What Causes Fishy Smelling Sperm?

By - Dr. Omair Ansar, MBBS, MSc

Sperm is essential for reproduction, but it also carries some risks. Many men worry about sperm health because they don’t want to pass on genetic defects or infertility problems to their children.

But what exactly causes fishy smelling sperm?

Some men experience fishy smells during ejaculation, even though they’ve had no prior issues with their semen. This is called postejaculatory emission (PEE), and it affects between 25% and 50% of men. The cause of PEE isn’t known, but researchers believe that it could be caused by certain medications, hormonal changes, or psychological stress.

There are two types of PEE: fishy odor and foul odor. Both types are caused by bacteria in the prostate gland, which produce ammonia. These bad bacteria thrive in warm temperatures, so keeping the area cool can reduce the risk of PEE. Other symptoms of PEE include burning sensation, pain, and urgency. If you notice these symptoms, talk to your doctor.

Fishy Smelling Sperm

If you have a fishy smell when you ejaculate, this may not necessarily mean that there’s an infection going on inside your body. However, if you do notice a strong or persistent smell after ejaculation, see your doctor right away. 

The second type of PEE is foul smelling. It occurs because bacteria that live in the anus and rectum grow too large and begin producing gas. Like the fishy-smelling variety, foul odors can lead to discomforts, such as abdominal cramps, bloating, diarrhea, nausea, and constipation. 

You should always check in with your doctor if you’re experiencing any signs or symptoms related to male reproductive system problems, including:

Foul-smelling PEE usually goes away within 2 weeks of treatment with antibiotics. For more information, visit the American Urological Association’s website.

Related Reading: How Does Sperm Smell When It Dies? Is It a Normal Strong Odor?

Symptoms of PEE

PEE is common among healthy young men, but it can also be a sign of disease. Check out the list above to make sure you don’t experience any of these symptoms. If you’ve experienced any of these issues, try to keep calm and discuss the situation with your doctor. He’ll want to rule out potential causes of the problem and treat it accordingly.

You might think you only need to take one step at a time — starting with taking care of yourself first, then moving on to your family. That’s great advice, but sometimes things go wrong before we get around to doing something else, so we should also seek medical advice Here are some other possible reasons why you might notice a fishy or foul-smelling ejaculate:

It’s not unusual for a man to notice a sudden bad taste or smell in his mouth after he has ejaculated. Sometimes this happens when a man eats spicy foods or drinks alcohol.

You may notice a change in your urine color, especially if you haven’t been drinking enough water. A darker color indicates that your kidneys aren’t working properly.

Your partner might complain about having a fishy or foul unpleasant smell. Some women find a fishy smell unpleasant, but others enjoy it.

A new symptom of PEE or a symptom from another condition may arise suddenly. If you become aware of a new problem, seek immediate medical help. Symptoms of PEE tend to last between 24 hours and 3 days. Although all of these symptoms can occur together, it’s important to know when each symptom starts and ends. 

What STD Causes Fishy Smelling Sperm?

To know what std cause smell is not easy due to various organisms having a similar smell. There are many different STDs that can cause either of these types of sperm smells. The most common ones include HIV, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Syphilis, Herpes, HPV.

Moreover, the fishy smell could also be due to female track vaginal fluid containing vaginal infections like bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and yeast infection.

If you suspect you have an STD, talk to your health care provider immediately. They will run tests to confirm what’s causing the problem. You should tell him/her if you have had unprotected sexual contact recently.

With advances in medicine and technology, there are now treatments available that work well and do no harm. With today’s anti-retroviral drugs, people who are infected with HIV can expect to live longer than ever before. As always, prevention is better than cure. Most of us would rather avoid the risks of contracting diseases like AIDS, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis by practicing safe sex.

What Does It Mean When Your Sperm Smells Like Fish?

It means that your sperm contains high levels of ammonia. This chemical is found naturally in urine and sweat. It’s also produced as part of digestion, so it can appear in semen. Ammonia is harmless; however, it can create a fishy odor.

So, if you are wondering why does sperm smell like fish Try following these tips to avoid fishy smell in sperms:

How to Get Rid of Fishy Smelling Semen?

Fishy smelling is a bad problem. To get rid from this type, you should follow some suggestions. Some of them are given below.

Avoid Alcohol

Do Not Drink Alcohol. Alcohol can cause serious damage to your liver by causing fatty deposits that clog your arteries. Regular consumption of alcohol can lead to heart disease, liver problems, diabetes, and cancer.

