Phimosis Health Dictionary

A surgical procedure to remove the prepuce of the PENIS in males and a part or all of the external genitalia in females (see below). Circumcision is mainly done for religious or ethnic reasons; there is virtually no medical or surgical reason for the procedure. (The PREPUCE is not normally retractable in infancy, so this is not an indication for the operation – by the age of four the prepuce is retractable in most boys.) Americans are more enthusiastic about circumcision, and the reason o?ered is that cancer of the penis occurs only when a foreskin is present. This is however a rare disease. In the uncircumcised adult there is an increased transmission of herpes and cytomegaloviruses during the reproductive years, but this can be reduced by adequate cleansing. PHIMOSIS (restricted opening of the foreskin) is sometimes an indication for circumcision but can also be dealt with by division of adhesions between the foreskin and glans under local anesthetic. Haemorrhage, infection and meatal stenosis are rare complications of circumcision.

Circumcision in women is a damaging procedure, involving the removal of all or parts of the CLITORIS, LABIA majora and labia minora, sometimes combined with narowing of the entrance to the VAGINA. Total removal of the external female genitalia, including the clitoris, is called INFIBULATION. The result may be psychological and sexual problems and complications in childbirth, with no known bene?t to the woman’s health, though cultural pressures have resulted in its continuation in some Muslim and African countries, despite widespread condemnation of the practice and campaigns to stop it. It has been estimated that more than 80 million women in 30 countries have been circumcised.... circumcision

Inflammation of the glans penis and prepuce.

Symptoms: soreness, itching, sometimes burning.

Aetiology: psoriasis, trichomoniasis, candida, drug reactions, sexually transmitted disease. In diabetes, balanitis is a possibility from irritation by urine. Often associated with phimosis: tightness of the foreskin. Analogous with the clitoris.

Alternatives. Teas or Decoctions. Blood root, Echinacea, Garlic, Goldenseal, Gravel root, Kava-Kava, Myrrh, Wild Indigo, Rosemary, Parsley root, Sarsaparilla.

Tablets/capsules. Echinacea. Sarsaparilla. Goldenseal. Chaparral.

Powders. Equal parts: Kava-Kava, Myrrh, Goldenseal. Mix. Dose: 500mg (two 00 capsules or one-third teaspoon) thrice daily.

Liquid extracts. Combine Echinacea 2; Myrrh half; Goldenseal half. Mix. 15-60 drops 3 times daily, in water.

Practitioner. Tincture Blood root, BHP (1983) 5ml . . . Tincture Gravel root BHP (1983) 20ml . . . Tincture Goldenseal BPC (1949) 5ml . . . Decoction Sarsaparilla Co Conc, BPC, to 100ml. Sig: 5ml (3i) tds Aq cal. pc. (A. Barker)

Topical (1) For cleansing after retraction of foreskin: one drop Tincture Myrrh to one ounce (30ml) Distilled extract of Witch Hazel. (2) Aloe Vera gel. (3) Eucalyptus oil, dilute many times. ... balanitis

Constriction of the penis behind the glans (head) by an extremely tight foreskin that has been pulled back, causing swelling and pain. Paraphimosis often occurs as a complication of an abnormally tight foreskin (see phimosis). The foreskin can often be returned manually to its normal position after application of an ice-pack. Otherwise, an injection or an operation to cut the foreskin may be necessary. Circumcision prevents recurrence.... paraphimosis

The popular name for the prepuce, the loose fold of skin that covers the glans of the penis when it is flaccid and which retracts during erection. At birth, the foreskin is attached to the glans and is not retractable. It then separates over the first 3 to 4 years of life. The foreskin may be removed (see circumcision) for religious or medical reasons.

In phimosis, the foreskin remains persistently tight after the age of 5, causing difficulty in passing urine and ballooning of the foreskin. There may also be recurrent balanitis (infection of the glans).

In paraphimosis, the foreskin becomes stuck in the retracted position, causing painful swelling of the glans that needs emergency treatment.... foreskin

Pain during sexual intercourse, known medically as dyspareunia, which can affect both men and women. Pain may be superficial (around the external genitals) or deep (within the pelvis).

In men, superficial pain may be due to anatomical abnormalities such as chordee (bowed erection) or phimosis (tight foreskin). Prostatitis may cause a widespread pelvic ache, a burning sensation in the penis, or pain on ejaculation.

Scarring (after childbirth, for example) and lack of vaginal lubrication, especially after the menopause, may cause painful intercourse in women. Psychosexual dysfunction may also cause pain during intercourse. Vaginismus, a condition in which the muscles of the vagina go into spasm, is usually psychological in origin. Deep pain is frequently caused by pelvic disorders (such as fibroids, endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy, or pelvic inflammatory disease due to sexually transmitted infections), disorders of the ovary (such as ovarian cysts), and disorders of the cervix. Other causes are cystitis and urinary tract infections.Treatment is directed at the underlying cause of the pain.

If the discomfort is psychological in origin, special counselling may be needed (see sex therapy).... intercourse, painful

n. inflammation of the foreskin and the surface of the underlying glans penis. It usually occurs as a consequence of *phimosis and represents a more extensive local reaction than simple *balanitis. The affected areas become red and swollen, which further narrows the opening of the foreskin and makes passing urine difficult and painful. Treatment of an acute attack is by administration of antibiotics, and further attacks are prevented by *circumcision.... balanoposthitis

Inability to empty the bladder or difficulty in doing so. Urinary retention may be complete (urine cannot be passed voluntarily at all) or incomplete (the bladder fails to empty completely). In males, causes include phimosis, urethral stricture, prostatitis, a stone in the bladder (see calculus, urinary tract), and enlargement or tumour of the prostate (see prostate, enlarged; prostate, cancer of). In females, causes include pressure on the urethra from uterine fibroids or from a fetus. In either sex, the cause may be a bladder tumour. Retention may also be due to defective functioning of the nerve pathways supplying the bladder as a result of general or spinal anaesthesia, drugs affecting the bladder, surgery, injury to the nerve pathways, or disease of the spinal cord.

Complete retention causes discomfort and lower abdominal pain, except when nerve pathways are defective. The full bladder can be felt above the pubic bone. However, chronic or partial retention may not cause any serious symptoms. Retention can lead to kidney damage and, often, a urinary tract infection.Treatment of retention is by catheterization (see catheterization, urinary).

The cause is then investigated.

Obstruction can usually be treated; if nerve damage is the cause, permanent or intermittent catheterization is sometimes necessary.... urinary retention