I want to know if Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is effective for balanitis.

Patient's question:

In June, it recurred with symptoms similar to the previous time, but the redness on the head was severe. I bought these three types of medicine from the pharmacy again, using the same dosage as before. After a week, the effect was minimal. The last time, it took only four days for the ulcer to heal.

Doctor's answer:

1. Symptomatic treatment
Maintain local cleanliness, avoid various irritants, and circumcision should be performed in cases of phimosis.
2. Local treatment
For erosion, exudation, or purulent discharge, apply a 1% ethidium solution or a 1:8000 potassium permanganate solution as a wet dressing. For dryness with scaling, apply topical corticosteroid ointment.
3. Etiological treatment
If the cause is identified, appropriate medication should be administered. For example, for candidal balanitis, topical nystatin cream, clotrimazole, econazole, or miconazole cream can be used, or systemic antifungal drugs such as itraconazole, fluconazole, miconazole, or ketoconazole can be taken. For trichomoniasis balanitis, metronidazole, tinidazole, or griseofulvin can be selected. For amoebic balanitis, emetine, metronidazole, or tinidazole should be given. If the partner also has candidal vulvitis or trichomoniasis vulvitis, both must be treated simultaneously.