Phimosis
Phimosis (from the Greek phimos (φῑμός [“tightening”]) is a narrowing of the opening of the foreskin, leading to difficulty, and often the impossibility of exposing the glans penis.
Phimosis can occur normally, so in boys up to 3, and according to some data, up to 7 years old – this is a natural condition that performs a barrier function, reducing the likelihood of infection of the prepuntial sac. The prepuntial sac or prepuntial space is located between the head of the penis and the inner surface of the foreskin, which resembles a mucous membrane.
reasons
Possible causes of physiological phimosis:
1) The tip of the foreskin is too narrow to expose the glans penis.
2) The inner surface of the foreskin merges with the head of the penis due to adhesions, which prevents the removal of the head.
3) The bridle is too short to allow the head to be fully released.
Pathological (acquired) phimosis, unlike physiological, is more rare and its causes are diverse. In some cases, it may occur due to balanitis (inflammation of the glans penis). Other causes may be scarring of the foreskin caused by forcible stretching of the foreskin of babies by overzealous parents. Some researchers believe that prolonged masturbation practice, coupled with genetically determined elastin deficiency, also lead to phimosis.
SYMPTOMS OF PHIMOSIS
In newborns, it is very difficult to distinguish physiological phimosis from pathological phimosis, since they can only signal their feelings to others with increased irritability. In children and adults, the main manifestation will be difficulty exposing the glans penis, swelling of the foreskin, difficulty urinating, pain and swelling of the glans penis.
treatment
If the diagnosis of “phimosis” was made in childhood before the age of 7, then the main tactic is wait–and-see. The main thing is to observe hygiene rules and not allow pathogenic bacteria to get inside the preputial bag. Do not worry and try to expose the head of the penis yourself – this often leads to more serious consequences, for example, such as paraphimosis – infringement of the glans penis, as well as ruptures of the foreskin. If you are still worried, contact a pediatric urologist, he will tell you how to behave correctly with this disease, so as not to aggravate it. If the physiological phimosis does not go away by the age of 7, then the doctor can advise you on the surgical way of treatment. Now the main method is circumcision or circumcision. This is a simple operation with minimal risk of complications. The main indications for her are the consequences of phimosis, such as violation of normal urination, paraphimosis, inflammatory processes in the glans penis.
Adult men have several ways to treat phimosis. With a narrowing of the first degree, it can be advised to gently stretch the foreskin daily. The effect of this method is usually noticeable after 3 weeks and if the desired result is not achieved, it is possible to use corticosteroid ointments that will reduce inflammatory phenomena and increase skin elasticity. In case of ineffectiveness of therapeutic methods, men also undergo complete or partial circumcision.
Important: treatment must be carried out under the supervision of an experienced doctor. In case of complications: the impossibility of normal urination, the addition of an infectious process or paraphimosis, it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor, since the consequences can be the most serious.
