What is balanitis, how to deal with such an inflammatory disease

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

Genital inflammatory diseases often affect men of any age. Some of them require more careful attention, while others can be cured at home with the help of available remedies.

Balanitis, which affects representatives of the stronger sex, from young to old, refers to such diseases, because of which you should not panic, but you cannot ignore it. Consider how to carry out home treatment for the diagnosis of balanitis and how the pathology develops.

Clinical picture

Balanitis is an inflammation of the glans penis, which often spreads to the tissue of the foreskin. Most men periodically suffer from this ailment, and for the first time boys under the age of 4 encounter such a nuisance.

The expected symptoms of inflammation are redness, irritation, and swelling of the affected tissue in the penis.

In addition, other signs are inherent in the pathology, which are present depending on its type:

• Simple balanitis is the mildest form of the disease, which, in addition to the main symptoms, is distinguished by discomfort during urination, soreness of the head and, in rare cases, purulent discharge from the urethra;
• The erosive form is more complex. It is characterized by the appearance in the affected area of red or white erosions with dying epithelial cells;
• Ulcerative balanitis is a type of pathology that has not only local but also general manifestations. It is characterized by the formation of purulent ulcers, which are very painful and do not heal for a long time. In addition, the patient has general weakness, fever up to 38-38, 5 degrees and fever.

To avoid the transition of the disease into a chronic form and the occurrence of phimosis, you need to seek medical help as soon as signs of an inflammatory process appear. The doctor will determine the nature and causes of the disease and prescribe a number of studies: general and biochemical blood tests, as well as examination for sexually transmitted diseases. After the results are obtained, the doctor will be able to recommend an adequate treatment regimen.

Prerequisites for pathology

Speaking about the causes of this disease, primary and secondary balanitis are distinguished. The primary one appears as an independent ailment, and the secondary one is a consequence of various diseases of an infectious or other nature.

The first category includes the following factors:

• Poor personal hygiene. It is he who provokes the development of the inflammatory process in children, since little boys still do not know how to properly care for the genitals;
• Infections caused by fungi and other microorganisms. With reduced immunity, pathogenic microflora has more opportunities for reproduction, causing an inflammatory process;
• Injury to the tissues of the head. This phenomenon occurs not only due to bruises and scratches of the skin, but also due to wearing too tight or synthetic underwear.

The second group of reasons is more voluminous and includes the following diseases in men:

• Sexually transmitted infections that primarily affect the urethra. Then the inflammation spreads to the foreskin and the head of the penis (in any order);
• Phimosis (inability to bare the head of the penis due to too narrow foreskin) is a pathology that contributes to the accumulation of dirt on the head of the penis and the reproduction of microbes;
• Psoriasis is a skin disease that can be localized near the genitals and cause tissue irritation. At the same time, psoriasis is often confused with balanitis, since visually their manifestations in the genital area are similar;
• Allergic reactions to washing powder or the fabric that make up your underwear causes irritation, itching, swelling and other unpleasant symptoms.

Identification of provoking factors is of great importance for further treatment, because often, in order to get rid of inflammatory processes, you must first exclude their causes.

Treatment

The peculiarity of balanitis is that it lends itself well to treatment with pharmacy and folk remedies, home conditions are suitable for this, but only in those cases when the patient asked for help on time. If the disease is started and has flowed into a chronic form or has received a complication in the form of phimosis, then an operation is required.

Drug treatment

The list of drugs required by the patient is selected individually and depends on the specific clinical picture. A universal recommendation is only regular hygiene measures. The head of the penis is washed daily. In this case, the patient should gently push back the foreskin and wash the tissues with warm running water. In some cases, a gentle soap can be used. After such procedures, the diseased organ must be carefully dried with a soft towel or napkin.

After carrying out such measures, it is necessary to treat the damaged areas with antibacterial substances.

These can be solutions of Furacilin or potassium permanganate. In addition, drugs such as Chlorhexidine and Miramistin have shown themselves well. They fight many types of pathogens without irritating the inflamed tissues of the glans penis.

If purulent discharge is present, then it is necessary to use external antibiotics. Usually Levomikol or Syntomycin ointments are used. They are affordable and usually available at any pharmacy. Sore areas need to be lubricated up to 4 times a day. If the cause of balanitis is an infection, then broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed in the form of tablets.

In cases where the disease is difficult, with the formation of painful ulcers, it makes sense to use healing ointments: Solcoseryl, Solkoderm, Bepanten and others.

How long the treatment will last depends on how advanced the disease is. If help is provided in a timely manner, then unpleasant symptoms disappear after 7-9 days. However, if the pathology has developed enough, then the treatment takes up to 3 weeks.

Folk methods

Alternative medicine has been successfully used in the treatment of inflammation of the head of the penis, especially when used in tandem with medications. But you can use folk recipes only when there are no purulent formations and bleeding ulcers, otherwise you can only harm yourself.

In traditional medicine, there are a large number of natural anti-inflammatory drugs. As a rule, they look like decoctions and infusions of medicinal herbs.

For the treatment of the inflammatory process on the penis, sage infusion is widely used, for which the following ingredients are needed:

• 2 tbsp. tablespoons of dried herbs;
• 300 ml boiling water.

Vegetable raw materials are poured with water and infused for 15-20 minutes, after which they are filtered, cooled and used in the form of compresses on cotton fabric. This remedy relieves redness and promotes skin healing.

Also, with balanitis, a decoction of oak bark is used.

To prepare it, you need to take the following components:

• 2-3 st. tablespoons of dried bark;
• 1, 5 Art. water.

The main component must be filled with water and boiled for 15 minutes. When the broth has cooled, strain it. As a supplement to such a remedy, you can add 1 teaspoon of plantain or chamomile. This broth dries and heals the skin and relieves itching.

The leaves of the houseplant Aloe are widely used to treat various inflammatory processes, including balanitis. The leaves must be cut lengthwise and applied with the pulp to the diseased organ. To fix the product, you can use a regular bandage.

Often, such remedies show good results in the treatment of such an ailment. Nevertheless, before using them, you need to consult a doctor so as not to get complications of the disease.

Prevention measures

Since there are quite a few factors leading to inflammation of the glans penis, it is very difficult to avoid this ailment.

But if you follow certain rules, you can significantly reduce its likelihood.

1. First of all, you need to regularly wash the genitals. Parents of boys should teach children this procedure from childhood in order to develop the right habit.
2. If you have an allergy, you should only wear cotton underwear and use condoms for sensitive skin.
3. It is recommended to exclude from the diet fatty, fried, spicy foods, as well as foods high in carbohydrates. At the same time, you can add berries, fruits, vegetables, grain bread, dairy products to the menu.

To avoid complications of the disease, a man needs to consult a doctor in a timely manner. A properly selected course of treatment will help get rid of unpleasant symptoms and return to normal life.