Ever heard of a disease called balanitis? Actually, balanitis is an inflammatory condition of the head of the penis, and if you experience it, some of the common symptoms are itching, redness, and sometimes swelling, around the head of the penis. This medical disorder can cause discomfort, and sometimes pain, when urinating, and is more common in uncircumcised men. If you do, you will most likely feel embarrassed or awkward. In fact, balanitis is a very common medical disorder experienced by men and fortunately, it can be easily treated by medical creams.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Relieve Discomfort and Apply Medication
Step 1. Clean the area behind the foreskin with warm water every day
Remember, most cases of balanitis occur if the area around the glans penis is not clean and/or poorly maintained. Therefore, if until now you are still uncircumcised, try to get used to cleaning the penis when bathing every day, or at least 4-5 times a week. The trick, pull your foreskin and clean the area behind it with warm running water. Instead, avoid using soap that is at risk of further irritating the skin!
- In medical terms, the head of the penis is known as the "glans". Chances are, you've heard the term from a doctor or other medical professional.
- If you feel that your penis is not clean without the help of soap, try choosing a soap that is very gentle and does not contain fragrance.
- Keep the head of the penis clean to prevent bacteria from accumulating under the foreskin and reduce the chance of balanitis.
- If you feel you have contact dermatitis, you should avoid using soap when bathing, which risks irritating the skin even more.
Step 2. Soak in a salt water solution to relieve itching and pain from balanitis
Generally, the head of the penis with balanitis infection will look swollen and red, and feel very itchy. If the symptoms are very bothersome or painful, try soaking in a salt water solution to relieve them. To do this, you just need to fill the bath with warm, not hot water, then dissolve about 400 grams of salt in it. Stir the water in the tub with your hands until the salt is completely dissolved, then soak in it for 15-20 minutes.
- Do this as often as possible to manage any discomfort that arises. However, always remember that this method is not capable of treating balanitis, no matter how often you do it.
- If you don't have a bath or don't have a bath, you can also wash the inflamed area with a salt water solution.
Step 3. Apply 1% hydrocortisone cream to relieve itching from balanitis
To use it, all you need to do is pour a pea-sized amount of hydrocortisone cream onto one finger. Then, pull your foreskin, and apply the cream to the head of the penis to cover all the reddened and itchy areas. Do this method twice daily, or as often as recommended by your doctor. Supposedly, hydrocortisone cream can help relieve itching and swelling that occurs within 1-2 weeks. After the symptoms go away, continue to apply 1% hydrocortisone cream for the next 7 days.
- If your doctor states that your penis is experiencing a mild allergic reaction, you will most likely be asked to use a hydrocortisone cream to treat it.
- Hydrocortisone 1% cream can be purchased without a prescription at most major pharmacies.
Step 4. Use an antifungal cream or an antibiotic cream if the penis has an infection
If your doctor states that balanitis is caused by a bacterial or fungal growth on your penis, they will most likely ask you to use an antifungal cream, such as clotrimazole 1% or miconazole 2%. To use these medications, pull your foreskin, then apply a pea-sized amount of cream to the head of the penis. Then, rub the drug evenly with the help of 2-3 fingers, then return the foreskin to its original position. Do this method every day for 7 full days, or until the symptoms that appear completely disappear.
- Several types of antifungal creams or antibiotic creams can be purchased without a prescription at various pharmacies near you.
- If your infection is very severe or resistant to over-the-counter medications, your doctor may prescribe a higher dose of medical cream to treat it.
Step 5. Try asking your doctor for a prescription high-dose steroid cream to help reduce inflammation
If your balanitis is caused by an allergy or physical irritant, your doctor will likely prescribe a steroid cream to relieve the inflammation. Unless instructed otherwise by your doctor, apply a thin layer of steroid cream to the glans area once a day for 2-3 weeks, or until symptoms have completely disappeared.
- Steroid creams are commonly prescribed with antibacterial creams or antifungal creams.
- If you have an infection on the head of the penis, whether it's a symptom of balanitis or a symptom of another disease, don't treat it with steroid creams! Be careful, steroid creams can actually make the infection worse.
