Phimosis – What is it, Symptoms and Treatments!

Get to know Phimosis , the Symptoms and Treatments of this painful disease. In addition, Phimosis is the inability to expose the glans, the terminal part of the penis, because the skin that covers it does not have enough opening. This condition is common in newborn boys and tends to disappear by age 3 or puberty, without the need for specific treatment. As the foreskin cannot be retracted, phimosis can cause difficulty urinating, increasing the risk of urinary tract infection , pain in relationships, making it difficult to clean the region, increasing the risk of infections and increasing the risk of developing a paraphimosis.

Causes of Phimosis: Generally, phimosis has a congenital cause, however, children and adults can acquire it. In infants, usually a consequence of the parents, hygiene, forcibly removed the foreskin, which makes it developed in the fibrous rings and balanopreputial adhesions, which are tissues that connect the glans and foreskin, like the frenulum, but which develop is abnormal. In addition, other causes can also be:

Lack of Hygiene: Vigorous removal of the foreskin over the glans penis . This could lead to micro-looms in the preputial orifice and scarring.

Balanoposthitis: inflammation of the foreskin along with the glans of the penis.

Balanitis Xerotica obliteras (BXO) or Lichen Sclerosus and Atrophicus: a skin condition that affects the male genitalia. A whitish ring of indurated tissue is formed near the tip of the foreskin preventing retraction.

Repeat Cathetization: Loss of skin elasticity and infrequent erections in elderly men.
Untreated diabetic leads to residual glucose in the urine causing foreskin infection leading to phimosis.

Balanitis: inflammation of the glans penis .

Symptoms of Phimosis:

Phimosis is an easy change to recognize because the sufferer notes that it is very difficult to retract the foreskin, and when he tries he feels pain. As symptoms there is also the feeling of tension and wear and tear when an erection occurs, and difficulty urinating. Sometimes, whitish residues may appear on the glans, which are due to lack of hygiene in the area, which causes the accumulation of smegma, a secretion that both male and female genitals have.

This accumulation of smegma, and also the difficulty and retention when urinating, usually results in secondary infections such as balanitis, or urinary tract infections . You may also develop glans inflammation and generalized pain, especially with intercourse.

If the foreskin does not just retract during erection, but can be manually removed without pain or resistance, it is not a case of phimosis . Sometimes the foreskin has excess skin that makes it necessary to remove it completely manually, but it is not phimosis. In addition to these symptoms, there are also:

  • Preputial pain.
  • Inability to fully retract the foreskin over the glans.
  • Skin irritation.
  • Local infections .
  • Scarring of the foreskin and bleeding.
  • Ballooning of the foreskin During urination, a bulge can be seen at the tip of the penis as urine accumulates under the foreskin.
  • Painful urination and weak urinary flow: sometimes urinary retention.
  • Presence of blood in the urine .
  • Frequent episodes of urinary tract infections .
  • The meatus opening is small.
  • Tissue in front of the foreskin is white and fibrotic.
  • If phimosis is due to BXO, then it is severe with meatal stenosis and/or glandular lesions.
  • Pus from the penis in case of balanoposthitis.
  • Painful erections .
  • Pain during intercourse .

Phimosis treatment: 

For the treatment of phimosis , ointments based on corticosteroids can be used, which have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antibiotic properties, facilitating the skin to slide over the glans. In addition, it may also be necessary to have a surgery for phimosis called a postectomy.

Phimosis is curable and it is not always necessary to resort to specific treatments and, therefore, the doctor must evaluate the situation, as it can be naturally resolved until the child is 3 or 4 years old.

How to Prevent Phimosis:

When phimosis appears at birth, it is not possible to prevent it, but throughout life it is very important to perform the correct hygiene of the penis every day with water and neutral soap, cleaning the entire region under the skin so that it does not accumulate dirt and secretions, turning into a phimosis . In addition, to avoid aggravating the problem, it is important to increase the frequency of cleaning the area and go to the doctor to start treatment.

Useful links: 

Note: When left untreated, phimosis can cause complications such as frequent urinary infections, infections in the penis, increased chances of infection with sexually transmitted diseases, pain and bleeding during intimate contact and increased risk of penile cancer .

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