Balanitis

For many conditions, I'd agree, but most cases of balanitis are fairly easy to diagnose and treat, and don't require seeing a doctor.

He may not be in the UK btw - probably more than half the people that post here aren't.

hi, thanks for tipping me off about the regular visitors / users on this site - I was not aware of that!

From your experience, can most of those outside of the UK get access to the necessary medicines, or, very much dependent on the individual country they are in?

Just as an aside - I have balanitis and I am treating it with Clobetasol (0.05%) which I apply twice daily.  I have used this for almost 7 years - I found using the ointment only, was insufficient: I needed to learn how to apply it correctly AND to stretch the foreskin at the same time, as, I used to get bad flare-ups and scarification.  As the full-title of my specific condition suggests (i.e. balanitis xerotica obliterans) I can certainly identify with the suggested obliteration of the skin of the foreskin!

It's very much dependent on which country they're in, and if it's the USA, then what if any health insurance they have.  A lot of countries sell stuff over the counter (including antibiotics ) that require a prescription in the UK.  Probably around half of the people that post here are from the US, since most of them have to pay to see a GP or even get tested for STIs.  Most of the other posters are from the UK, but there are also lots of posts from India, Pakistan and elsewhere.

BXO (aka lichen sclerosus) is very different to most cases of balanitis.  Regular balanitis is quite easy to treat for most men, and will often just go away by itself.

There is a lichen sclerosus forum btw, though most of the people that post there are women:

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/browse/lichen-sclerosus-1341

This is what I usually post for regular balanitis:

If it's balanitis, then these links may help:

https://patient.info/health/balanitis-leaflet

https://patient.info/doctor/balanitis-pro  ;

(written for doctors)

Washing (with water, no soap) daily, and taking a leak and washing after masturbation or sex will probably help, and you could also try Canesten cream or Daktarin cream.  Loose fitting cotton underwear may help, and some sites recommend washing underwear with non-biological washing powder or liquid.

Hi, many thanks - I was probably wrongly conflating regular balanitis with the BXO that I have, and perhaps going over the top with some of my previous post recommendations - but I suppose it is best to take the safe approach.  I take the point that compared to the US we have good access to free heath services, and, although I have had a fair share of unhelpful GP's, for most health conditions they will get you to the right specialist pretty quickly to get you sorted out!

Also, thanks for letting me know about the lichen sclerosis forum I will check that out .. I am quite willing to share my experiences about my BXO on here with anyone should you come across other posts, pre and post diagnosis if there is a way of helping them to contact me.

Perhaps I would need to start my "own discussion" on the Penis Disorders pages?!  The forum on the women's health pages gives a good template / guide as to the useful things I could include in an LS discussion forum on the Penis Disorders pages, although I realise relatively few men have the condition .....

Hello can you please help me I am circumcised and I got a red spots or patchon my penis head after masturbation. I wash daily. But why did I got this red patch appearing on my penis head and Its not itchy or feeling burn. And it disappear for an hour and completely gone after 8 hours or more. But sometimes it appears with a single spot it was like one or two. Will you please help me I am so depressed and stressed please. Hope you can help me

Hi, unfortunately the conditions I am familiar with are those specific to UNCIRCUMCISED men.  Conditions such as Balanitis do NOT usually affect circumcised men, and it is therefore only a faint possibility in your case!  I have done a number of searches for conditions specific to the circumcised penis, with no results.  However, what I say below is likely to be of considerable use to you .....

ESSENTIALLY, as you say you are "depressed and stressed" about your condition I would seek professional medical advice, if you live in the UK, go and see a GP, if not and you can see a doctor go along and get it checked out.  In the mean time here is some stuff that is likely to be helpful for you to try before you see a medic …….

* What I do know is the when you have ANY condition affecting the penis you need to implement squeaky clean hygiene practices to rule out the real possibility that it is simply an irritant creating the condition you have!  Here is some of the stuff I previously posted on penile hygiene:

>>>>>> The skin on the penis is more sensitive than any other part of the body, particularly the head of the penis.  During sex or self-pleasuring there is a whole lot of friction going on for this area of skin - in YOUR CASE if you use condoms, there is often a whole load of chemicals on the inside that certainly don't help if your skin is reacting to irritation!

Try this for a while (2 / 3 weeks) - prevent as far as possible, soap, or shower gel, hair shampoo etc., or skin cream / lotion or any form of lube (oil based particularly) from getting on your penis.  Always wash with water ONLY (never hot water) after urinating (in public toilets go in a cubicle and use toilet paper to ensure the head and surrounding area is 100% dry) when showering – if possible, make sure the skin of the penis is drawn forward to cover the head to protect the area from soap / shower gel, etc. getting on it.  At the end of the shower - make sure the entire penis is 100% dry afterwards.  You can also combine this with giving your penis an 'exercise holiday' - no masturbation or sexual activity, you may need to do this for as long as 5 or 6 weeks.  >>>>>

>>>>>  {Your penis could simply) be reacting to an irritant, usually some form of chemical - from anything from a specific soap, washing powder you use on your clothes, (and so on) or something related to your sexual practices: lube, lotions, gels, condoms etc. - or if you have a sexual partner, it could be a chemical substance they are using regularly, quite innocently, I must add!   <<<<<<<<

What you may have is a simple Yeast infection or Psoriasis that is affecting that area of your penis.  Try what I suggest above and see if there is any improvement!  *Do not take any risks with your condition worsening as this is clearly adversely impacting on your mental health too!

Circumcised men get balanitis too, and almost as often as intact men.  I'll post more on Jonathan's other thread.