Phimosis in adult males is a prevalent disease, it’s a condition that occurs in some children and adults who are not circumcised. Phimosis in adults can lead to very serious complications. But, it’s not necessary that phimosis will give you always trouble.
Phimosis in Adults
If your foreskin does not go back onto the glans, and you are unable to retract it over the glans then it’s a problem. It may look like your penis has a ring around the tip. Phimosis becomes a problem when it causes symptoms.
There are many risks associated with phimosis including penile cancer and gangrene if not treated on time. Recurrent infection and inflammation can lead to even cancer. It can also lead to an emergency condition which is called paraphimosis. If paraphimosis is left untreated, it can lead to increased swelling over the glans, engorgement of veins around, and in extreme cases, gangrene, and eventually the loss of your penis.
Symptoms of Phimosis Disease
The skin of the prepuce or foreskin becomes too tight leading to a narrow pinhole opening. If the phimosis in adults is progressed further then the urine stream becomes very thin and urine passes drop by drop with some difficulty.
The prepuce in children gets inflated while passing urine as the foreskin is very soft in children however, this phenomenon generally does not happen in adults but it resulted in painful urination.
The foreskin cannot be pulled back over the head of the penis due to tightness. Phimosis appears like a rubber band of skin around the tip of the penis.
Complications and Foreskin Problems in Elderly
Sometimes foreskin is retracted back accidentally over the head of the penis if there is phimosis in adults and, it doesn’t go back to the normal position. This condition is called Paraphimosis which is an emergency condition. The foreskin is stuck and strangulates the glans of the penis. It may lead to loss of blood supply to the glans of the penis.
If blood supply is not regained early it can lead to gangrene, and eventually, the amputation of the penis depends on the severity of the disease. Paraphimosis should not be ignored, an emergency medical attention is required to save the organ and avoid the loss of the penis. This would have been a very painful condition if not treated on time.
Another severe complication of phimosis or narrow foreskin is profuse bleeding from the prepuce or foreskin. Generally, in adults, the foreskin gets ruptured during intercourse which leads to heavy bleeding. Because there is an artery here that supplies blood to the foreskin, it also gets ruptured and a lot of bleeding starts.
Does phimosis effect size? Can phimosis cause erectile dysfunction and infertility? Phimosis or narrow foreskin does not affect the size of your organ but it may lead to difficulty in a physical relationship with your partner. The narrow foreskin causes pain when you try to push hard and the foreskin can be ruptured with pressure. Phimosis can interfere with normal urination and a person’s sex life and can lead to dissatisfaction with you and your partner.
Foreskin Tightening Causes in Adults
Poor hygiene, infections, and injuries are the major causes of foreskin tightening in adults. Skin conditions like eczema, fungal infection of prepuce, yeast infection, psoriasis, lichen planus, bacterial infection, and sexually transmitted infections cause inflammation in prepuce (Foreskin).
Repeated episodes of infection and inflammation lead to adhesions and scar formation. These adhesions and scar tissues keep the foreskin attached to the body of the glans under the foreskin of your penis.
Similarly, injuries lead to scars and adhesions and cause narrow foreskin or phimosis in adults.
All such reasons lead to marrow foreskin which is called phimosis and patients complain that the foreskin not going back to normal.
Foreskin Problems and Solutions
Is tight foreskin a serious problem? Yes, it is but not always. It may cause some mild symptoms initially such as redness, pain, itching, and inflammation which can be treated easily by maintaining the basic hygiene of your foreskin.
The application of topical steroids is very helpful if symptoms are mild. Clean the foreskin daily, as well as a light massage with some herbal oil like olive oil. This will reduce the risk of infection and help detach the hard skin.
Simultaneously, applying an antibiotic cream such as Neosporin or Soframycin also helps, this reduces infection and inflammation. But this is not a permanent cure and the disease can come back again. Secondly, there is always a risk of paraphimosis.
What is its permanent cure for Phimosis?
Phimosis usually starts getting better on its own by the age of 2 to 6 years. But if the disease is progressed further and the opening of the prepuce is narrowed further like a pinhole then the child starts having problems urinating. Foreskin starts inflating like a balloon when the child urinates. But if the disease is progressed further then surgical intervention is the only option to get rid of phimosis.
Circumcision is The Permanent Treatment of Phimosis
Circumcision is a small surgical procedure that can be performed under local anesthesia without any sedation or general anesthesia. It’s the surgical removal of the skin covering the glans of the penis. The procedure is fairly common for newborn boys in certain parts of the world including the United States of America. Circumcision is a religious ritual for many Jewish and Islamic families.
But many times there is a medical need for circumcision, such as when prepuce or foreskin is too tight to be pulled back over the glans. The foreskin is incised and enlarged is stitched back. It heals in 5-7 seven days completely.
You should connect with your healthcare provider if you have any symptoms of phimosis and go for circumcision.
What Are The Benefits of Male Circumcision to A Woman
How does male circumcision affect females? If your foreskin is too narrow, the risk of cervical cancer to your partner increases manyfold. Circumcision is the only treatment for phimosis and paraphimosis. It reduces the risk of cervical cancer in women.
A well-designed multinational study was published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2002. The study says that the presence of foreskin is a significant risk factor for cervical cancer (Cancer of the Cervix) in females.
Studies have also shown that the risk of genital ulcers, human papillomavirus, herpes simplex virus, syphilis, bacterial vaginosis, and other sexually transmitted infections is reduced in women whose partners are circumcised.
Health Benefits of Circumcision?
- Easier Hygiene
- Lower risk of sexually transmitted diseases
- Decreased risk of urinary tract infection
- Prevention of penile cancer
- Reduces the risk of cervical cancer in your female partner
