How to deal with balanitis

Balanitis can be treated by improving local hygiene, topical medications, oral medications, physical therapy, and surgical treatment. Balanitis is usually caused by bacterial infection, fungal infection, secretion irritation, redundant foreskin, allergic reaction and other reasons.

1. Improve local hygiene

Gently clean the glans and the inside of the foreskin with warm water every day and keep dry after cleaning. Avoid harsh lotions and choose gentle, fragrance-free cleaning products. If the foreskin is too long, the foreskin must be completely turned up to clean the dirt in the folds. After cleaning, the foreskin must be reset to prevent incarceration. You can take a sitz bath with light salt water for 5 minutes each time, and the water temperature should not exceed 40°C.

2. External use drugs

For bacterial balanitis, antibiotic ointments such as erythromycin ointment and mupirocin ointment can be applied to the affected area as directed by the doctor. People with fungal infections should use antifungal preparations such as clotrimazole cream and miconazole nitrate cream. When redness, swelling and erosion occur, triamcinolone acetonide and econazole cream can be used to reduce the inflammatory reaction. Clean and dry the affected area before applying the medicine, apply the medicine thinly and expose it to dry for 10 minutes.

3. Oral medications

When the infection is severe, oral antibiotics such as cefaclor dispersible tablets and amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium tablets are required. People infected with Candida albicans take antifungal drugs such as fluconazole capsules and itraconazole capsules. Those with allergies should be treated with loratadine tablets or cetirizine tablets for anti-allergy treatment. All oral medications must complete the prescribed course of treatment, and the dosage cannot be increased or decreased on your own.

4. Physical therapy

Recurrent chronic balanitis can be treated with local ultraviolet irradiation. Narrow-band UVB with a wavelength of 310-315nm is irradiated three times a week. For those with foreskin adhesions, foreskin expansion can be performed, and medical devices can be used to gradually separate the adhesions. Physical therapy needs to be performed by professionals in medical institutions, and the wounds should be kept clean after treatment.

5. Surgical treatment

Patients with foreskin or phimosis are recommended to undergo circumcision, either traditional surgery or laser circumcision. Avoid getting the wound wet for 7 days after surgery, and take cefprozil dispersible tablets as directed by your doctor to prevent infection. Surgery can completely solve the problem of smegma accumulation and reduce the probability of recurrence. People with scarring constitution need to inform the doctor in advance to choose the appropriate surgical method.

You should choose breathable cotton underwear and change it daily to avoid stress on the perineum from sitting for long periods of time. Avoid spicy food and seafood, and drink more water to promote metabolism. Sexual intercourse is prohibited before the disease is cured, and partners need to undergo simultaneous examination and treatment. If worsening symptoms such as ulcer exudation and fever occur, you must seek medical attention immediately to check for specific infections. Regular review during the postoperative recovery period to observe the wound healing.