Method 2 of 3: Avoiding Irritants
Step 1. Use a condom that is not made of latex, if you are currently sexually active
In some cases, balanitis can also occur as an allergic reaction, which is common in people who are allergic to latex. Therefore, if you are currently quite sexually active and always use latex condoms, try switching to condoms made from other materials. Use a non-latex condom for at least a month, and observe the results. If balanitis does not re-infect within a month, it means that most likely, the cause is an allergy to latex.
- Visit the nearest pharmacy to buy condoms that are not made of latex.
- To identify the presence or absence of a possible allergy to latex, try doing an allergy test with the help of a doctor.
Tip: If you are sexually active or often masturbate without wearing a condom, try to always clean the penis with warm water after any sexual activity.
Step 2. Wash your hands thoroughly after coming into contact with chemicals
If you work in a factory, industrial center, or laboratory, chances are your skin is very susceptible to chemical exposure on a daily basis. Therefore, before entering the bathroom or touching the genital area, do not forget to wash your hands with soapy water. In particular, rub soap all over the surface of your hands for 10-20 seconds, then rinse immediately until completely clean.
Worried that your penis is also exposed to chemicals? Also clean with soapy water
Step 3. Change your laundry detergent, or stop using dryer sheets
In fact, the fragrance content in detergents can trigger various skin problems, such as rashes and balanitis. Therefore, try replacing the detergent you are using with a laundry product that does not contain fragrance. If balanitis persists afterward, try to avoid using a dryer sheet when drying clothes.
If you prefer to use a detergent that contains fragrance and/or a dryer sheet, try washing your underwear separately using an unscented detergent, and not using a dryer sheet when drying them
Method 3 of 3: See a Doctor
Step 1. Check with your doctor if your balanitis doesn't respond to over-the-counter medications
Also, see your doctor if you have had balanitis several times in the past few months. To the doctor, do not forget to explain the symptoms you are experiencing. After that, the doctor will examine the head of the penis to check its color, along with inflammation that occurs in the area. If the diagnosis is still difficult to make later, the doctor will most likely do a swab of the skin tissue on the head of the penis and take the sample in a laboratory.
- Supposedly, the doctor will also examine the skin around the penis to rule out dermatosis, a more serious skin disease that generally occurs around the genital area.
- In some cases, your doctor may also refer you to a dermatologist. Technically, balanitis is a skin disease, and as such, dermatologists have better experience in diagnosing and treating the problem.
Step 2. Get tested for sexually transmitted diseases, if you are currently sexually active
Most cases of balanitis are not caused by sexually transmitted diseases. However, there are several types of sexually transmitted diseases that can trigger balanitis. That's why, if you have a sexually transmitted disease, your doctor may ask you to treat it first. Therefore, if you are currently sexually active, immediately consult a doctor. Some types of sexually transmitted diseases that commonly trigger balanitis are:
- Chlamydia
- Genital herpes
- Gonorrhea
Step 3. See your doctor if you have balanitis and have diabetes
Basically, balanitis disorders in diabetic patients indicate unstable blood sugar levels. If you also experience the same condition, ask your doctor for help to check your blood sugar levels. If the results are too low, your doctor will most likely change your daily insulin dose.
Although changing your daily insulin dose can help treat balanitis, your doctor will usually prescribe a medical cream to reduce the itching and inflammation that accompanies the condition
Step 4. Consult circumcision options if you have persistent balanitis
If the penis has persistent infection or inflammation, circumcision is most likely the only practical and effective option. In other words, this option is very useful for preventing balanitis from happening again in the future. If you don't want to do this, your doctor may recommend less drastic options, such as making a small incision at the tip of the head of the penis to improve air circulation in the area.
- Supposedly, the doctor will inform the various complications that may occur post-circumcision. If you are an adult, it will likely take 7-10 days to recover before you can return to walking normally and comfortably.
- As troublesome as it sounds, believe me that circumcision is a very feasible procedure to do to prevent balanitis from happening again in the future!
Tips
- Balanitis is very common in uncircumcised men. In fact, about 1 in 30 uncircumcised men will develop balanitis at least once in their life.
- Balanitis is very common in children under 4 years of age. Therefore, if you have young children, try checking their penis every 1 or 2 months to make sure there are no signs of balanitis to worry about. If it turns out to be alarming symptoms, immediately consult a pediatrician.
