Patient's question:
These past few days, there have been small red spots on my glans, and it's slightly swollen and painful. The doctor said I have balanitis and prescribed medication, along with many precautions. I've looked up genital herpes, and some symptoms are similar to this. I'm wondering what the differences are between genital herpes and balanitis?Doctor's answer:
Genital herpes is primarily caused by the herpes virus, presenting with local manifestations of herpes, and pain and itching often occur simultaneously. Antiviral treatment is the main method of treatment. Balanitis is mainly caused by bacterial or fungal infections, and is prone to recurrence of symptoms such as odor, redness, and itching. In terms of treatment, topical antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs are primarily used, such as erythromycin ointment. Specific medication should be followed according to the doctor's advice. It is mostly caused by herpes virus infection. As long as effective antiviral treatment is implemented in a timely manner, such as oral acyclovir, ganciclovir, and other antiviral drugs, it should be possible to recover completely, but the course of treatment may be relatively long.