Let us get on with today's topic, balanitis, a type of inflammation that occurs only in men.
What Is Balanitis?
Balanitis is a pain-inducing inflammation of the penis head (penis glans). It has a variety of causes and types. Balanitis is pretty common, especially amongst men who are uncircumcised. Fortunately for them, this condition is usually easy to treat and is nothing to panic over as it is generally not serious.
How Does Balanitis Occur?
- The foreskin on the penis is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and fungi because it can trap moisture. Fungal infections like yeast infections and bacterial infections thrive in this environment.
- Problems often occur due to the lack of proper hygiene and sanitation, but sometimes, going overboard while cleaning can also lead to the same and irritate the sensitive area, causing the glans head to swell.
- Balanitis can also be a result of an allergic reaction to cleaning products (soaps, shower gels), condoms, substances such as spermicides, fabric detergents or cleaners, allergies to medications, etc.
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) also have a hand in causing balanitis. Such transmitted diseases include chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and yeast infections.
- Existing health issues like diabetes and reactive arthritis also play a role in bringing about balanitis.
- This issue may occur when skin conditions are dire, where the skin is inflamed, irritated or dry, and scaly such as it is in eczema.
- Obesity can be a reason a person develops balanitis.
- Scabies can cause balanitis too
Who Are At Risk Of Developing Balanitis?
Balanitis can occur at any age, and those, especially at risk of developing it are:
- men who are not circumcised
- middle-aged males
- boys around the age of four
- men with diabetes or reactive arthritis
- those who lack proper hygiene
- obese men
- uncircumcised males with phimosis
- people using urinary catheters
- those who engage in unsafe sexual intercourses
- those who suffer from congestive heart failure or nephrotic syndrome (these two cause edema)
What Are The Symptoms Of Balanitis?
When balanitis occurs, the following are the general signs and telltales seen or felt:
- a shiny appearance of the glans
- sores on the glans
- redness around the penis head
- swelling of the groin lymph nodes
- pain during urinating
- a tight foreskin that disables retraction
- inflammation
- an emanation of a foul odor
- discharge that holds a cheesy appearance (white and thick)
- itchiness or irritation of the glans
What Are The Different Types Of Balanitis?
There are three different types of balanitis:
- Zoon Balanitis- This is the most common type of balanitis, and it usually occurs in uncircumcised men and men who are middle-aged or older.
- Balanitis Circinata- This form of balanitis happens due to reactive arthritis. It occurs with small lesions on the glans, and your provider may require a biopsy to check the upper epidermis for pustules.
- Pseudoepitheliomatous keratotic and micaceous Balanitis- Lengthy in name and rare in occurrence, this type of balanitis takes the form of scaly lesions that resemble warts. It primarily affects men who are elderly and uncircumcised.
How Is Balanitis Treated?
Balanitis has a variety of treatments:
- Proper care and hygiene are strict requirements to recover from balanitis — always keep yourself dry and avoid using harsh products for cleaning.
- If the cause of your balanitis is allergic reactions, your healthcare provider will help you find alternatives that are suitable for you.
- In the case of it developing due to a fungal infection, antifungal creams and ointments can resolve balanitis.
- For balanitis spawning from diabetes, your healthcare provider will advise you to improve your diet and lifestyle. To control your diabetes, you also get recommended certain medications.
- Topical steroids come in the form of creams and ointments. They are anti-inflammatory and can provide relief from some of the symptoms of balanitis.
- Creams and ointments that are anti-itch can be used to get rid of the itchiness that accompanies balanitis.
- When balanitis is the product of a sexually transmitted disease, antibiotics are used to treat it.
- Since balanitis majorly occurs due to problems surrounding the foreskin, your healthcare provider may suggest you have it removed through circumcision.
How Can Balanitis Be Prevented?
Due to its close link with hygiene, it is no surprise that preventative measures against balanitis include being mindful regarding your hygiene regimen and sanitation of personal items.
- Shower daily: taking a shower at least once every day keeps you away from a myriad of health issues involving poor hygiene, such as fungal infections and balanitis.
- Make sure you pull back the foreskin to clean under it. Avoid the use of harsh soaps and chemicals, and just rinse with warm water.
- Always dry yourself after showers. Do not rub yourself roughly with a towel but pat your body dry instead. Make sure you are dry underneath the foreskin because trapped moisture makes route for fungal infections.
- Pat yourself dry after urinating to ensure that traces of urine are not trapped underneath the foreskin. Lack of this habit can lead to bacterial infections. You can take this up a notch by using a bidet to wash away the urine before drying yourself.
- Wear clean underwear all the time. Reusing the same pair of underpants over and over is highly unclean and makes you susceptible to infections. You should wash your underwear properly, making certain that you do not leave any residue of cleaning products on it. Your underwear should be completely dry by the time you use it.
- Engage in safe sex: you should know your partner's medical history (as they should yours) to ensure that neither of the two of you contracts STDs. Use condoms to protect both yourself and your partner from unwanted health issues.
