Phimosis in children is a common disorder in which the foreskin does not retract from the glans penis. At the same time, parents begin to complain that the head of the genital organ does not fully open in the child. This condition may be congenital or acquired. In a child, phimosis is almost always physiological. Normally, it passes by the age of six without outside help. It is important to determine what to do if the head does not open.
When is a problem considered a disease?
Phimosis can be classified as pathological if it occurs in conjunction with local symptoms (inflammatory process of the head of the penis and the skin sheet, scarring of the foreskin, redness, delayed urine output). Also, with phimosis, lesions of the urinary system (infections of the urethra, bladder) may be present.
Unfortunately, experts cannot always accurately determine what kind of phimosis in young children, pathological and physiological. Poor medical qualificationsthe inability to accurately distinguish the physiological form of phimosis from the pathological one can cause panic in parents. In this case, they will have to additionally visit a urologist.
Features of circumcision
If the child's head does not open, what should I do? The most common way to eliminate phimosis is circumcision of the foreskin. But now new methods of operations are actively developing, which are gradually replacing the usual methods. Many modern surgical interventions help to achieve an effect with less pain and trauma for the child.
It is important to remember that the physiological form of phimosis does not require surgery and often resolves on its own with adulthood. In this case, it is very important to carefully monitor the condition of the glans penis, follow the rules of hygiene and prevent infection and inflammation.
Phimosis is the inability to retract the foreskin on the penis beyond the base of the head. This disease is quite common in adolescents under 16.
When is the best time to wait?
What to do if the head of the penis does not open? Most often, parents are very worried about problems with the retraction of the foreskin on the head of the penis in a newborn. After visiting a doctor, many decide to have a planned operation to remove the foreskin.
It is common for newborns to be circumcised unnecessarily. The surgery itself can lead to complications andside effects, and sometimes to psychological trauma in the baby.
In order not to perform an unnecessary operation, it is important to be able to distinguish between physiological and pathological phimosis.
Features of the foreskin
The development of the child's penis occurs at the seventh week of pregnancy and is completely completed by the 17th week. The covering of the penis forms a fold that gives rise to the foreskin. It covers the head of the organ and is responsible for protective and erogenous functions.
The foreskin is distinguished by innervation and is well supplied with blood. On its surface there are point touch receptors that are sensitive.
When removing the foreskin, sensitive areas have to be removed. Unlike the foreskin, the glans has pressure receptors and no tactile receptors.
Physiological factors
Many newborns are diagnosed with problems with head exposure. This condition appears for physiological reasons, which include:
- Formation of a narrow ring of skin covering the head.
- Adhesion of the head of the penis and prepuce for natural reasons. After birth and during the first few years of the child, the surface of the prepuce is tightly pressed against the head of the penis and is not retracted normally. Over time, as a child grows up, the balano-preputial plate is resorbed, which interferes with the normal exposure of the head.
- Penal frenulum.
Over time (from birth to 18 years), the mobility of the foreskin on the head begins to increase due to erections, as well as keratinization of the epithelial lining. Under the influence of such physiological processes, the force of exposing the head of the penis increases significantly.
The full opening of the head in most children occurs by the age of 12, but under the supervision of a urologist, this condition can last up to 16 years.
With physiological phimosis, the foreskin is not changed, has a natural shade, there are no pronounced scars (stripes, spots) on the skin, as well as an inflammatory process. The narrowing is noted at the very end of the foreskin, and not over its entire surface.
Contact a specialist
If the boy's head does not open, what should I do? A mandatory referral to a treating specialist is required in the following cases:
- It is important to visit a urologist every year for a dispensary examination, even if the baby has no pronounced lesions.
- The presence of redness, swelling, inflammation, pain, bleeding in the area of the head of the penis.
- A visit to the urologist is also a must if there is scarring of the skin over the head, problems with the pressure of the jet when passing urine, difficulties with urination, and also in the presence of diseases of the urinary tract.
- If, when removing the skin from the penis, it cannot be returned back, then the foreskin forms a strong ring,constricting head base.
Treatment measures
What should I do if the head won't open? Features of treatment will directly depend on the age of the baby, the form of phimosis, the severity of the lesion, the causes of its occurrence, as well as the presence of additional pathological symptoms.
The attending physician should tell the child's parents what preventive measures are important to follow in order to prevent infection of this part of the body. What to do if the head does not open? In the pathological form of phimosis, the following methods of treatment are used:
- Medical gels and ointments containing corticosteroids. A positive result from the use of such drugs can be achieved after 4-6 weeks of treatment. Only a small amount of the ointment reaches the bloodstream, so no side effects are observed when using it. Despite the good effectiveness of the local remedies used, after a few months after the end of treatment, a relapse of the disease may occur. In this case, the doctor prescribes a second course.
- Treatment through surgery. When performing plastic surgery of the foreskin, the doctor achieves the result by narrowing its area. Its complete removal is not carried out. During the plastic surgery during the recovery period, the child has no pain, bleeding, and the risk of infection is also reduced. In addition, the penis remains fully sensitive, but there is a chance of recurrence.
Prohibition of self-treatment
If a man's head does not open, what should I do? In this case, it is important to remember that no self-treatment of the disease and physical impact on the genitals are unacceptable.
If the head does not open well, what should I do? Difficulties with opening the head of the penis can occur in a man, regardless of his age. The operation will help to completely get rid of phimosis and restore the normal state of the head, but after surgery, you will have to regularly consult a doctor to check the condition of the skin.
What should I do if the crown does not open fully? During drug treatment, the doctor prescribes a course of medications with corticosteroids in the composition.
In order for the opening of the glans penis to take place without any difficulties, it is important to wash the penis regularly.
Prevention measures
When bathing, a man must observe the normal regime of water temperature. The care of the glans penis should not be carried out with the help of soaps, which can adversely affect the retraction of the foreskin. When identifying problems with opening the head of the penis in a man, it often turns out that such a condition appeared in him as a child as a result of exposure to various harmful substances found in urine and fecal matter.
When caring for the genitals and its foreskin, it is important not to use products that can provokeskin inflammation. Even mild soap when washing is important to use very carefully. Regular intercourse with different partners can also cause problems with the opening of the head of the penis. If she stopped opening normally, then there is a high risk that the man caught a sexual infection.
