Balanitis
Balanitis, or balanoposthitis, is inflammation of the head of the penis. The foreskin (the loose flap of skin that covers the head of the penis) is also often affected.
Balanitis is a common condition affecting both boys and men. It occurs more often in men who have not been circumcised.
Symptoms can include:
Some people may also have a tight foreskin that will not retract (pull back). This is called Tight foreskin (phimosis) .
Balanitis is not usually serious, but it can be a sign of another condition, such as a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or thrush (a type of fungal infection).
It's therefore important to visit your GP or a local sexual health or genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic if you think you have balanitis.
You should also see your GP if your son has symptoms of balanitis.
This can occur because it's not always possible to pull back the foreskin fully at this age, leading to a build-up of a cheesy-looking substance called smegma that can irritate the skin.
Irritation by smegma is also a common cause of balanitis in uncircumcised men if the penis is not kept clean.
Other causes of balanitis include:
In some cases, no cause can be found.
Most cases of balanitis are easily managed with a combination of creams or ointments, good hygiene and avoiding substances that irritate the penis (see below).
This may include corticosteroid , antibiotic and antifungal creams and ointments, depending on what the underlying cause of the condition is.
These treatments will usually start to have an effect within a week and can be stopped after around two weeks, although in some people it does eventually come back after treatment.
Apartial circumcision may sometimes be recommended for a smallnumber of casesof recurring phimosis.
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You can reduce your chances of developing balanitis by:
Babies and young children who still wear nappies should have their nappies changed regularly because the warm and moist conditions can increase their risk of balanitis.
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Balanitis, or balanoposthitis, is inflammation of the head of the penis. The foreskin (the loose flap of skin that covers the head of the penis) is also often affected.
Your GP should be able to diagnose balanitis by examining your penis.
Treatments for balanitis include corticosteroid creams for skin irritation, fungal creams for fungal infections, and antibiotics for bacterial infections.
You can usually reduce your chances of developing balanitis if you avoid potential irritants and infections, and keep your penis clean.