- If you have diabetes, seek your healthcare provider's assistance in keeping it in control. Do not neglect their advice or the medications that you have been prescribed.
- Avoid using products that contain allergens if you are aware of the allergies you have. However, if you do not know what causes you to have allergic reactions, it is best if you get yourself tested for allergies by a professional.
- Get circumcised. It can help reduce your chances of developing balanitis.
Can Balanitis Cause Health Complications?
When neglected and left untreated, balanitis may lead to a chronic condition of redness and irritation, and other complications.
- Balanoposthitis: Balanoposthitis is a condition often mistaken for balanitis because of the similar nature of their conditions. But while balanitis affects the glans, balanoposthitis acts on both the penis head and the foreskin. Chronic balanitis may lead to this result.
- Lichen Sclerosus: Lichen Sclerosus affects both men and women. It is most likely to occur (in men) amongst those who are not circumcised. It usually affects the genital area and is not a contagious condition.
- Phimosis: Phimosis is a condition that rises only in men and children who are not circumcised. It is when the foreskin tightens and is unable to be pulled back. It can lead to infections and bacterial growth.
- Scar Tissue: Trauma or injuries can cause tissue scarring. If you have a severe or chronic case of balanitis, you may end up with tissue scars on your glans or around it. It can bring about difficulty pulling the foreskin back.
- Ulcers: Sores and blisters are common symptoms of balanitis. Sometimes, these can convert to ulcers that fill up with pus and bleed. If not cared for meticulously, they can become invitations to more fungal and bacterial infections or even lead to scarring.
- Higher Chances Of Penile Cancers: Some studies show that problems occurring in or on the penis increase the risks of penile cancers. Studies say that phimosis, chronic inflammation, and lichen sclerosis are risk factors for penile cancer.
Embarrassment and fear often lead to people delaying the urgency to seek immediate help and treatment, thus, increasing their chances of getting complications. In some cases, this delay can fester and progress undiagnosed, concerning infections and diseases. Let us move along to the next segment of this article.
Frequently Asked Questions About Balanitis And Similar Issues
What is circumcision?
Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin by a medical procedure. Some people do it for religious or cultural beliefs, and others do it for cosmetic purposes or health benefits.
How is circumcision done?
Circumcision can be safely performed on newly born babies. It is usually done a week or more after the birth. First, the baby is laid back and restrained to prevent them from moving around. Their genital area gets cleaned carefully before the penis gets numbed with anesthesia (injected from the base of the penis or with the application of an anesthetic cream). A clamp or a plastic ring will be used to hold the penis while the foreskin gets removed with a scalpel or a pair of surgical scissors. The procedure is the same in older boys and men. However, there are higher chances of complications occurring when circumcision is done later in life. The penis heals within seven or ten days.
How do men get a yeast infection?
The fungus that causes the yeast infection (known as candida) is normally found on the skin and is harmless unless there is an overgrowth — or when one practices unsafe sexual intercourse and contracts the infection from their partner. Yeast infections can cause balanitis by inflaming the glans head. Luckily, yeast infections in men can be easily treated with over-the-counter medications, although it is recommended that they see their healthcare provider for a better diagnosis and understanding of their condition.
What are the benefits of circumcision?
Circumcision provides the following advantages:
- Better hygiene: once the foreskin is gone, the trouble of having to clean under it and making sure there is no moisture trapped beneath it becomes non-existent.
- With the foreskin removed, you reduce the probability of urinary tract infections.
- Reduced risk of penile cancer: penile cancer has been linked with balanitis, lichen sclerosis, balanoposthitis, and phimosis. All of these conditions are primarily brought about by issues occurring with the foreskin.
- Decreased chances of sexually transmitted diseases: circumcision reduces the risk of contracting HPV, syphilis, chancroid, etc.
What is reactive arthritis, and how does it cause balanitis?
Reactive arthritis is joint swelling and pain factored by an infection elsewhere on the body. This infection usually occurs in the genitals, intestines, or urinary tract. The onset of pain and swelling primarily takes place in the feet, ankles, and knees. However, it can also affect the skin, eyes, and the urethra (the tube carrying urine out of the body). The causal infection can be E.coli, chlamydia, salmonella, etc. Balanitis circinate is a cutaneous manifestation of reactive arthritis (although it can occur independently of reactive arthritis).
Why is the foreskin so troublesome?
The foreskin is not problematic on average, especially when given the right method of care. However, problems like balanitis and phimosis tend to rise when there is negligence in care or an occurrence of health issues.
Drawbacks of the foreskin only happen when there is a lack of hygiene or moisture trapped under the foreskin or when the foreskin becomes too tight to be pulled back as required. They can also occur from other health issues that cause the glans to become inflamed.
How does diabetes cause balanitis?
