At any age, a man can face such a problem as redness on the penis. The inflammatory process in which there is hyperemia of the penis, doctors call balanoposthitis. Pathology is not life threatening, but if untreated, it can lead to various kinds of complications and negative consequences.
Who is most often sick
Balanoposthitis is any pathological change that occurs on the surface of the reproductive male organ. In fact, this is not an independent disease, but a symptom complex of various pathologies. Balanoposthitis is the generalized name for penile inflammation. If a man has redness of the head of the penis, they talk about balanitis. With the defeat of the foreskin (sagging skin covering the head), post is diagnosed. Thus, balanoposthitis is a lesion of both parts of the genital organ.
Redness on the penis can occur at any age, but most often balanoposthitis develops in boys under the age of five. The disease also occurs in mature men. Moreover, representatives of the stronger sex who have not undergone the procedure of circumcision of the foreskin are more prone to the development of such a pathology.
Do I need to see a doctor
With a delicate problem such as redness on the penis, you should definitely visit a doctor. If the boy or adult man has changes in the genitals, the skin is cracked or inflamed, there is no need to panic. Such symptoms in most cases turn out to be non-hazardous and disappear on their own without any intervention in a few days.
If redness on the skin of the penis is accompanied by severe itching, and the severity of hyperemia intensifies or swelling has joined, it is better to consult a doctor and check for sexually transmitted infections.
What can be the complications
With prolonged and often relapsing balanoposthitis, the risk of developing an obliterating form of the disease, which is a kind of chronic dermatosis, affects not only the head and flesh, but also the skin located throughout the trunk of the penis. A severe form of balanoposthitis can lead to the development of phimosis - a decrease in the elasticity of the foreskin. A more complex form of pathology is paraphimosis, when the skin covering the head, with difficulty returns to its original position.
If balanoposthitis is triggered by a severe viral infection (for example, human papillomavirus, herpes simplex virus), without treatment, the patient is at risk of developing a cancerous tumor.
Infectious nature of inflammation
Redness of the penis head can be infectious and non-infectious in nature. Patients suffering from autoimmune diseases or diabetes mellitus are especially susceptible to various kinds of viral and bacterial infections. There are a number of possible causes of redness of the penis.
The most common case is a fungal infection. Candidiasis balanoposthitis is a form of genital thrush caused by fungi of the genus Candida. This type of ailment is often diagnosed in diabetics and HIV-infected men. Mostly thrush is transmitted from an infected partner, but candidiasis often develops against a background of weakened immunity, prolonged use of antibiotics and drugs that can increase yeast production in the body.
In boys, redness of the penis often causes a bacterial infection. Children who tend to ignore the rules of personal hygiene are more likely to suffer from balanoposthitis. In addition, such factors as stress, poor ecology, changing the climate zone, and hypothermia can provoke an imbalance of microflora on the genitals and weaken the local immune defense.
Redness and itching of the penis may indicate sexually transmitted diseases. The most common type of infection that affects the head and foreskin is the human papillomavirus and the herpes simplex virus. Rashes can also appear on hyperemic tissues. Due to redness, a man may feel discomfort during sexual intercourse.
Non-Infection Causes of Redness
If the redness of the penis in a man is not associated with any infectious pathogen, the cause must be sought elsewhere. For example, irritation and inflammation may occur due to an allergic reaction to various substances. Most often, redness is caused by:
- shower gels;
- soap;
- latex condoms;
- synthetic underwear;
- after shave;
- low-quality lubricants.
If the cause of hyperemia lies in an allergic reaction, no treatment is required in most cases. Symptoms will disappear as soon as contact with the irritant is eliminated.
In a child, redness of the penis often causes prolonged intake of various medications. A similar reaction can occur to laxatives, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anesthetics and antibiotics. Redness of the tip of the penis can cause bruising, organ cuts, prolonged squeezing. The skin may slightly swell.
Psoriasis can also cause redness of the penis. As a rule, the disease is rarely manifested in the genital area, but with a chronic form of the disease, the area of damage can increase. In addition to hyperemia, peeling, dryness, and itching occur on the penis. Such changes lead to feelings of internal discomfort and self-doubt, and against the background of psychological problems, erectile dysfunction may occur.
The cause of reddening of the penis in adolescents is masturbation. Many men suffer from increased dryness of the skin. To avoid irritation, you should use a special moisturizer or moisturizer without chemical flavors, fragrances.
Forms of balanoposthitis
The disease can occur in various forms. First of all, acute and chronic balanoposthitis should be noted. According to the degree of tissue damage, it is worth noting the catarrhal type of the disease, which is characterized by local symptoms, and a mild inflammatory process. With catarrhal balanoposthitis, the skin seems to be thinned, constantly itching. A man may experience a burning sensation. If the cause of catarrh of the penis is an infection, the possibility of purulent discharge is not excluded.
The next stage is erosive balanoposthitis, into which the catarrhal type of the disease can go. Erosive inflammation is characterized by the formation of deep red erosion with fuzzy edges on the foreskin, the head and around it. Erosive balanoposthitis brings a lot of pain and discomfort, it can also cause phimosis. Against the background of this disease, an increase in lymph nodes is often noted.
