How to Know if You Have Phimosis

Phimosis occurs when the skin over the glans cannot be folded back to reveal the head of the penis. This can happen in two ways and the cause is usually the same in the two, changing the time when the condition occurs:

• Congenital phimosis. The foreskin cannot be retracted from birth, since it is far too narrow. In many cases it is normal that the skin cannot be retracted in new-borns. In these cases once should not force the retraction, but rather one should leave it to develop until it becomes more elastic.
• Acquired phimosis. It is a condition that develops with age and usually appears in adolescence. Usually it is characterized by pain during erections, making it difficult to have sex. Usually it caused by a narrowing of the foreskin, in-elasticity, or the relative difference between the size of the glans to foreskin.

The function of the foreskin is to protect the glans, because it is very sensitive. When a person suffers from phimosis, it is very likely that they cannot carry out proper hygiene of the area under the skin, so there is often an accumulation of dirt, increasing the risk of infection. Depending on the narrowness, the foreskin can be defined according to varying degrees of phimosis:

• The foreskin can be retracted in a flaccid state, but not when erect.
• Possibility to urinate but unable to retract the foreskin completely.
• The foreskin can be lowered but with difficulty, causing pain and difficulty to fold it up again. This leads to the risk of causing parafimosis, by which the penis becomes inflamed resulting in pain.
• The foreskin is so tight that the person cannot even urinate. Call your doctor as soon as possible.

To find out if you have phimosis, you must detect the presence of any of the following symptoms:

• Difficulty in trying to expose the glans.
• Pain when you try to fold back the foreskin.
• Pain during sexual intercourse.
• Inflammation of the foreskin when urinating.
• Feeling pain during an erection.
• Itchiness inside the foreskin or the presence of white plaques as a result of poor hygiene.

Usually, detecting phimosis is not difficult, since you yourself perceive the difficulty of moving the foreskin, and it will become increasingly difficult to unroll it down.

First, it is important to go to the pediatrician with the child to detect the presence of this disease, in addition to regularly go to a review in adolescence and adulthood. The doctor will assess whether the patient suffers from this difficulty of moving the foreskin and in that case the medical professional will recommend performing surgery or another treatment.

In the event that you have detected the problems that may indicate that you suffer from phimosis, go to a specialist. Sometimes when phimosis is not very severe and it does not lead to a health risk, sufferers are recommended to perform special penis exercises in order to facilitate the mobility of the foreskin, as well as the application of ointments. In cases where there is a severe narrowing of the foreskin, a simple surgical procedure is carried out in which the troublesome foreskin is removed. These cases are usually those in which the patient has difficulty in passing urine, severe pain, inflammation of the foreskin, or when the foreskin is retracted, with the impossibility of returning it back to normal.

Some of the symptoms of other foreskin problems and phimosis are similar, such as pain during erection or difficulty unfolding the foreskin. The difference is that the causes that underlie both pathologies are different. In the case of phimosis the problem lies in the actual foreskin itself, which is often too narrow or slightly elastic. However, in people suffering from foreskin issues, the problems stem from the pain that occurs during erection when the penis is stretched and the frenulum does not have enough size so that the foreskin can be fully retracted. Both problems cause pain during erections and sexual intercourse with the risk of tearing or injuries occur.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

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