Tight Foreskin Treatment - Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Having a tight foreskin is a condition where the foreskin cannot be pulled over the head of the penis. It occurs in uncircumcised males and is a rare condition that affects fewer than a million people a year. Phimosis looks like a tight rubber band of skin right at the tip of the penis.

Tight foreskin treatment can cause a series of complications like bleeding, painful urination, or even an infection around the foreskin. It is important to note that having a slightly tight foreskin is common in children and it goes away with gentle and regular retraction. It is only when it begins to create problems and does not retract properly that it becomes a condition that must be treated.

There are many treatment options to reverse this condition. The right treatment option for your child depends on how severe the condition is and the symptoms that come along with it. One of the most common ways to treat it is through supportive care.

Phimosis can be treated with the medical procedures as well as through medications that come in the form of creams and ointments. However, if these treatments fail to work, then you may have to resort to surgery. The treatments are, on the whole, very effective and phimosis is a condition that can be treated quite easily and quickly.

General symptoms of the right foreskin include:

• Painful urination
• Redness
• Swelling
• Soreness
• Inflammation
• Itching
• Thick fluid under the foreskin
• Numbness and skin splitting during intercourse

Not all symptoms come at once. It depends on the cause which is responsible for the symptoms.

The causes of the right foreskin depend on age. During the early stage of manhood, it is congenital and may lose as they grow. Mostly the condition may be cured by the age of 7.

In later stages, when a boy hits puberty and reaches sexual maturity. Tightness of foreskin can be there for a lot of reasons, Some of them are:

• Balanitis
• Balanoposthitis
• STIs
• Genital herpes
• Gonorrhea
• Syphilis
• Lichen planus
• Lichen sclerosus
• Eczema
• Psoriasis

Since it is a physical condition, it is often being diagnosed with a general examination. Your doctor may collect your medical, sexual, and injury history in order to know the root cause.

After a general diagnosis, your doctor may recommend a couple of tests like urine and blood tests to check the traces of glucose in case of high blood sugar. If there is an oozing liquid under the foreskin, your doctor may also take a swab sample in order to diagnose any traces of infection.

The condition of having a tight foreskin is something that can be diagnosed through sight and a physical examination. There are no other diagnostic tests required, unless the child is also suffering from an infection in the foreskin. If that is the case, a blood test is usually needed to see the kinds of bacteria in the infection and administer the appropriate treatment accordingly. Once the child has been diagnosed with tight foreskin, the treatment can commence.

The first step in tight foreskin treatment will be supportive care. Since this is something that occurs in children, you will first just be asked to monitor and report any changes you may see. With gentle and regular retraction, the condition can be resolved on its own. However, if this does not work over a period of time, then your doctor may perform a medical procedure to stretch the foreskin. This will loosen it up and allow it to retract properly as needed. If these means don’t work, then it’s time for medicine.

Your doctor may prescribe steroid creams to be applied on the foreskin. The dosage will depend on how tight the foreskin in and all you have to do is apply as directed. This should loosen the skin up. If this does not work, your doctor will recommend surgical circumcision to remove the foreskin altogether. Circumcisions are common procedures and occur quickly. Sometimes, they are performed under local anaesthesia to avoid knocking out the child completely.

If your child has a tight foreskin that is causing painful urination, bleeding, or infections around the skin, then you should seek treatment for the same.

If your child is uncircumcised and the foreskin is a bit tight, you should wait and provide supportive care to see if the condition resolves itself on its own. If you do not do so, you may be subjecting your child to medical treatments unnecessarily.

Creams with steroids can sometimes lead to the thinning of skin. However, in this case, that is not a problem. Circumcising your child can lead to pain for a few days after the procedure. Maintaining hygiene in the area and ensuring that the dressings are changed regularly can prevent an infection from occurring.

Here are some prevention methods that one can use to avoid tight foreskin:

• Practice safe sex, using condoms and lubricant during intercourse not only prevents you from sexually transmitted infection but also eliminates the risk of splitting.
• The use of intimate wash on a regular basis can reduce the risk of bacteria infection under the foreskin.
• Wearing loose clothes will keep it free from any bacterial growth.
• Manually practice the skin stretching exercise during the bath or general wash.

Depending upon the type, duration, and intensity of discomfort, pain tight foreskin can be so less that you won’t even feel so much that one needs medical help to get it treated. Not only during daily exercise and locomotion, but it can also create painful sensations during intercourse and urination.

Not only its tightness but also its lack of coverage to the penis can lead to a bacterial and fungal infection that might cause pain, redness, and inflammation.

The good news is it can be easily cured with the help of some medical treatment, self-care, and good hygiene practices.

If you have circumcised your child, you will be instructed on ways to help the child maintain hygiene to prevent infection.

It takes at least two weeks to recover from the effects of a surgery.

Follow a healthy balanced diet enriched with all kinds of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to keep your body healthy and strong.

There is no specific dietary plan that can cure tight foreskin.

The cost of circumcision can range from Rs. 25,000 – Rs. 50,000, depending on where you are getting the procedure done from. Steroidal creams cost anywhere between Rs. 100 – Rs. 300.

The results of the treatment are permanent.

There are no home remedies for treating tight foreskin.

Physical exercise like gentle skin stretching can be beneficial and help you lose up the tight foreskin.

It is best when you bathe or wash your penis as it is well lubricated. Gently move your foreskin up and down without making a stretch to lose up the foreskin. You can also ask your medical advisor to know more about exercise as it can be harmful if not done properly.

Summary: If the skin above the penis is not able to cover the penis it is considered as the tight foreskin. A tight foreskin is not a serious condition, but it can be very discomforting, if not treated on time.