Paraphimosis is a disease characteristic only for men, as it is compression of the glans penis with the foreskin. This condition is very dangerous for a man. It can turn into a variety of irreversible complications in the absence of timely treatment of paraphimosis.
Pathology characteristics
Paraphimosis does not belong to the group of independent diseases; this phenomenon is rather a consequence of severely phimosis or another disease affecting the male genital organs, which were not completely cured or provoked a complication.
Paraphimosis can occur during masturbation (in particular, in adolescence), during intercourse, during daily hygiene procedures.
With paraphimosis, the foreskin squeezes the head of the penis very strongly, resulting in swelling. With a similar condition, the incision of the foreskin into the genitals occurs. Thus, the resulting swelling is aggravated.
Timeliness of treatment of paraphimosis in boys is important (a photo of the pathology is not exhibited for ethical reasons).
That is, this is a kind of vicious circle. It is possible to break it only by emergency treatment, for which you need the help of qualified doctors. Unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous, consequences can be avoided only if doctors correct paraphimosis, that is, return the foreskin to its former place. In the absence of reduction, the following complications may occur:
- The appearance on the penis of ulcers that provoke the inflammatory process.
- Necrotic tissue of the head of the penis, their subsequent amputation.
If paraphimosis is not recognized in time, the pathology will begin to progress rapidly. In such cases, it goes into a severe form that is difficult to treat. Often with a complex course of the disease, a dissection of the foreskin is indicated.
More details on the treatment of paraphimosis will be described below.
Causes of occurrence
The main cause of paraphimosis is considered to be phimosis of a congenital or acquired type. If the man’s state of health is normal, then the outer and inner sheets of the foreskin are separated independently. This happens in the period from the birth of the boy to puberty. In newborn boys, physiological phimosis is often observed, which is the bonding of the inner sheet of the foreskin and the head of the penis. With early retreat of the foreskin and excretion of the head of the penis, true phimosis can develop.
Paraphimosis, in turn, occurs against the background of phimosis, which is in the second or third stage. Less common in the first form. With the fourth degree of phimosis, paraphimosis does not develop. This is due to the fact that exposure of the head is no longer possible.
In boys, paraphimosis occurs, most often with hygiene procedures. For example, when an attempt is made to push the foreskin beyond the coronal groove. In adult men, paraphimosis can occur during intercourse or masturbation.
Other reasons
In addition, the causes of paraphimosis include:
- genital piercing;
- primary syphilis;
- urethral catheterization, involving the forced removal of the foreskin;
- difficulty in returning the foreskin to its place;
- inelastic and short bridle.
The sooner treatment of paraphimosis in men is started, the more successful it will be.
Symptomatology
The most obvious sign of paraphimosis is swelling caused by venous and lymphatic stasis with excessive compression of the head of the penis. In such a state, the foreskin outwardly looks like a swollen roller located directly under the head. Against the background of puffiness, the penis head itself also increases in size.
The next symptom of paraphimosis is a pronounced soreness, blue head. At the same time, pain sensations increase, even if slight touch or friction occurs. In some cases, the patient may have difficulty urinating.
Sometimes the problem persists after treatment of paraphimosis.
In childhood
The main cause of paraphimosis in boys, similarly to adult men, is phimosis. Due to the lack of sexual activity in children, other factors of the occurrence of pathology can be excluded. The head of the penis with phimosis is not completely excreted. If this happens, then the foreskin infringes and squeezes it.
Children’s paraphimosis proceeds similarly to an adult and is accompanied by the occurrence of two characteristic signs - severe soreness and blue head of the penis. The more pronounced the swelling, the greater the sensation of pain experienced by the boy. If the child does not feel pain, but there is blueness and swelling, then we can talk about the beginning of tissue necrotization.
If phimosis in a boy is diagnosed during puberty, many doctors advise to correct this pathology surgically. This helps prevent the development of paraphimosis.
