Causes of white discharge from the urethra

Some people may find some white sticky secretions near their urethra, sometimes accompanied by adverse symptoms such as frequent urination and urgency, and sometimes even urinary incontinence. These are actually adverse symptoms caused by urinary tract infection. Urinary tract infection is a common urinary tract disease in our daily life, usually due to the urethra being infected by foreign bacteria or irritation, which causes an inflammatory reaction.

Urinary tract infection is divided into upper urinary tract infection and lower urinary tract infection according to the site of infection; it can be divided into isolated or sporadic infection and recurrent infection according to the relationship between the two infections, the latter of which can be divided into reinfection and bacterial persistence, which is also called recurrence; according to the state of the urinary tract at the time of infection, it can be divided into simple urinary tract infection, complicated urinary tract infection and urethritis. Urinary tract infection is more common in women, especially in women with active sexual life and postmenopausal women.

More than 95% of urinary tract infections are caused by a single bacterium. Among them, 90% of outpatients and about 50% of inpatients are caused by Escherichia coli, which can be classified into 140 types. The urinary infection type Escherichia coli is the same type as the Escherichia coli isolated from the patient's feces, and is often seen in asymptomatic bacteriuria or uncomplicated urine infection; Proteus, Aerobacterium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Fecal Streptococcus is seen in patients with reinfection, indwelling catheters, and urinary tract infections with complications; Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans are more common in patients with diabetes, patients taking glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive drugs, and patients after kidney transplantation; Staphylococcus aureus is more common in bacteremia and septicemia caused by skin trauma and drug addicts; although viral and mycoplasma infections are rare, they have gradually increased in recent years. Various bacterial infections are seen in indwelling catheters, neurogenic bladders, stones, congenital malformations, and vaginal, intestinal, and urethral fistulas.

To avoid urinary tract infection, we must pay attention to daily urinary tract health, develop good hygiene habits, and regularly clean our urethra and nearby areas to avoid urinary tract infection. If you find that you have a urinary tract infection, you should seek medical attention immediately to avoid delaying treatment and causing more serious consequences.