Uncontrolled sugar levels have been associated with the formation of balanitis. Balanitis can be a representative of diabetes, although it is not common. When urine with rich levels of sugar comes in contact with the foreskin and gets trapped underneath it, the environment becomes a beacon for bacterial and fungal infections that lead to balanitis or other penile problems.
What is smegma?
Smegma is a thick, white discharge from the genitalia that resembles cheese. Smegma is a lubricant substance that is released from tiny sebaceous glands found in the penis (it is also present in the vagina). It is made up of shed skin cells and fatty oils, and it gathers around under the foreskin and the glans penis. Smegma aids in the smooth retraction of the foreskin. While usually harmless, smegma only becomes concerning once it builds up and bacteria starts growing in it. Once the bacteria gets in, a foul stench can be observed, and this bacterial growth may lead to balanitis.
There are three factors to why your smegma production may become troublesome:
- it gets trapped under the foreskin or is not removed efficiently
- the foreskin gives it the ideal warmth for bacterial growth
- the smegma is left uncleaned for far too long
That is why careful and mindful cleaning of your private part is essential.
Can balanitis be transmitted?
Balanitis can not be transmitted — but its causal infections can be. So while balanitis can not be passed from person to person, the root problem causing it (sexually transmitted diseases, fungal and bacterial infections, etc) can be spread.
Why do young children get balanitis?
Balanitis in younger boys is usually associated with a lack of hygiene: not cleaning properly after urinating or allowing smegma to build up under the foreskin. It may also occur due to allergic reactions to cleaning products or overcleaning that can cause irritation. Younger children who are not circumcised also tend to have a bad habit of pulling or repeatedly touching their foreskins.
Skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis may also lead to balanitis is in male children.
How is balanitis medically diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider will test you for balanitis and determine its cause by:
- Swabbing your urethral opening (the penis hole through which urine passes). This is done in order to check for infections and STDs.
- Taking samples of your urine to test for internal infections or diabetes.
- Taking a blood sample to check for health issues in the body.
- Scraping some skin from the infected site to scrutinize for mites.
Can balanitis become a recurring condition?
Yes, balanitis can become a recurring issue. When balanitis keeps coming back, you may have to consider getting your foreskin removed through circumcision to prevent it.
When should you see a doctor?
It is best to get yourself checked by a medical professional the moment you start noticing abnormalcy about your penis. It is always recommended to get yourself thoroughly checked whenever you experience symptoms that do not bode well. However, if you would rather visit your healthcare provider right away, you can first observe your symptoms for changes in severity. If it seems that your condition may not get resolved with home remedies or over-the-counter medications, set yourself an appointment.
What is scabies, and how does it cause balanitis?
Scabies is a skin condition caused by mites. These mites are tiny creatures that burrow into our skin and cause an intense itchy sensation along with unsightly symptoms. Scabies is a highly contagious condition but, fortunately, very treatable. Below are the few signs you might have scabies:
- intense itching that notches up in severity, particularly at night
- the appearance of tiny tracks of bumps or blisters that are known as the "burrowing tracks" of the mites
- mostly occurs around body folds like between fingers and armpits — or around the male genitalia
When scabies affects the genitals in males, it can inflame the glans head and lead to balanitis.
What are some risks that may accompany circumcision?
Circumcision is a relatively safe procedure, and complications and risks (especially in newborns) are uncommon. However, problems may occur in some individuals. Here are some drawbacks some people have suffered:
- Infections — these will occur only if the tools used for the removal were not sterilized or when a person fails to clean appropriately after the procedure.
- Adverse reactions to the anesthesia.
- Problems may arise if the foreskin is cut too long or too short.
- Meatitis (a condition where the opening of the penis becomes narrow)
- Discomfort or pain
- Irritation
- Sometimes, rarely, the foreskin may fail to heal as it should and lead to penile adhesion.
What is edema, and how does it cause balanitis?
Edema is the swelling caused when excess fluid is trapped in the body's tissues. It may occur over any part of the body but is observed to primarily affect the hands and feet, arms and legs. While it may not directly cause balanitis, swelling of the penis can still lead to balanitis.
Can smegma cause penile cancer?
No, smegma is a natural lubricating substance produced by our bodies and does not cause cancer, nor does it increase the chances of it.
Discussing issues surrounding your private areas is a package deal of embarrassment and humiliation. However, it is essential to realize that keeping symptoms of any sort of disease is both mentally and physically detrimental. You keep doubting yourself, you keep bearing the pain alone and for too long — you worsen your condition the longer you try to hide it. And only because you feel embarrassed coming out about it. It is understandable, but you should also bear in mind that the professionals in the medical field are there to help you and provide you relief from your symptoms. They do not judge a person by their physical (or mental) conditions. So if you suspect that you may be suffering from balanitis, push back any thoughts of the negative and seek help.
That being said, this article is only meant to spread awareness and knowledge. It can not be used as means of diagnosis or treatment and should not be replacing your healthcare provider and other medical professionals. This article is purely for your understanding of balanitis, its causes, and treatments.
References
