Some people face such a rather unpleasant and delicate problem as itching of the foreskin in men. Such a pathological condition greatly complicates everyday life, as thoughts boil down to how to ste althily scratch intimate places. Diagnosis, symptoms, causes and treatment of itchy foreskin in men will be discussed in this article.
Why does it occur?
There are practically no representatives of the stronger sex who have never encountered such a problem. Causes of foreskin itching in men can be as follows:
- Inadequate hygiene. Some men mistakenly believe that washing the penis is enough to do no more than a few times a week. Unfortunately, with this approach to personal hygiene, itching, redness and inflammation of the head occur. It is also not recommended to ignore the shower after intercourse.
- Allergic reaction that can occur to new synthetic underwear, productsfor washing, lubricants, condoms.
- Candidiasis or thrush is not only in women. Representatives of the stronger sex can also be affected by fungi of the genus Candida.
- Genital herpes, one of the manifestations of which is itching and burning when urinating.
- Balanoposthitis is a disease in which the foreskin becomes inflamed. The causative agents can be both bacteria and infectious diseases.
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Some varieties of scabies.
Also, unpleasant symptoms can occur with a history of diabetes mellitus, hypovitaminosis, eczema, as well as mechanical damage and even malnutrition.
Associated symptoms
Itching of the foreskin in men may not be the only manifestation of the disease. Often a person feels such unpleasant symptoms:
- pain during urination or intercourse;
- uncharacteristic discharge from the urethra;
- burning glans penis;
- swelling of the foreskin;
- rash under the head and redness;
- reduced quality of intercourse, early ejaculation;
- production of a large amount of smegma (the secretion of the sebaceous glands that are located under the head of the penis) with a characteristic strong unpleasant odor;
- increase in body temperature, especially in the evening;
- increased inguinal lymph nodes.
Itching itself is already a reason to apply forqualified medical care, and if other symptoms are present, a visit to the doctor should take place as soon as possible.
Diagnosis
Finding out the causes of itching in an intimate place should begin with the therapist's office. He will conduct an examination of the patient, a survey, during which all symptoms will be clarified, and then he will appoint additional consultations of related specialists, such as a urologist and a venereologist.
Based on medical opinions, laboratory tests may be prescribed, which are necessary in order to understand the cause of itching. All the data that will be obtained during the diagnosis is very important for making the correct diagnosis and prescribing treatment.
Tests
When itching of the foreskin in men, laboratory tests are mandatory to determine the causative agent of this condition. They can be as follows:
- A blood test to determine the inflammatory process in the body. It can also be done to rule out or confirm the presence of certain sexually transmitted diseases.
- Bacteriological culture from the urethra in order to determine the presence of fungi of the genus Candida and others.
- Allergen testing.
- Laboratory test for scabies.
In cases where itching under the foreskin in men is due to poor hygiene, these studies are not necessary.
Treatment of thrush
One of the most common causes of discomfort can be candidiasis. It can occur during sexual contact with an infected woman, non-observance of personal hygiene rules, somatic diseases. Treatment for itching of the foreskin in men due to candidiasis is as follows:
Topical use of drugs such as Clotrimazole cream, Nizoral, Miconazole
Oral medication. These include tablets "Flucostat", "Fluconazole", "Itraconazole". Each of the drugs has its own characteristics, therefore, it is prescribed at different stages of the course of the disease
Most often, within 5-7 days of regular treatment of itching of the foreskin in men with ointment in combination with tablet medications, unpleasant symptoms disappear. It is important to remember that both sexual partners should be treated, even if the woman does not have specific symptoms. In addition, sexual intercourse is prohibited during treatment.
Herpes Therapy
This disease, unfortunately, cannot be completely cured. However, it is possible to transfer it to a state of long-term remission, in which the symptoms in the form of itching of the foreskin in men will not bother. For this, the following treatment is prescribed:
- Taking oral antiviral drugs such as Acyclovir, Zovirax, Cyclovir. At the initial stage, that is, before the appearance of characteristic bubbles, suppressthe virus can be taken by taking medicines for just one to two days.
