Whenever you feel that you cannot urinate, have difficulty urinating, feel pain when the penis is erect, or have difficulty retracting the foreskin, these may be warning signs that you are experiencing phimosis.
Normally, during adolescence, the foreskin should be able to retract fully to expose the entire glans of the penis and be pulled back without pain or difficulty.
This condition is mostly found in children, but adults can also experience this problem. Repeated inflammation of the foreskin causing it to be non-retractable, chronic wounds from diabetes on the foreskin, chronic wounds on the glans, pain, and bleeding during sexual intercourse are all possible symptoms.
Sometimes it also results from inadequate hygiene care due to an abnormally long foreskin, all of which can cause phimosis. Today, the doctor will help you understand what phimosis is, how to treat it, and answer the question of whether phimosis can really be cured by circumcision.
Contents of this article
- What is phimosis?
- Causes of phimosis
- How to treat phimosis
- Can phimosis be cured by circumcision?
- Summary
What is phimosis?
Phimosis is a condition where the skin around the tip of the penis is narrower than normal and cannot be fully retracted or only partially retracted. Phimosis can cause difficulty urinating, inability to clean the accumulated dirt under the foreskin thoroughly, and can be an obstacle to sexual intercourse and hygiene.
This increases the risk of infections such as balanitis. Phimosis may occur naturally or after infections, injuries, or inflammation.
Causes of phimosis
1. Poor hygiene: Inadequate care of the genital area, such as not cleaning properly or not drying after bathing or urinating, can cause phimosis and also lead to irritation and infections.
2. Skin health problems: Skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, lichen planus (an inflammatory skin disease causing itchy rashes), and lichen sclerosus (an inflammatory skin disease affecting the genital area) can cause phimosis.
3. Infection: Infections and inflammation can cause scarring of the foreskin, reducing its elasticity. When the foreskin tissue becomes stiff and less flexible, it becomes difficult to retract.
4. Health conditions: Diseases such as diabetes can cause infections or inflammation of the glans (balanitis), leading to phimosis.
5. Injury: Sometimes phimosis can result from forceful pulling and stretching of the foreskin, causing tissue tears and inflammation.
Symptoms of phimosis
A tight foreskin can affect urination and sexual intercourse, making it difficult to clean the area and increasing the risk of infection. Those experiencing this problem may have symptoms such as:
- Inflammation of the glans and foreskin causing swelling, redness, and pain
- Inability to urinate or difficulty urinating
- Pain during urination
- Pain when the penis is erect
How to treat phimosis
1. Use topical medication: Apply steroid creams or gels to the foreskin area to soften the skin and make it easier to retract. After about 2 weeks of treatment, the doctor may advise the patient to gently retract the foreskin as much as possible without pain. This should be done carefully to avoid tissue tears.
2. Antibiotics: If the foreskin is infected, treatment with antibiotics such as 0.05% Betamethasone may be necessary to kill the infection.
3. Surgery: If phimosis is caused by inflammation of the glans and does not respond to topical treatment, the doctor may recommend surgery or circumcision, which involves removing part of the foreskin to allow easier retraction.
See more information about circumcision
Also, gently and regularly retract the foreskin to clean underneath. After cleaning, always dry the area thoroughly. Avoid using soaps with fragrances or deodorants on the genital area to prevent irritation.
Although phimosis is not a serious disease and can be treated, it is best to prevent it by maintaining good hygiene of the genital area. Clean the area daily during bathing.
Summary
- Reducing the risk of penile cancer
- Preventing penile problems such as phimosis or balanitis
- Making hygiene easier: Circumcision facilitates cleaning and maintaining genital hygiene. Those who are not circumcised may need to pay extra attention to hygiene.
- Reducing the risk of urethral infections: Urethral infections are common, but circumcision reduces the chance by decreasing germ accumulation around the foreskin.
- Lowering the risk of sexually transmitted infections: Circumcision reduces the risk of STIs, including HIV infection.
Medically, circumcision helps maintain good sexual health because the foreskin is a reservoir for many germs. Therefore, circumcision is recommended for men’s benefit and has many advantages, including:
