Phimosis is a narrowing of the foreskin. It can be expressed in varying degrees, in the lightest foreskin barely exposes the glans penis during erection, but easily opens it in a calm state of the penis.
In severe cases, during urination, urine first accumulates, and then drops outward. This disease occurs in 2-3% of men.
Why does this happen?
Until the age of three, the foreskin is, as it were, “glued” to the glans penis, and then begins to separate from it, and by the age of six the head already protrudes beyond its borders.
The reasons for the narrowing of the foreskin are not really clear. However, according to some reports, this disease may be associated with a lack of connective tissue in the body, which has a genetic predisposition.
Phimosis can persist from childhood or develop during puberty. During this period, there may be a discrepancy between the development of the penis and the foreskin – the foreskin is smaller than the glans. The head is difficult to open or does not open at all.
Subsequently, phimosis can be the cause of the development of balanitis (balanoposthitis) – this is an inflammation of the glans penis and foreskin. The opposite is also true – balanitis can be the cause of phimosis.
What happens then?
Phimosis is dangerous because during an erection the head of the penis increases and the foreskin is tightly stretched. In this case, cracks and microcracks appear on it. As a rule, they are small in size, do not bleed and do not cause any concern. But when heals, a scar or microscar is formed in their place. Scar tissue is significantly less elastic than normal foreskin tissue. Therefore, with the appearance of each new scar, the foreskin narrows more and more, i.e. the disease is progressing.
Further development of phimosis can cause accretion of the foreskin to the head. This condition does not cause any particular discomfort, however, attempts to open the head are accompanied by severe pain and bleeding.
If you have phimosis, then remember that during intercourse or masturbation, an infringement of the foreskin of the glans penis can occur – paraphimosis. After the foreskin exposes the glans penis, it cannot return to its original position, i.e. there is an infringement of the head and, as a result, a violation of blood flow in it. This extremely unpleasant condition can lead to necrosis (necrosis) of the tissues of the glans penis, therefore, with paraphimosis, an urgent need to consult a urologist or andrologist.
With insufficient adherence to the rules of hygiene, bacterial inflammation of the head and foreskin may occur – balanoposthitis. This is because the accumulating lubrication of the penis (smegma) serves as a good breeding ground for microbes. Therefore, if with the existing phimosis you feel pain that spreads to the entire penis and increases with urination, and pus begins to leak from the opening of the foreskin, which leads to the formation of crusts in and around this opening, then you have already started balanitis, and you need to soon time to visit a doctor. If you start this process, you run the risk of getting cancer of the penis, since infected smegma is a carcinogenic factor.
The likelihood of developing balanitis increases with diabetes mellitus, primarily due to the fact that the sugar contained in the urine serves as a good breeding ground for bacteria.
Treatment
If you have phimosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phimosis, then it is necessary, without waiting for serious complications, to consult an andrologist or urologist.
The main and only treatment for phimosis is circumcision (circumcision) – an operation that completely or partially removes the foreskin. Previously, there were attempts to use drug therapy, for example, hormonal therapy for the treatment of phimosis, however, as practice has shown, it does not give a special effect.