen should always be discussed with the doctor, he can determine the exact cause. Sometimes liver disease, hypertension or a blood clotting disorder are also responsible.
When should you go to the doctor?
Blood in semen: many men react to this at first in shock. In addition, blood in semen is rarely associated with pain. The phenomenon called hematospermia with medical term occurs mainly in men in the age group between 25 and 40 years. However, in principle, blood in semen can affect any man. A common cause of blood in semen is prolonged and repeated sexual intercourse, during which the fine veins of the seminal vesicle burst. In the event of an effusion, blood is then released along with the seminal fluid. This harmless cause should not hide the fact that blood in semen can also be the cause of more serious diseases. Almost half of the cases are caused by prostatitis. A benign enlargement of the prostate is also less common. Prostate carcinoma should also not be ruled out. Other underlying diseases such as increased blood pressure, blood coagulation disorders and liver disease are also possible causes of blood in semen. A single episode of blood in the semen is not yet a compelling reason for a visit to the doctor. However, if the hematospermia persists for several days or occurs repeatedly, a doctor should definitely be consulted. The specialist recommended for blood in semen is a urologist, andrologist, hepatologist or oncologist.
Treatment and therapy
Whether and when treatment is initiated depends on the diagnosed cause. If blood in the semen is caused by an injury to the penile vessels or a burst vein in the seminal vesicle, it is recommended that the affected genitals be spared. In this case, frequent sexual intercourse must be avoided. The same applies if prostatitis is present. At the same time, treatment of prostatitis is undertaken. Usually prostatitis can be well treated with antibiotics. The treatment is accompanied by relaxation methods. Similarly, infections such as urethritis or epididymitis must be treated so that blood in the semen can be prevented in the long term. Tumorous changes, first and foremost prostate cancer, are remedied surgically. If, on the other hand, there is a systemic disease, this must be treated in a targeted manner. For example, in the case of diagnosed hypertension, the doctor prescribes a medication that stabilizes the blood pressure. In addition, the physician assumes an advisory function. This is particularly important if no cause can be found for the blood in the semen. In this case, it is the doctor’s task to reassure the patient and inform him about possible risks.
Outlook and prognosis
Anyone who detects blood in their own semen most likely has a burst vein. The color can provide information as to whether it is merely the said burst vein or a serious condition. In the case of a burst blood vessel, there is no need to panic, because the blood in the semen should already have disappeared by the time of renewed ejaculation. It is therefore not necessary to see a doctor in such a case. However, if the cause is, for example, a diseased prostate, then this should be examined and treated by a doctor. Such an inflammation of the prostate can lead to severe pain in the genital area, as well as a strongly increased temperature. If the diagnosis is prostate cancer, the tumor must be urgently removed as an inpatient. Complete recovery is extremely promising in such a case. Without medical treatment, this clinical picture can lead to death. If the glans is injured due to excessive strain, a grace period (no sexual intercourse) must be observed. After about two weeks, the injury should have healed and the blood in the semen should have disappeared. If this is not the case, a doctor must be consulted.Without appropriate treatment, the course of the disease could have serious consequences if a serious disease is present.
Prevention
Since blood in semen is favored by regular alcohol and drug consumption, it is important in prevention to abstain from the corresponding intoxicant. Furthermore, the risk of hematospermia can be increased by smoking. Besides, it is recommended to pay attention to a balanced diet. This has a great influence on the blood count and blood pressure. Finally, a sport should be pursued regularly. This promotes blood circulation throughout the body. Lastly, prostate cancer screening should be considered, especially by older people.
What you can do yourself
In any case, the family doctor or a urologist or gynecologist should be consulted, even if in most cases there are no serious causes for the blood in the semen. Often the symptoms subside within a few days. Nevertheless, care should be taken to avoid irritation of the penis by refraining from sexual intercourse or wearing too tight clothing. In the context of bacterial prostatitis or an inflammation of the (epididymis) testicles, elevating and cooling the testicles can have an analgesic effect in addition to prescribing painkilling and anti-inflammatory medication. If the disease is accompanied by fever, bed rest is also very important. Only extremely rarely, for example in the case of a tumor disease, surgical intervention is the last solution. In addition to medical treatment, there are some home remedies that can also be used to relieve pain. These include, for example, various medicinal plants such as saw palmetto fruit, pumpkin seeds, rye pollen or the bark of the African plum tree. Homeopaths also swear by the dwarf palm tree, which is said to provide relief from pain during urination. However, the use of these home remedies should be discussed in advance with an alternative practitioner or naturopath and does not replace the classical treatment by a medical doctor.