The most dangerous stage is gangrenous. Symptoms such as fever and fatigue usually accompany her. With gangrenous balanoposthitis, the deep layers of soft tissues are affected, purulent and necrotic ulcers form on the head and foreskin. Phimosis develops in almost all cases of gangrenous form. At this stage, a decision is often made to amputate the penis.
The clinical picture, concomitant symptoms
We will refrain from demonstrating what the redness of the penis looks like in the photo, because the sight is unpleasant, and photos of this kind are too intimate. Let's just describe the symptoms. The main signs of the disease are the redness of the head and foreskin. Around the affected areas there is a pronounced inflammatory process, the man feels soreness. An unpleasant odor can constantly accumulate under the head. Itching and burning are also possible, which in itself indicates the presence of infection.
How to diagnose a disease
Visually determine balanoposthitis and make a diagnosis by any urologist or venereologist. For this, you do not need to take any tests and undergo an examination. However, the fact of detection of penile hyperemia does not indicate what exactly caused the disease, and indeed its elimination is the main condition for successful treatment.
After the examination, the doctor should collect an anamnesis, find out from the patient about the presence of a constant partner, unprotected sexual contacts, hygiene features, possible allergic reactions, etc. As a rule, experienced specialists are able to distinguish balanoposthitis from infectious etiology from non-infectious, distinguish psoriasis from allergies, syphilis or thrush. But in order to make an accurate diagnosis and determine the right treatment tactics, the patient still has to pass some tests.
To determine the type of infection, the doctor takes a swab from the urethra and sends it to the laboratory. General tests of urine and blood are given in order to find out the level of sugar and exclude (or confirm) diabetes mellitus. With an erosive and gangrenous form of balanoposthitis, a biopsy may be required - a procedure during which a foreskin sample is taken. The resulting tissue fragment is sent for histological examination.
Methods of treatment of infectious balanoposthitis
After finding out the causes of balanoposthitis and making a diagnosis, the doctor will determine how to treat redness of the penis. Eliminating the impacting factor is already half the success. In addition, diet and hygiene are important in the treatment process. If balanoposthitis was triggered by an allergic reaction, the doctor will prescribe a mild antiallergic drug (for example, hydrocortisone ointment or Prednisolone). Drugs with corticosteroids relieve inflammation, swelling and itching, but they can be used for 5-7 days, no longer.
For the treatment of candidiasis, specialists will prescribe antimycotic drugs, and in case of severe form of thrush, the doctor prescribes drugs for local and systemic use. Such funds include Miconazole, Fluconazole, Clotrimazole. The doctor determines the dosage individually for each patient. In addition, it is recommended to undergo antifungal treatment not only for a man, but also for his constant partner. For a woman, a gynecologist will select a treatment. Usually use vaginal suppositories, tablets for candidiasis.
With bacterial damage to the head and foreskin of the penis, the patient is prescribed antibiotics. Most of them are prescription only. The most effective antibacterial drugs for bacterial infections in men are:
- Suprax
- "Levomycetin";
- "Azithromycin";
- Metronidazole
- Doxycycline.
As a local therapy, the doctor can prescribe combination drugs, which include not only an antibiotic, but also a hormonal anti-inflammatory component (for example, Triderm). To accelerate the healing processes of affected tissues, take vitamin-mineral complexes with a high content of vitamins A, B, C, E.
Antiviral treatment
When infected with a papillomavirus or herpes infection, the patient will need to undergo appropriate therapy. The thing is that the pathogen, once in the body once, remains there forever. It will not be possible to recover and get rid of these ailments. But thanks to the use of timely antiviral therapy, you can learn to control the activity of the virus, suppress it and not allow it to multiply, progress in the body. For external use, creams with acyclovir in the composition are used, but the main emphasis is on taking systemic tablets of systemic action (Isoprinoside, Groprinosin, Vartex, Acyclovir, Panavir).
Additional measures
It is worth noting that men who have undergone circumcision are less susceptible to infections. In order for the treatment to bring the expected result, it is important not only to choose effective drug therapy, but also to eliminate the factors that provoke inflammation. Also, you should not rely on your own intuition and self-medicate. An effective and at the same time safe drug can only be selected by a qualified doctor. The specialist will determine the dosage of the drugs, the duration of treatment and take into account the severity of symptoms, general health status, the presence of serious chronic pathologies, the age of the patient, etc.
For the period of treatment, the patient does not need to observe strict restrictions. You should not give up sex, but it is advisable to use a condom during sex. Some men, wanting intimacy, can not decide on intimacy because of fear of severe pain. The only thing that should be discarded is alcohol, the combination of which can be hazardous to health when taking hormonal and antibacterial drugs.
As already noted, both partners need to treat an infectious disease - this is the only way to prevent further episodes of the disease.
A man needs to learn to listen to his body and avoid contact with allergens. If you suspect an allergy to latex or components in the lubricant, it is worth changing the contraceptive to special condoms for sensitive skin. It is also recommended to use hypoallergenic laundry detergents for underwear and thoroughly rinse things.