Tight foreskin in adulthood can cause pain, discomfort during sex, increased risk of infection and difficulty in urinating. At any age, if tight foreskin presents with symptoms, it is important to see the specialist for penis problems and treatment in Chennai. With successful treatment, it is possible to disappear the symptoms completely. Prompt medical attention for tight foreskin can prevent further complications. Available treatment options can successfully resolve the condition. Treatment options for tight foreskin are usually based on the cause and severity of the condition. Children and adults may experience tight foreskin for different reasons.
Tight foreskin treatment is based on the cause
Tight foreskin is medically categorised as:
When the foreskin is too tight to be pulled back over the head of the penis, it is called Phimosis. A tight foreskin that is ‘congenital’ is known as physiologic phimosis and the skin is expected to loosen as the boy approaches his teens. The foreskin will be retractable in most boys by the age of 10 and 95 per cent by the time they reach the age of 17. Hence, a foreskin that will not retract is considered quite normal for young boys up to teen years and hence there is no need to be concerned unless it causes pain, swelling, difficulty in urinating or UTIs. However, it could be a problem when the foreskin is still tightly attached to the glans even after reaching adulthood as it can lead to symptoms of swelling, redness and tenderness and thus making sex very painful.
When an infection, inflammation or some other condition such as trauma, causes a tight foreskin later in life, it is called pathological phimosis. Conditions that could lead to phimosis in adulthood are:
Balanitis- Inflammation of the head of the penis may cause redness, itching, swelling, foreskin tightness and pain when urinating.
Balanoposthitis- Inflammation of both the head of the penis and the foreskin is more commonly caused by poor penile hygiene.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)- Genital herpes, gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydia and similar conditions can cause balanitis, resulting in a tight foreskin.
Skin conditions that cause symptoms include:
- Eczema- A common condition with dry and scaly patches on the foreskin.
- Psoriasis- Characterized by crusty, dry patches of foreskin.
- Lichen planus- A rash that appears as shiny, flat bumps on the foreskin.
- Lichen sclerosis- A condition of white patches on the foreskin and glans that can lead to penile scarring.
Age – Foreskin can lose its elasticity making it stiffer and less pliable with advancing age and thus lead to the development of phimosis.
Paraphimosis is a more serious condition where the tight foreskin does not pull forward once it is retracted causing the glans of the penis to become painful and swollen. Emergency medical treatment is always needed to reduce the pain and swelling in order to restore blood flow to the penis.
Phimosis treatment in Chennai really depends on the cause whether it is physiologic or pathologic and the extent of severity in experiencing the symptoms. Mild symptoms often do not need treatment. The following methods may reduce symptoms if tight foreskin. The first attempt for any man is to employ good hygiene techniques and to try and stretch the foreskin when the penis is in a flaccid state. Best hygiene practices for adults. Manually stretching is often practised to preserve elasticity of the foreskin which can thereby help to prevent and treat tightness. Gently pulling the foreskin backward and forward when cleaning the penis can keep the foreskin free and loose. The foreskin should never be forcefully retracted. In case of not being sure on how the foreskin can be stretched, it is important to consult a urologist. Medications such as creams and ointments can be effective only for certain skin conditions that cause or worsen phimosis. To help keep the foreskin supple, massaging the ointment into the foreskin and manually retracting the skin everyday may be advised. Pain relievers may be prescribed depending on the symptoms. Antibiotics and antifungal medication may also be necessary to treat penile and foreskin infections.
A tight foreskin often causes discomfort during intercourse, difficulty with urination and a greater risk of infections. Successful treatment aims at getting rid of the symptoms completely. A surgical option may be necessary if the above treatments are not effective. The best and only solution in most circumstances happens to be Laser or stapler circumcision. The surgical removal of all or part of the foreskin is known as circumcision and can be done at any age. Circumcision is less accepted in adults than in children because it takes longer and is likely to involve more tissue trauma through standard incisional circumcision. Other latest circumcision procedures include:
Stapler Circumcision– This is a modern procedure that uses a device with no involvement of major incisions or cuts and hence much better in comparison to open surgery.
Laser circumcision- It is a minimally invasive, painless, day care medical procedure where the foreskin is removed with a high-intensity laser beam allowing the patient to return home the same day.
The cost estimation for a circumcision is provided only after clinical examination by the urologist. Cost of Circumcision surgery for adults in Chennai depends on factors such as:
- The condition that causes tight foreskin such as phimosis, paraphimosis or balanitis.
- The type of circumcision technique and procedure.
- Medical history and previous medical condition.
- The type of hospital facility.
While the health benefits of circumcision are many, side effects with traditional circumcision procedures can be pain, bleeding, infection, irritation, inflammation and risk of injury to the penis and delayed recovery. Whereas, with stapler or Laser circumcision, the side effects are almost nil as the technology permits safe and fast recovery from treatment for tight foreskin. Severe cases of phimosis and paraphimosis, as well as persistent balanitis or balanoposthitis usually require a Laser or ZSR stapler to benefit quick, safe and pain free recovery. Seeking immediate laser circumcision surgery in Chennai for infections of the penis or foreskin will help to prevent scarring and long term complications.
