Patient's question:
For a while now, I've noticed that my glans is particularly dry, and it seems to be shedding something like dandruff. I also feel itchy and painful. Is this balanitis? Please ask: How should I treat balanitis if I just got it?Doctor's answer:
The basic principle of Western medicine treatment for balanitis (red rash on the glans) is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Generally, it involves both internal and external treatments. For the treatment of acute superficial balanitis and annular purulent balanitis, erythromycin and tetracycline are the first-line medications, usually taken at 0.5g per dose, four times daily. For trichomoniasis-induced balanitis, metronidazole is the preferred treatment, taken at 0.2g per dose, three times daily, alternating for 10 days. For candidiasis-induced balanitis, it is commonly treated with griseofulvin or itraconazole. Griseofulvin is taken at 100,000 to 200,000 units per dose, twice daily, while itraconazole is taken at 100mg per dose, twice daily, for a total of 7 days.In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), balanitis (red rash on the glans) is often classified into three types: toxic-fire stagnation, damp-heat with parasitic infection, and liver-kidney yin deficiency.