Do you have a tight foreskin and face difficulty in retracting it behind the head of your penis? Do you experience pain while trying to retract the foreskin? If yes, then you may be having a condition called phimosis.
Phimosis is a quite common condition in males. According to a Urologist at Pristyn Care, about 96 percent of male infants are born with the condition of non-retractability of the foreskin. This is because of adhesion between the glans penis and the foreskin. This condition gets resolved on its own by the age of 3 in most cases and only about 2 percent of teenagers and adults suffer from phimosis.
Phimosis is of two types, physiological and pathological. Physiological phimosis is congenital (from birth) whereas pathological phimosis occurs as a result of infections, inflammation, injuries, and scarring.
In mild cases of phimosis, the condition may not cause any problems. But the condition, if left untreated, has a tendency to worsen over time. When phimosis worsens, it can cause severe pain and inflammation. You may also experience redness and itchiness in the affected area. Phimosis, if serious, is a troublesome condition. Not getting proper and timely treatment can lead to several complications.
Yes, Phimosis is a problem!
If you leave phimosis untreated, maintaining the hygiene of the penile region may become difficult due to the non-retractability of the foreskin. Due to this, microbes, sweat, and dead tissues accumulate in the area under the foreskin. This poor hygiene can lead to the swelling of the glans penis or of the glans and the foreskin both, known as balanitis and balanoposthitis respectively. These are painful conditions and can even lead to skin erosions and lesions. These conditions can also cause discomfort during urination and sexual activities.
Phimosis can cause other health risks
Phimosis also increases the risks of developing urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted infections. It can obstruct the urinary stream and urine can retain under the foreskin for prolonged periods of time leading to urinary tract infections. Also, since proper hygiene is difficult to maintain, pathogens can accumulate under the foreskin thereby increasing the risk of sexually transmitted infections. (Also Read: Circumcised or Uncircumcised? How does it feel to a woman? )
Yet another complication of phimosis is that it makes sex less pleasurable for the man. Since sexual pleasure in men is a result of the glans penis rubbing against the vaginal walls, phimosis hinders the sexual experience. This hindrance may even lead to difficulties in holding the erection and ejaculation. Also, you push the foreskin back forcefully in the heat of the moment, it may get stuck and form a tight ring around the penis. This condition is called paraphimosis. Paraphimosis is a serious problem because if it is left untreated, it may lead to the death of penile tissues and even permanent damage to the penis due to obstruction in blood flow to the penis.
What to do when you have phimosis?
You must have understood by now that phimosis is indeed a problematic condition. It can hinder your normal life in many ways. So you must be wondering what you should do if you experience the symptoms of phimosis. The first thing you should do is consult a specialist doctor so that the exact cause for the symptoms can be diagnosed. Do not try treating the condition on your own as improper treatment can lead to serious problems.
Your doctor will assess the seriousness of phimosis in your case and based on this, will suggest the appropriate treatment. For mild cases, steroid creams, ayurvedic and homeopathic treatments can be effective. But if the phimosis is severe, your doctor may suggest undergoing circumcision.
Fret not, as nowadays laser technique is used for circumcision which is much more convenient than the conventional method. One of the patients who underwent laser circumcision at Pristyn Care says,” I was diagnosed with phimosis about a year ago. At that time, I was experiencing severe pain and swelling and I could not even carry out my routine work without discomforts. I tried a lot of treatments, used ointments and alternative medications, but they could not provide me with relief and the problem kept on reappearing. When I consulted the specialist doctor at Pristyn Care, he suggested that I should undergo circumcision to get rid of the problem permanently. At first, I was a bit skeptical but when the medical coordinator at Pristyn care guided me through the procedure, I agreed. The procedure was completed in just 10 minutes. I did not even feel any pain and no cuts or stitches were carried out.
On asking about the recovery period, he further adds, “The healing was fast and I recovered in less than a week. It’s been 6 months now since I got circumcised and I have faced no complications. I am happy that I took the right decision and underwent laser circumcision at the right time.”
The Bottom Line
Phimosis is a problem that you cannot ignore or take casually. Now that you’ve read a patient’s first hand account, you should not delay seeking help for phimosis. Get in touch with us immediately if you are suffering from phimosis and consult our specialist doctor to get rid of your problem once and for all.
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