Balanitis

This factsheet is for men and boys who have balanitis, or who would like information about it.

Balanitis is inflammation of the head of the penis (glans). Often the foreskin is affected, and the inflammation can spread down the shaft of the penis.

About balanitis

Symptoms of balanitis

Complications of balanitis

Causes of balanitis

Diagnosis of balanitis

Treatment of balanitis

Prevention of balanitis

Questions and answers

Related topics

Further information

Sources

About balanitis

Balanitis is swelling (inflammation) of the head of your penis. Balanitis can be acute or chronic (lasting for more than a few weeks) or recurrent. When describing an illness, the terms 'acute' and 'chronic' refer to how long you have had it, not to how serious the condition is.

Symptoms of balanitis

Symptoms of balanitis may include:

a red rash at the tip of the penis - this may be scaly or ulcerated

pain, tenderness and swelling at the tip of the penis

itching and discomfort

discharge or pus under your foreskin - this may smell unpleasant

being unable to pull back your foreskin

If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor.

Complications of balanitis

If you can normally pull back your foreskin, you may find that you can no longer do so. This condition is known as phimosis and is more likely to happen if your symptoms last a long time (chronic balanitis) or if they keep coming back (recurrent balanitis).

Also, swelling at the tip of your penis can push on your urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder and out through the penis). The swelling can make it painful to urinate.

Causes of balanitis

There are several causes of balanitis including the following.

Contact dermatitis - skin irritants such as soap, shower gel or latex in condoms can irritate the head of the penis and cause balanitis (irritant-contact balanitis).

Medicines - certain types of painkillers, sleeping tablets, laxatives and antibiotics can cause balanitis. These are called fixed drug eruptions.

Infections - certain bacteria and yeasts such as Candida albicans live naturally under your foreskin. Heat, stress, poor genital hygiene or even using soap to clean the genital area can unbalance the acid levels and cause the bacteria to grow faster than usual. This can cause balanitis.

Injury - any cuts or grazes in the tip of your penis or foreskin can sometimes cause balanitis.

Lichen sclerosis - this is an inflammatory skin condition that affects the foreskin. It can cause the foreskin to become tight and difficult to retract over the head of the penis (phimosis) and cause balanitis.

Diabetes - people with diabetes are more susceptible to infections. An infection under the foreskin can cause balanitis.

Diagnosis of balanitis

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and examine you. He or she may also ask you about your medical history.

Your doctor may take a swab from the tip of your penis. The sample will be sent to a laboratory to check for bacterial infection.

Balanitis can sometimes indicate that you have diabetes. If you have recurrent balanitis, your GP may ask you to have a blood test to check for diabetes. Your doctor may also test for sexually transmitted infections.

Treatment of balanitis

Your GP will advise you to keep the head of your penis and foreskin as clean as possible, and not to use anything that might irritate the area, such as perfumed soap.

Self-help

It's important to clean your penis twice a day. Don't use perfumed soaps or shower gels, just water alone. You could also try using an aqueous cream (eg E45 cream) to soothe and clean the area.

If you have irritant-contact balanitis, once you stop using the product that is causing the irritation, symptoms usually clear up. However, they can come back if you start using the product again.

Medicines

If an infection is causing your balanitis, your doctor may prescribe an antifungal cream, antibiotics or a mild steroid cream.

Antifungal cream - clotrimazole cream (eg Canesten) is usually prescribed to treat candidal balanitis. This should be applied twice a day until your symptoms settle. Alternatively, you may be prescribed fluconazole, a tablet to take once as a single dose.

Antibiotics - flucloxacillin (eg Floxapen) or erythromycin (eg Erythrocin or Erythroped) are usually prescribed to treat bacterial balanitis.

Steroid cream - this may be prescribed to help reduce swelling.

Always read the patient information that comes with your medicine and if you have any questions, ask your pharmacist for advice.

If your symptoms don't respond to treatment or they keep coming back despite treatment (recurrent balanitis), tell your GP. He or she may give you a different treatment or refer you to a specialist doctor for further tests.

Surgery

Very occasionally, circumcision is used to treat balanitis. Circumcision is an operation to remove the foreskin from the penis. This treatment is used if the condition is recurrent.

Prevention of balanitis

Good hygiene is essential in preventing balanitis. It's important to try and keep the head of your penis and foreskin clean and dry.

Teach your child the importance of keeping good hygiene to help reduce his risk of having balanitis.

If your baby has balanitis, make sure his nappies are changed regularly and apply a barrier cream to his genital area.

Balanitis Q&As

See our answers to common questions about balanitis, including:

Can nappy rash cause balanitis in babies?

How should I clean my penis to prevent balanitis?

Why am I more likely to get balanitis if I have diabetes?