Phimosis: what is it, warning signs, symptoms, treatments and guidelines

Most newborns come into the world with a skin that covers the entire genital organ, this skin is called the foreskin which mainly involves the glans, when there is an attempt to pull this skin, it does not work, as the skin channel is still very narrow, this event is called phimosis.

AFTER ALL, WHAT IS PHIMOSIS?

A classic example to better understand what phimosis is, is the t-shirt example, you know when we try to wear that t-shirt that doesn't cross our minds at all? Well, this process works in the relationship of the glans and the skin that covers it, when this occurs it is called phimosis.

Phimosis can be divided into two phases, Primary Phimosis and Secondary Phimosis:

Primary or Physiological Phimosis: Primary phimosis usually occurs in newborn babies who are born with this skin covering the entire genital organ, practically all male babies are born with this skin, with the Over the years, the skin that covers the glans decreases, becoming in its more elastic structure, when the child completes one year of life, 50% of cases are already able to expose the entire glans, with 3 years, this percentage has already increased, rising to 90% per cent of cases, and by the age of 17, already men, 99% of cases are already able to expose the glans, without the need for surgery in the future. In other words, nowadays, only 1% of men have phimosis.

Even with these facts and percentages, it is extremely necessary to keep an eye on the development of the child's genital organ, because in some cases there may be a worsening of this skin on the glans, leading to phimosis and consequently surgery, let's see what factors should be observed?

ALERT SIGNS:

• Redness: If there is redness mainly at the tip of the child's genital organ, ie on the glans, associated with pain, constant itching, can be risk factors indicating that there is some type of infection in this area, requiring help doctor.
• Pain during urination: If there is pain during urination in line with periods of fever, it may indicate a urinary infection, in boys there are not many cases of urinary infection, and due investigation should be carried out. doctor
• Swelling of the glans and frequent pain can be a sign of paraphimosis
• In some cases it may happen that the child, in certain movements, is able to expose the glans outside the skin that surrounds it, but in some cases this skin may not want to return to the place it should be, causing the genital organ to tighten, that is, the blood can reach the glans, but cannot return to distribute in other necessary places, with this factor, you can notice the swelling of the glans, providing pain. In these cases, it is important to look for a health facility and have adequate care.
• Bulging of the Foreskin: In many cases because the glans is covered by the skin, the urine channel can be harmed, as the urine cannot pass through normally, so the liquid accumulates in the skin. In this case, it is extremely important to seek medical help

Secondary Phimosis: Secondary phimosis, unlike primary phimosis, is acquired over time, either by an infection or some trauma to the genital organ causing phimosis. In these cases, there is undue healing of the skin, which forms a ring, called a phimotic ring, which makes it difficult for the glans to pass through this phimotic ring, that is, the skin.

ALERT SYMPTOMS:

•  During sexual intercourse with an erection, fissures can occur at that location, which are small tears in the skin, these fissures are healed over time, but with this, the skin narrows, forming phimosis, thus occurring a cycle of fissures, linked to the narrowing of the skin, causing the phimosis.
• As with primary phimosis, it is necessary to pay close attention to the redness of the glans region, fever, urinary infection, whatever.
• In some cases, Vitiligo of the penis may occur, that is, the glans will get small whitish dots over time. time can affect the urethra, which closes, closes and closes more and more, no longer able to complete the passage of the glans.

TREATMENT

Treatment can occur through steroid creams that can remove this skin, phimosis retraction exercises accompanied by a doctor and indicated for children older than 5 years of age, or in some more complicated cases, by removing this foreskin, that is, surgical circumcision that is offered free of charge by SUS.

It is extremely necessary in some cases to perform surgery, as in the future it can harm the sexual part, cause infertility, as the skin that covers the penis makes the passage of semen impossible.

In Brazil there are more than 150 thousand confirmed cases per year, if not treated correctly, it can lead to the development of a cancer in the genital organ, due to the fact that excess skin hinders the organ's hygiene process, and may even cause in other illnesses.

GUIDANCE

 Parents with newborns is extremely important to observe these symptoms and if necessary take the child to a specialist, such as a urologist, who takes care of these cases more efficiently.

And you teenagers, don't be ashamed to talk about it, it's something natural, which can happen to thousands and thousands of boys for various reasons, for try to study your body and if there are different signs, look for a doctor, it is something simple and necessary, which can be resolved and treated in a matter of months.

This image helps to observe when the glans is fully exposed without the presence of the foreskin. In the second image, we can clearly see the covered glans.

Remembering that even being rare, phimosis can affect women, which are adhesions in the labia minora of the female genital organ, in most cases the indicated treatment is ointments.

And we can't confuse phimosis with adhesion, because adhesion is like a glue that sticks to the organ male, that is, glans, over time this glue will come loose, there is no need for surgery doctor.