What is phimosis?

Skin scarring: It is thickening and scarring of the foreskin. It usually causes symptoms such as pain and discomfort. It becomes difficult to retract over the head of penis causing erections and sexual activity to become painful. It may also become infected requiring topical creams or oral antibiotics to treat.

Tight foreskin: The foreskin is too tight to slide easily over the penile glans. Physiologic phimosis is normal in all babies and can remain at most until about age10 years. Phimosis often means that the foreskin can not be retracted so that smegma accumulates underneath. This can create risk for penile cancer. Very tight phimosis can obstruct urine flow so that the foreskin balloons with urination.

Unretractile prepuce: Phimosis generally means that the skin of the penis cannot be retracted to expose the glans. It does not mean there is any pathology and is normal in younger boys. If symptomatic, or post-pubertal and the prepuce cannot retract to expose the entire glans, see your md.

Here are some ...: Phimosis is a medical term to denote the persistent presence of long tight foreskin after childhood, which may usually pose no adverse effects to the glans penis, but at times inflammation / infection - called balanoposthitis, may occur and become a nuisance to personal life - so requiring circumcision. More? Ask Doc timely.

Fix it: Adult phimosis can be a significant health problem. See a urologist who may recommend a steroid cream or circumcision depending on how severe.