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Do you experience pain or bleeding during sexual activities? Or your frenulum gets torn during intercourse? If yes, you may have a frenulum breve (short or tight foreskin).
The frenulum is an elastic band of tissues where your foreskin meets the underside of your penis (glans penis). It appears like a small V just below the head of the penis. Frenulum helps in the contraction of foreskin over the glans penis. The frenulum is sensitive to stimulation and thus it contributes to the sexual pleasure in males.
In some males, the frenulum may be too short or too tight and this can be a troublesome condition. In medical terms, the condition of the tight frenulum is called frenulum breve. The tight frenulum can obstruct the back and forth movement of the foreskin. Hence, even masturbating can be troublesome if you have a tight frenulum of the prepuce.
Also Read: Does Phimosis Cause Trouble In Masturbating?
Table of Contents
Prognosis of Tight Frenulum
Some studies show that frenulum breve is a fairly common condition in about 5 percent of uncircumcised men, between the age of 17 to 30 years.
The tight frenulum contributes to much pain and difficulty during erection and sexual activities. In severe cases, frenulum breve may cause bending of the penis downwards during erection and may even lead to erectile dysfunction. Frenulum breve can lead to serious complications and thus requires immediate medical attention.
Effective treatments are available for getting rid of the tight frenulum. Your doctor will have to physically examine to prescribe appropriate treatment. Only after proper physical examinations, your doctor will suggest the best-suited treatment according to the severity of the condition in your case. (Also Read: Foreskin infection treatment)
Major Causes of Tight Frenulum
There are certain medical conditions that can either cause or aggravate the problem of the tight frenulum.
Let’s know about the medical conditions that are the major causes of the tight frenulum.
The causes of frenulum breve are very similar to those of phimosis as frenulum is also a part of the foreskin. So, the following are the conditions that result in frenulum breve.
- Balanitis: Balanitis is a condition found in uncircumcised men in which the glans penis swells up. One of the primary reasons for swelling is the lack of proper hygiene. Balanitis may cause redness, itching, pain and soreness in the penis. (Also Read: Balanitis treatment)
- Balanoposthitis: It is yet another serious medical condition that can cause the tightness of the frenulum. Inflammation of both the foreskin of the penis and the glans penis is termed as balanoposthitis. Fungal infections like candida and poor hygiene contribute to the development of balanoposthitis. You must get in touch with a specialist doctor as soon as you start facing this problem. (Also Read: Balanoposthitis treatment)
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes, etc. can lead to balanitis which can later act as a cause for tight frenulum or frenulum breve. Thus it is highly advised to practice safe sex.
- Skin conditions: Certain skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, lichen sclerosis, lichen planus may also act as risk factors for a tight frenulum. In such conditions, the skin of the penis develops red rashes, shiny itchy patches. Also, the accumulation of unusual fluid under the foreskin is the common symptom of the above-mentioned skin conditions. (Also Read: 16 Skin Problems Affecting The Penis )
Watch out for these above-mentioned causes of the tight frenulum. If you find yourself to be struggling with any conditions, then immediately reach to your doctor and get his advice on the treatment options.
Also Read: Paraphimosis treatment
Here is an insight into the various treatments available for frenulum breve:
Ayurvedic and homeopathic treatments for tight frenulum
Ayurveda and Homoeopathy prescribe certain medicines that can help in providing relief from the pain, itching, soreness and redness caused due to frenulum breve. As these medicines are of natural origin, it is completely safe to use them and they can prove to be quite effective.
Ayurvedic treatment involves capsules made from herbs or ayurvedic oils to cure the problem of the tight frenulum.
So, you can reach out to your nearest specialist for any of these treatment options for tight frenulum.
Stretching exercises to loosen up the tight frenulum
Some physicians may suggest stretching exercises to facilitate the loosening of the frenulum. Such exercises should be performed cautiously under medical guidance. Also, remember that you should only gently try to stretch the frenulum. If you tend to forcefully stretch the entire foreskin, it may lead to worsening of the condition. (Also Read: Phimosis Treatment )
Here is a quick tip for you: Every day when you take a hot water bath or shower, try and stretch the frenulum gently. The high temperature of the water aids in the easy loosening of the frenulum.
You can also use coconut oil to massage over the penis. It will work as a lubricant and help in stretching the frenulum easily. Practice this stretching exercise every day for 10-15 minutes. You will witness the effective results within a few days only.
Steroid Creams and Ointments to get rid of the tight frenulum
Your doctor may prescribe certain topical ointments or creams to get rid of the tightness of the frenulum. You need to gently massage the ointment on the affected area. Usually, the steroid creams or ointments take about 6 weeks to show effective results. These ointments help in loosening of the foreskin and the frenulum and thus can be very effective. Gradual stretching of the foreskin should be tried after around 2 weeks of continuous use.
One of the most common ointments that doctors prescribe for tight frenulum is Xylocaine gel 2%. Other effective steroid creams for tight frenulum are Betamethasone Dipropionate 0.5% and Clobetasone Butyrate 0.05%. In most cases, the doctors prescribe to use the medicine twice a day for 3 weeks.
Now, that you know about all non-surgical solutions of the tight frenulum, get yourself the most suited treatment.
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