Patient's question:
My husband has a condition of excessive foreskin. Since it hasn't affected fertility, he hasn't had it circumcised. However, recently he has noticed redness and swelling on the glans, along with some pain. Upon a thorough examination, it was found that he has developed balanitis. What are the actual causes of balanitis?Doctor's answer:
Phimosis or paraphimosis can lead to balanitis. In cases of phimosis, the glans penis is always tightly covered by the foreskin and must be manually retracted to be exposed; in paraphimosis, even with manual assistance, the foreskin cannot be retracted to reveal the glans. Under these conditions, the foreskin is more prone to accumulate smegma, and it is difficult to remove completely. Therefore, individuals with phimosis or paraphimosis are highly susceptible to recurrent balanitis. For patients with balanitis, timely treatment can reduce the recurrence rate. If left untreated, it may affect fertility.