Children itchy foreskin, what to do?

This is an automatically translated article.

Itching of the foreskin is one of the typical symptoms of balanitis. When suffering from this condition, children will experience pain when going to the toilet, itching, discomfort, ... Therefore, parents need to pay attention to observe the health status of children, take them to the doctor and take them to the doctor. Early treatment to avoid dangerous health complications.

1. What is the condition of a child with an itchy foreskin?

The foreskin is located at the tip of the male penis, covering the penis to protect it from bacteria, harmful dirt and help maintain moisture. Normally, when the foreskin is retracted, the head of the penis and the urethral opening are exposed. This area of ​​the skin is quite sensitive, so it is easily damaged and infected. In particular, balanitis is a common disease in children.
Itching of the foreskin is a characteristic manifestation of balanitis. Balanitis in children can be congenital or due to other causes. Initially, bursitis is in the acute stage. If left untreated or untreated, the disease will progress to the chronic stage.
In addition to itching, children with balanitis also have other symptoms such as:
Redness of the foreskin, blisters or tiny nodules on the tip of the penis. Over time, these nodules may burst, ulcerate, discharge foul-smelling fluid; Burning, uncomfortable pain at the tip of the penis, especially when rubbing against clothing; There are abnormal signs of the urinary tract such as frequent urination, painful urination; Body fatigue, weakness, fever.

2. Causes of pruritus balanitis in children

There are many causes of balanitis in children causing uncomfortable itching symptoms. They are:
Congenital narrow or elongated foreskin: At birth, the baby's penis and foreskin are attached together into a single body to protect the sensitive glans from possible pathogens. harmful. However, this is also the reason why the foreskin is easily inflamed due to the accumulation of a lot of dirt and residue. From there, bacteria have the opportunity to grow strongly, causing inflammation; Hygiene of genitals is not clean: When you do not pay attention to cleaning the child's genitals regularly, causing residue from urine and genital faeces to accumulate for a long time, bacteria will also have the opportunity to multiply strongly. strong, easy to cause inflammation. Because children are young, the hygiene is completely dependent on the parents, the parents need to pay attention to wash and clean carefully for the baby; Due to the wrong foreskin inversion: For children whose foreskin is not narrow, parents should turn the baby's foreskin at home. However, if it is improperly flipped, it can cause inflammation of the foreskin, causing uncomfortable itching. When parents flip the foreskin to separate the skin from the tip of the penis, if they overdo it, it can hurt, crack, tear the skin, ... When injured, the baby is more susceptible to infection. In addition, the process of daily activities such as wearing diapers also causes heat, easily causing inflammation of the foreskin; Urethritis: This is one of the causes of balanitis in young children. Bad living habits such as holding urine, drinking less water, ... easily cause urethritis. When the urethra is inflamed, the baby's foreskin is also susceptible to infection (because the skin of the foreskin and the urinary opening are next to each other); The habit of wearing clothes that are too tight, wet, sharing clothes, ... is also a cause of balanitis in children.

3. Danger of balanitis in children

If detected late, balanitis can cause many negative effects on the health of children. There are cases where the child may have genital necrosis or later have premature ejaculation, cancer, infertility,... Here are the harmful effects that balanitis can cause to the child:
Infection Infection: Balanitis can cause infection of the penis of the child, urethritis, urinary tract infection, cystitis, kidney disease and can lead to kidney failure; Premature ejaculation: Children with long-term balanitis lead to dry foreskin, later may have premature ejaculation; Impotence: Inflammation of the foreskin damages the child's penis, which can lead to erectile dysfunction in the long run. When the young erection is under pressure, it reduces the erection time, which can gradually lead to impotence; Inflammation of the foreskin in children left untreated for a long time can cause orchitis, epididymitis and vasculitis, reducing sperm quality and quantity, potentially causing infertility.

4. How to treat itchy foreskin due to inflammation?

When children have signs of balanitis such as itching, discomfort, pain when urinating, ... parents should take the baby to a medical facility to be examined and given treatment methods. appropriate treatment.
Use topical itching foreskin: This is a treatment for balanitis that is applied by many doctors. The doctor will determine the cause of inflammation to prescribe the appropriate topical medication (antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs). In addition, the doctor can give the child oral medication or wash if necessary; Foreskin dilation: For young children with inflammation due to narrowing of the foreskin, the doctor may prescribe a dilation of the foreskin. Parents can perform circumcision on their own at home, or if they are not confident, they can take the child to the hospital for guidance; Circumcision: Parents can take their baby to a medical facility for circumcision (congenital causes such as foreskin narrowing, foreskin length), treatment of infections, and relief of foreskin itching. and prevent disease recurrence. Circumcision is a small, simple surgery, so parents do not need to worry too much; Proper hygiene of the foreskin: Parents should teach their children to regularly clean their genitals, clean both the inside and outside of the foreskin. When cleaning, the foreskin should be turned upside down to clean. At the same time, children need to avoid contact with contaminated environments or water sources (ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, ...) to avoid infection of the genital organs. When seeing a child showing signs of balanitis such as foreskin itching, pain, discomfort when urinating, ... parents should quickly take the child to a reputable medical facility for a doctor. examine, determine the cause, extent and condition of the disease and prescribe appropriate treatment.
With many years of experience in examining and treating diseases in children, now the Pediatrics Department at Vinmec International General Hospital has become one of the major health care centers, capable of examining , screening and treatment of many specialized diseases in children. Therefore, if the child shows signs of obesity, parents can take the child to Vinmec International General Hospital for examination and receive support and advice from doctors and health experts.

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