Drink Sufficient Water

The best way to get rid of fishy-smelling sperm std is to drink enough water. Water flushes out impurities and toxins in your body. Make sure you drink between 8 and 10 cups of water per day. Drinking enough water will help flush out any harmful gasses that might be present in your semen.

Take Antibiotics

Using antibiotics to treat bacterial infections in the genital area could result in side effects that include a fishy smell. Women who have had the pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and have recently given birth should use antibiotic contraceptives for three months after giving birth.

Use Natural Cures Instead

There are many natural remedies that can maintain a healthy vagina eliminate odors from abnormal vaginal discharge or vaginal secretion and maintain vaginal ph. These remedies eliminate fishy sperm smell female causes, the remedies include lemon juice, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, allspice, oregano, peppermint oil, rosemary, sage, and thyme. 

Keep Your Diet Healthy

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Fruits contain fiber that helps keep you regular. Vegetables contain lots of vitamins and minerals that improve overall health.

Avoid Sugar

Eating too much sugar makes your body retain fluids, leaving you feeling bloated and full. It also makes your body release more fluid than normal. This can cause a fishy vaginal odor and sperm odor

Avoid Strenuous Exercise

If you engage in strenuous exercise every day, your body works hard to excrete waste products through your sweat glands during aerobic activity. When this happens, you end up producing more urine than usual. And because urine has a bad odor, you might notice a fishy smell from time to time.

Take Care of Yourself

Taking care of yourself physically is vital to keeping your reproductive system healthy. Try exercising regularly and eating well-balanced meals. Keep your stress low so that your hormones remain balanced.

Try Relaxing Spas

Many spas offer hydrotherapy, an alternative form of spa therapy where heated water is used to relax muscles and stimulate blood flow. Hydrotherapy can help reduce muscle aches and pains as well as ease tension caused by anxiety or depression.

Sperm Smell Like Bleach

Some men often question their treating doctor that why does my sperm smell like bleach? The most common reason why a man’s testicles produce white or yellowish discharge is due to excess retention of secretions.

In men, the seminal vesicle produces approximately 1 pint of clear fluid daily. Normally, this fluid is released into the urinary tract via ejaculation.

However, if there is excessive retention of fluid within the seminal vesicles, the fluid can spill out of the urethra via ejaculation.

As you know, the ejaculate normally contains sperm cells along with other substances necessary for fertilization. Consequently, some of the contents of the ejaculate may leak out of the urethral opening accompanied by the secretion.

This type of leakage may explain the presence of white or yellowish semen inside the penis. The reasons why such discharge occurs may be due to a variety of causes and should not be considered as normal discharge. Some of them include:

1. Infection – When bad or good bacteria (healthy bacteria) or viruses enter the male sexual organ, they may get trapped within the walls of the seminal vesicles. This may result in the formation of pus which will eventually result in the production of white or yellowish discharge.

2. Cancer – If cancerous tumors develop within the prostate gland, the seminal vesicles may become infected with the tumor cells. This can lead to the production of white or even black semen.

3. Dilation of the Prostate Gland – A swollen prostate gland may also give rise to white or yellowish discharge in the semen.

FAQs

1. Can a man’s sperm make a woman smell fishy?

It depends on how much of it is present. If only small amounts are present, then it won’t affect her at all. But if lots of it is present, then yes, it could definitely affect her.

2. Why does some sperm make me smell fishy?

Well first off, sperm are made of proteins. So, when they come into contact with anything else, they change shape and size and whatnot. They can cause many problems with the body, but one thing they don’t do is smell fishy. It could probably be other causes like excessive fluid accumulation on testicles or lack of proper hygiene

Does sperm have a smell?

Yes, sperm has a distinct odor. And while it doesn’t have a strong scent, it still smells fine. But the reason why some people say that sperm makes them smell like fish is that they are looking at it wrong.

Can your diet change the smell of semen?

Diet plays an important role in our health and well-being. And since the reproductive system is part of the human body, it follows that diet can impact it too. For instance, certain foods can cause changes in your sex drive and so on the smell and quality of semen

Conclusion

To sum up, the actual reason behind the ‘fishy smell’ in semen is that the sperm cells undergo transformations during transit from the testes to the uterus; thus producing different odors that are detectable by the olfactory senses.

But remember, just because it smells fishy, it doesn’t mean that you need to worry about fertility issues! You should visit your doctor immediately if you feel any discomfort or suspect that you might have caught something serious.

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