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. Warn the patient about paraphimosis.
It's normal for babies and young boys to have a tight foreskin (phimosis), but adults can also be affected. See a GP if your or your child's foreskin is sore or swollen.
One of the best home remedies for phimosis to cure phimosis without surgery is to gently stretch and retract the foreskin with the help of warm water and coconut oil. All you need to do is pour some lukewarm water over the penis, lubricate it with coconut oil and then try to retract the foreskin gently and gradually.
Physiologic phimosis: Children are born with tight foreskin at birth and separation occurs naturally over time. Phimosis is normal for the uncircumcised infant/child and usually resolves around 5-7 years of age, however the child may be older.
Phimosis usually goes away on its own within the first few years of a child's life. If it causes problems – for instance, when urinating (peeing) – it may need to be treated. Using a special cream is often enough. Surgery is only rarely needed.
The condition you have is phimosis which is tightness of foreskin prevent easy retraction. It is not usually interfering with penile growth.
Gently retracting the foreskin over time can help resolve phimosis and steroid creams can also be effective1 in softening the skin and making it easier to move back and forth.
Boys born with phimosis, and it can last through puberty. With time, the skin retracts off the head of the penis naturally. You need treatment only if it happens after your foreskin has become fully retractable.
By age 17, most boys will be able to fully retract their foreskin. Phimosis can also occur if the foreskin is forced back before it is ready. This can cause a fibrous scar to form. This can stop the foreskin from retracting in the future.
In adults, phimosis can occasionally be associated with sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It can also be caused by a number of different skin conditions, including: eczema – a long-term condition that causes the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked.
Causes of phimosis
The foreskin and glans of the penis are fused together as they develop and gradually separate after birth. Scarring of the foreskin from injury, infection, inflammation or skin conditions like lichen sclerosis (balanitis xerotica obliterans), can lead to phimosis.
Grip the margins of your foreskin on both sides with your thumb and index finger. To spread the foreskin, apply slight pressure. Repeat after 30 to 60 seconds before repeating. Try it three times a day for a few minutes each time.
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 happens when the foreskin gets stuck in place over the glans (or head) of the penis because it's too tight. Phimosis can only affect you if you have a foreskin (if you're uncircumcised). Phimosis is a common (and relatively normal) condition in babies and young children until around 7 years old.
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.
Phimosis will occur in less than 1 percent of teenagers between 16 and 18. It is most likely to occur in older boys with: repeated urinary tract infections. foreskin infection.
Phimosis can cause you to experience severe pain when you have an erection or during sexual intercourse. It can also cause injury to the foreskin, leading to minor bleeding and infection. In these situations, you might need to be circumcised.
A topical steroid ointment can be used to help soften the foreskin and make retraction easier. The ointment is massaged into the area around the glans and foreskin twice a day for several weeks. In more serious cases, circumcision or a similar surgical procedure may be necessary.
Phimosis in a young child is likely to improve on its own. In adults, phimosis will not go away unless surgery is performed or an infection is treated.
If your child can't pull back the foreskin or has concerns about it, you should take them to see your GP. At any age, it's important for your child to know that the foreskin always needs to be put back to cover the head of the penis.
No, phimosis does not affect the sperm or the testis.
The most common clinical indication for circumcision was phimosis (75% of patients). Postoperative pain was scored as mild to moderate, including a mean of 2.4 on days 1 to 3, 2.1 on day 7 and 0.5 on day 21. Patients younger than 35 years (p = 0.025) and patients with wound infection (p = 0.036) had higher pain scores.
If you are suffering from phimosis, regular exercise may be recommended by the doctor to help manage your symptoms. The doctor will suggest a few light exercises after examining your condition. Phimosis stretching exercises are helpful and may ease your pain to some extent.