Why is my semen watery?

Semen is a combination of fluids and sperms generated by the male reproductive system. Generally, semen is a thick, viscous whitish liquid. Certain body conditions can change the colour, smell, consistency of the semen and it can look more watery.   Watery semen can be due to temporary conditions in a healthy and fertile man but if the semen is watery every time, that leads to infertility and you must see your sexologist as soon as possible.

Watery semen is a case when there is very little to no sperms. So, what actually causes this condition?

why is my semen watery

Low Sperm Count

A condition called 'Oligozoospermia/Oligospermia' where there is less than 15 million sperms per ml of semen.  This is one of the most common condition in men who are infertile. What causes Oligozoospermia?

    1. Varicocele – Varicocele is a condition where the veins in the scrotum swell. A treatable medical condition that is surely treatable by a good andrologist. Varicocele can cause infertility.
    2. Infection – Few sexually transmitted infections such as Gonorrhoea can infect the male genitals and cause inflammation of the reproductive organs (Epididymitis) resulting in non-production of enough sperms.
    3. Tumours – Non cancerous or cancerous tumours in testicles affect the production of sperms
    4. Imbalance in hormones – Hormones produced by pituitary gland and hormones produced in testicles are responsible for the production of sperms. Chance in the hormone levels causes changes in sperm production.
    5. Retrograde Ejaculation – Retrograde Ejaculation is a condition where the sperm is released into the bladder instead of ejaculating out of the penis.
    6. Injury to the sperm and semen carrying tubes can also lead to watery semen.

Frequent Ejaculation

A totally normal condition in teens and adults who are sexually very active.  Production of sperms take some time (usually 3 days) by the body. If you are ejaculating (either by masturbation or by having sex) more frequently, then it is common to see watery semen.  If you continue to see watery semen even after giving a break for ejaculation then you should see a sex specialist.

Mineral Deficiency

Especially Zinc. Zinc plays an important role in sperm production in a man's body.  While your normal food (nutritional diet) intake should be sufficient to provide your body with necessary amount of zinc, sometimes, body falls short of this important metal. Zinc supplements prescribed by your sexologist should fix your problem.

PreEjaculation

Many men would have noticed that, before ejaculation, a colourless, watery liquid oozes out of the erect penis. This is perfectly normal. Most of the times, this liquid doesn't carry any sperm in it or has very very few sperms (enough to cause pregnancy), because of which it looks watery. This is also a pretty normal condition.

About the colour of your semen:

Typical colour of semen is whitish or ivory like. If you see any other colour in your semen, that can indicate an health condition that you must attend to. Pink or reddish brown colour may indicate an internal bleeding (of any of the reproductive organs) or the seminal vesicles that produce and carry semen out of the body.

Yellow colour semen can indicate small amounts of urine or high levels of white blood cells. Yellowish green coloured semen indicates a prostate infection. All of these are treatable by an expert sexologist.

What to do if your semen is consistently water?

Without any delay, take an appointment with a good sexologist near you.  Whether you are younger and unmarried or if you are married and trying to become a parent, intervention of a sexologist is a must. This may be an indication of any infertility issue you may be having.  The sexologist will then start with semen analysis to check:

  1. The volume of semen
  2. Liquefaction time – the time needed for the semen to change from thick fluid to watery liquid.
  3. pH value of the semen. Lower the value, higher the acid content which will not let the sperms survive.
  4. Sperm Motility – How comfortably sperms are able to move/swim in the fluid
  5. Sperm Morphology – The shape of the sperms. If they are not well formed, it may be difficult to become a father.

Along with these parameters, your doctor may examine your reproductive organs to sense any possible infections / damages to them.

Treatment options available at our clinic for Watery Semen

Consistent watery semen does not indicate that the man is infertile or will be infertile. That can indicate an underlying problem that is treatable most of the times. Depending on the problem (infection or low hormone levels, vitamin deficiency or mineral deficiency etc), your doctor may put you on to medication, hormone therapy or supplements.  He/she may advise some lifestyle changes too along with medication.  If you are a smoker and consume alcohol regularly, you may need to cut down on both of them and start working our regularly and keep your weight in check.

Along with good hygiene routine and medications, you may also be advised to give a good gap between intercourses and notice the changes in the semen. Most likely, your semen should come back to normal levels.

Continue reading our next article on 'Home remedies for treating thin and watery semen'.

Does Masturbation cause watery semen? Why is semen watery?