Typically, semen is a thick whitish liquid. However, it can occasionally appear watery or thinner than usual. This could be due to a few factors, such as frequent masturbation or an underlying health condition.
While watery semen is not ideal, it doesn’t necessarily indicate infertility. It may simply require a visit to an expert sexologist.
Frequent Ejaculation
If you masturbate frequently, the quality of your semen may decrease and become watery. This can be corrected by abstaining from sexual activity and masturbation for a few days to get your semen back to normal.
In some cases, watery sperm might be the result of other health problems. A swollen gland, varicocele, infection and tumors might also be responsible for watery semen.
Typically, the ejaculated fluid that contains the sperms is thick and whitish in appearance. When it becomes watery, you must check with a fertility specialist to ensure that there is no issue. Your physician will ask you about your symptoms, perform a physical examination and take a sample of the fluid. This will be assessed for acidity, volume, sperm count and sperm morphology (shape). He or she may advise lifestyle changes or prescribe medicine depending on the case. If the problem persists, then it might be time to see a clinical sexologist.
Hormonal Imbalance
Men who masturbate several times a day and don’t give their bodies enough time between intercourses may notice that their semen becomes thin and watery. This happens because it takes the body hours to produce enough semen for ejaculation. Usually, when this happens, it is not a cause for concern and the issue can be corrected by giving a few hours of rest between sex sessions.
A zinc deficiency can also cause a man’s semen to be watery, as research shows that men who consume enough of this mineral can fight off the effects of anti-sperm antibodies. These are produced when the body’s immune system mistakes sperm for a foreign body.
Watery semen doesn’t necessarily mean a person has fertility issues, but it is something that should be discussed with a doctor, especially if it is occurring frequently. Treatment options vary depending on the underlying condition but may include antibiotics, hormone therapy and/or procedures to treat varicoceles (swelling of testicular veins). The most common cause for watery semen is low sperm count. This can be treated with a combination of treatments including a healthy diet, weight loss, hormone therapy and procedures such as testicular surgery or percutaneous embolization.
Low Sperm Count
If you’re experiencing consistent watery semen, it could indicate an infection in your prostate or seminal vesicles (the organs that produce and carry semen). It could also be caused by a hormone imbalance or vitamin deficiency. It is important to consult your doctor if you have persistently watery semen, as they will be able to perform a test that identifies the acidity, volume, and liquefaction of the sample. Your doctor will recommend certain lifestyle changes, vitamin or mineral supplements, hormone therapy and/or medication depending on the precise cause.
A low sperm count is another common cause of watery semen, and it can decrease your fertility. This is referred to as oligospermia, and it’s important to see a fertility specialist if you have this condition. They can offer a variety of treatments, such as antibiotics for bacterial infections, hormone therapy for hormonal imbalances and varicocele surgery to treat swollen testicular veins.
Varicocele
Varicocele are swollen veins inside the scrotum, the sac that holds your testicles. They are common in men and cause low sperm counts. This is because they block blood flow to the testicle and prevent it from growing well or producing good sperm. Varicoceles are found in 16 out of 100 men and are more common in infertile men.
A health care provider may do a physical exam to check for varicocele. They will ask you to stand and take a deep breath while they look at your scrotum (sack). They can also check for them by doing an ultrasound of the scrotum.
A varicocele can be treated with antibiotics (if there is a bacterial infection), hormone therapy (for hormonal imbalances), or with surgery to fix the swollen veins. They can use percutaneous embolisation, in which a coil or balloon is inserted into the swollen vein to temporarily block blood flow, or laparoscopic surgery, in which they insert a camera through an incision in your abdomen to locate and repair, or block, the enlarged vein.
Infection
Watery semen could mean that your body is depleting its sperm stores and not replacing them as it should. This is often a result of frequent masturbation or sexual activity. It can also be a sign of low zinc in your diet. Zinc is essential for sperm production. You can increase your intake of zinc through your diet or supplements prescribed by a sex specialist.
A change in the texture of your semen can also indicate an infection. Pink or reddish semen might contain traces of blood from inflammation in the prostate or seminal vesicles. These are all treatable conditions. Watery semen may also be a side effect of some medications including some blood pressure medications. If you have been experiencing watery semen for a long time, talk to your primary care provider or urologist. They can help you find the root cause and recommend the next steps.
Tumors
A man’s semen contains sperm and fluids from his prostate gland and the seminal vesicles, which produce and carry this fluid to the urethra during ejaculation. It is normally thick and ivory-like but certain conditions can cause it to look watery.
Watery semen does not necessarily indicate infertility and can often resolve on its own. However, men who have consistent watery semen should see a doctor or urologist to find out the causes and treatments.
Watery semen may be caused by health problems like inflammation or bleeding of the prostate gland and seminal vesicles, hormonal imbalances, or varicoceles (swelling of the testicular veins). These conditions are usually treatable and the underlying causes of the problem can also be treated. For example, bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics, hormonal imbalances can be addressed with lifestyle advice and hormone therapy, and varicoceles can be treated by percutaneous embolization or surgery.
