Boys often experience high fevers due to urinary tract infections. One of the most common causes is phimosis. What is phimosis, and how can it be prevented? Let's discuss this further.
Under normal conditions, boys have a foreskin, or prepuce, at the tip of the penis. If there are no problems, the prepuce can be pulled back over the head of the penis, or glans.
Causes of phimosis
Many factors can cause phimosis. This condition can even be physiological and improve with age without any symptoms. The most common cause of phimosis is infection. This is often caused by poor hygiene after urination. It is crucial to teach boys to clean the area around the penis, including the prepuce, after urination.
If proper hygiene is not maintained in this area, smegma can accumulate around the prepuce. This can lead to infection and inflammation over time. Besides poor hygiene, infections can also spread to the prepuce, leading to phimosis. Infections can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites. Another cause is diabetes. If blood sugar is not well controlled, it can increase the risk of infection and delay the recovery process.
Symptoms experienced
In its early stages, phimosis can cause symptoms such as difficulty retracting the prepuce over the head of the penis. In addition, there is pain in the area due to inflammation, accompanied by redness and irritation. It is also often accompanied by swelling around the tip of the penis, leading to difficulty urinating due to impaired urine flow.
This condition causes pain in the swollen area. Phimosis caused by bacterial infection is often accompanied by a high fever. Untreated high fever, especially in children, can lead to seizures.
Phimosis treatment
When experiencing phimosis, further treatment is usually heavily influenced by the underlying cause. If it's caused by a bacterial infection, antibiotics will be prescribed. Additionally, other medications will be prescribed to help manage the symptoms. Phimosis is often accompanied by pain and fever. Therefore, painkillers and fever reducers may be prescribed.
How to prevent it?
Maintaining cleanliness of the penis and surrounding area, especially after urination, can reduce the risk of infection and phimosis. Furthermore, to prevent phimosis, circumcision is crucial for boys. Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin, or prepuce.
Can phimosis cause complications?
If left untreated, phimosis can lead to complications such as paraphimosis. The prepuce cannot return to its original position, causing swelling and severe pain. Furthermore, phimosis can lead to complications such as recurrent infections of the glans penis (balanitis). Phimosis can also cause dysuria, or pain during urination, due to narrowing of the urethra at the tip of the urinary tract. Phimosis can also cause sexual problems due to discomfort during erections.
In some cases, although rare, phimosis can also increase the risk of penile cancer. This risk can also be exacerbated by various other risk factors. If you experience the typical signs and symptoms of phimosis, it is crucial to see a doctor immediately for further evaluation and treatment to prevent complications.
Written by Dr. Valda Garcia. Reviewed by Dr. Ernest Eugene
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