Paraphimosis treatment
Therapy is carried out according to two methods:
- Surgical treatment. Surgery refers to the removal of pathology surgically. During the operation, the surgeon dissects the foreskin, thereby stopping the compression of the penis head. This is followed by a period of rehabilitation and wound healing. After complete healing of the dissected tissues, circumcision or restoration of the foreskin is indicated. In the treatment of paraphimosis, surgery is performed very often.
- Conservative therapy. Conservative treatment is understood to mean such a procedure as reduction of paraphimosis. To eliminate puffiness, a cold is applied to the patient's genitals, and then the head is adjusted physically. The reduction procedure is extremely painful, and therefore, surgeons use local anesthesia. The conservative treatment of paraphimosis has a significant drawback - the disease can occur again.
Paraphimosis Elimination
When choosing a method of therapy, the doctor relies on the degree of development of pathology. If paraphimosis is in the early stages, then a favorable result from conservative therapy can be expected. If the disease is started, then the surgical type of therapy is preferred.
Paraphimosis treatment at home
It is important to note that it is impossible to get rid of paraphimosis and its manifestations with the help of home therapy. A variety of traditional medicine can be used solely to reduce the severity of symptoms such as swelling of the tissues of the penis and severe pain.
It is strictly forbidden to regulate paraphimosis independently and at home. It is important to understand that reduction is a very painful process that requires local anesthesia. Moreover, the procedure requires certain skills that qualified urologists possess.
Thus, traditional medicine can be used only until the doctor visits to relieve symptoms. First of all, it is necessary to apply cold to the affected head. Are there several options?
- You can attach a simple napkin made of cotton cloth previously dipped in cold water to the penis.
- It is permissible to apply various containers filled with cold water or ice to the genitals. It is strictly forbidden to apply clean ice to the head of the penis. This can lead to negative consequences. If you don’t have a container at hand, you can make ice by wrapping it in some clean cloth.
- You can also apply a bandage of gauze, which is previously moistened in an aqueous solution of salt. To prepare it, you will need three tablespoons of salt, which is dissolved in warm water with a volume of 1 liter. Undoubtedly, such a compress can not be called cold. However, saline effectively relieves soreness. It is forbidden to use this method in cases where there are ulcerative lesions on the penis.
It should be noted that compresses and dressings should be applied for a short period of time - up to 30 minutes. Otherwise, the opposite effect may occur - soreness will increase.
As additional funds in the treatment of paraphimosis in boys and men, decoctions of medicinal herbs can be used. Effective will be infusions of calendula, string, chamomile. Herbs can be used individually or in combination. Folk doctors recommend, for example, the following recipe:
- Grind equal parts of chamomile and calendula.
- Pour two tablespoons of the resulting raw material with water in the amount of one liter, bring the mixture to a boil, boil for 15 minutes, then insist 40 minutes.
- After cooling the broth to a warm state, it is used for lotions. A lotion is done for 45 minutes, after which they begin to stretch the foreskin.
Recovery period and prevention
During the recovery period after paraphimosis, antibiotics and pain medications are prescribed.
The duration of the recovery period is quite individual: the rehabilitation period is from 2 weeks to 2 months. In children and young patients, the recovery period is approximately one month, due to regenerative processes: the younger the patient, the faster the wound heals. On the tenth day, it partially heals and dressings can be carried out once a day.
For the prevention of paraphimosis and other traumatic conditions, parental attention to the health of children and adolescents is important. Regular visits to the urologist and sexual education will allow us to identify and eliminate this slight physiological abnormality in time. If phimosis for some reason is not eliminated, parents need to keep under special supervision the process of urination and not ignore the baby's complaints about pain in the penis.
Sexually mature men who have been diagnosed with physiological or acquired phimosis must abandon masturbation to avoid complications. With increased attention should be treated even to minor signs of inflammation of the genitourinary system, strictly observe hygiene and safety of sexual activity.
Conclusion
It should be remembered that the disease is a disease that threatens with serious complications, up to the amputation of the penis. If any sign of pathology occurs, it is important to immediately contact a urologist and not experiment with self-treatment of paraphimosis.