In this conservative (non-surgical) treatment approach, a steroid cream is applied to the tip of the foreskin twice a day over a period of four to eight weeks. The steroid cream makes it easier to stretch the skin. After two weeks, the child or his parents can start trying to gradually stretch the foreskin once a day.
What could have caused my tight foreskin? In children, a tight foreskin is usually congenital but, in adults, it is often due to a scarring disease known as balanitis xerotica obliterans (BXO, sometimes called lichen sclerosus).
Medical Management
Start stretching exercises on the foreskin, usually best by pulling the foreskin back until it feels tight (but not painful), and holding it back under tension for 10 minutes – usually after a bath or shower twice a day.
What are the main treatments? A doctor can manually retract the foreskin under local or general anaesthesia. You may also be shown how to gradually retract the foreskin after a bath, using petroleum jelly (Vaseline) or some other form of lubrication. But if the problem persists, circumcision may be necessary.
Phimosis is normal for the uncircumcised infant/child and usually resolves around 5-7 years of age, however the child may be older. Pathologic phimosis: Phimosis that occurs due to scarring, infection or inflammation.
In adults, phimosis will not go away unless surgery is performed or an infection is treated.
Eventually, the foreskin should be retracted far enough during urination to see the meatus (the hole where the urine comes from). This prevents urine from building up beneath the foreskin and possibly causing an infection.
Risks. If you have phimosis, you are more likely to get penile cancer. If left untreated, it can lead to increased swelling, and in extreme cases, gangrene, and eventually the loss of your penis.
Most boys will be able to retract their foreskins by the time they are 5 years old, yet others will not be able to until the teen years. As a boy becomes more aware of his body, he will most likely discover how to retract his own foreskin. But foreskin retraction should never be forced.
Phimosis only affects the foreskin. It does not cause any problems with sperm or fertility issues. It does not affect tests and semen. So, women can get pregnant.
Phimosis is where the foreskin is too tight to be pulled back over the head of the penis (glans). Phimosis is normal in babies and toddlers. It isn't usually a problem unless it causes the symptoms described. Take your child to your GP if they have these symptoms.
untreated phimosis can also cause paraphimosis, a condition where the foreskin gets stuck behind the head of the penis and cannot be retracted back to its normal position. Parpahimosis is a medical attention and demands immediate medical attention.
Share on Pinterest A tight foreskin may be categorized as phimosis or paraphimosis. When the foreskin is too tight to be pulled back over the head of the penis, this is termed phimosis. It is normal for young boys (usually aged 2 to 6 years) to have a foreskin that will not retract.
Moreover, phimosis causes the situation that the prepuce traps the penis. For this reason, after surgery, patients evaluate their penile as much bigger than before.
Proper hydration is a good way to ensure that the skin gets enough moisture from within. Using natural moisturizers may also reduce dryness. Coconut oil offers a natural way to reduce skin dryness all over the body, including the penis. People can also use it as a massage oil or natural lubricant.
Adult phimosis may be caused by repeated episodes of balanitis or balanoposthitis. Such infections are commonly due to poor personal hygiene (failure to regularly clean under the foreskin). Phimosis may be a presenting symptom of early diabetes mellitus.
You should do this gently to avoid damaging the foreskin. Research has shown that this form of treatment is often successful at first. For example, one study showed that the use of a steroid cream in children was 62% successful.
How far back should the foreskin retract? Usually, you can retract your foreskin behind the ridge of your penis. You should move it far enough back while you're peeing to see the meatus (the hole where urine comes out).
Like all surgery, circumcision is painful. To relieve pain, anesthetic is given to numb the area. About one hour before the procedure, a numbing cream is placed on your baby's penis. Right before the procedure, the doctor injects a local anesthetic at the base of the penis.