- With active external manifestations of herpes, it is recommended to use creams and ointments that act on the virus, suppress itching, and also reduce external inflammation. These include the funds "Panavir", "Gerpeferon".
- In some cases, it is necessary to take drugs that increase immunity. This is Eleutherococcus tincture, vitamin complexes.
- With an increase in body temperature and a deterioration in well-being, drugs such as Theraflu are used.
Also, in the presence of severe itching, you can use antihistamines - "Fenistil", "Cetrin". In some cases, it is possible to quickly achieve a state of remission using non-pharmacological methods of treatment, such as plasmapheresis, endovascular laser blood processing.
Treatment of balanoposthitis
Itching on the foreskin in men, the photo of which demonstrates this unpleasant situation, can be caused by inflammation of the foreskin or balanoposthitis. The following remedies are used to treat it:
Broad-spectrum antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin, Suprax, Levomycetin, Doxycycline, Azithromycin. The standard course of treatment is about 10 days
- Antifungal and antimicrobial drugs such as Fluconazole, Furagin, Acyclovir,Nevigramon, Metronidazole. Some of these preparations are available in cream form, allowing for topical application.
- Antiseptics - Miramistin, Akriderm, Levomekol, Clotrimazole, Pimafucin, which can be both in the form of a lotion and in the form of a gel, which also makes the preparations convenient for topical use.
Often, with proper and timely treatment, the symptoms disappear already on the fifth day of therapy. It is important to complete the treatment, otherwise the manifestations of balanoposthitis may return.
STDs
This term includes many diseases that are sexually transmitted. They are most commonly treated with narrow-spectrum antibiotics:
- Pills such as Cefixime, Ofloxacin are effective for gonorrhea.
- Chlamydia is treated with Doxycycline.
- Ureaplasmosis helps to overcome such pills as "Azithromycin".
- Trichomoniasis is treated with "Trichopolum" or "Klion".
- With chlamydia, the remedy "Klacid" showed particular effectiveness.
Redness and itching of the foreskin in men often occurs as a manifestation of a sexually transmitted disease. It is important to correctly and timely identify the causative agent of the disease. During therapy, it is important to completely abandon sexual intercourse, as well as alcoholic beverages.
Treatment of scabies
In some cases, itching can be caused by scabies mites. Often this small insect, invisible to the human eye, settles on the hands, but there are cases of damage to the penis. In this case, the following therapy is prescribed:
- Acaricidal preparations such as Benzyl Benzoate ointment, Medifox solution, Sulfur ointment, Spregal aerosol, Crotamiton cream.
- Traditional remedies such as essential oils of tea tree, thyme, to be applied to the whole body or bathed with them.
Self-treatment in any of the above cases can be dangerous, so before taking therapeutic measures, you need to get a full consultation of specialists.
General rules
In the vast majority of causes, itching in the genital area of a man occurs due to improper or insufficient hygiene, or when wearing tight and synthetic underwear. If you refuse panties made of low-quality materials, and if you pay enough attention to the hygiene of the genital organs, you can get rid of itching in just a few days. For washing, it is recommended to use hypoallergenic products, as well as to abandon gels and soaps with strong fragrances. These rules are especially relevant with increased sweating. Also, when washing the genitals, special attention should be paid to the foreskin and the area under the head of the penis.
Often, antibiotics are used for treatment, which are strictly forbidden to usealcoholic drinks. It is also recommended to refuse sexual intercourse until the moment of complete recovery. In addition, it is very important that the partner is also diagnosed.
Conclusion
There can be quite a few reasons for itching of the foreskin in men. It is important to find a qualified medical professional who will help determine the exact diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment. At the initial stage of the disease, therapy is much faster, and the treatment is highly effective.
