Balanitis is an infection of the foreskin. It is most common during the first years of life. Balanitis is due to the fact that there have been too much of the bacteria that is also usually found between the ulcer and the foreskin or that it has been difficult to keep clean there.
Balanitis is especially common in children who at the same time have a narrow foreskin.
Symptoms of foreskin infection
One or more of these disorders can occur if it is infected under the foreskin:
- The foreskin or entire foreskin becomes red or pink and swollen.
- It may come out a little where.
- It hurts and burns when the baby is peeing.
- The beam becomes weak so it is difficult to pee.
- It hurts the penis or the foreskin.
- The child gets a fever.
What can I do for myself?
The infection is usually mild and it is sufficient to clean the foreskin two to three times a day with lukewarm water. The infection usually then goes on for a few days.
There are different ways to clean:
- You can bathe your child in a bathtub or bathtub.
- You can shower gently with a slight jet around the foreskin.
The first time you cleanse a balance, you can give your child painkillers containing paracetamol or ibuprofen. Give the medicine about half an hour before cleaning.
It is good to ventilate as much as possible, for example by leaving a child using a diaper without a diaper.
It is important not to withdraw the foreskin on children under the age of five as it may cause scars to form.
When and where should I seek care?
Most people who receive balanitis do not need to seek care because the problems usually go away by themselves with the help of self-care.
Contact a health care center if the problems do not go away, despite self-care for two to three days. If it’s a weekend, you can usually wait until the next weekday.
If a child develops a fever in conjunction with one or more other symptoms of foreskin infection, contact a health center or emergency room.
If it’s in a hurry
If the foreskin is withdrawn and jammed, contact a health care center or an on-call reception immediately.
If it is closed at the health center or on-call reception, seek care at an emergency room.
Treatment for foreskin infection
If the child has an infection that does not go through self-treatment, the infection is treated with flushing under the foreskin.
Flushing is done using a needle-free syringe, which is inserted slightly under the foreskin. Then water or saline solution is rinsed under the foreskin.
The first treatments for foreskin infection are usually done by a nurse or doctor, but can then be done at home. You can use a needle-free syringe and flush with about ten milliliters of lukewarm water under the foreskin. The syringe allows you to more easily direct the beam and remove any secretions under the foreskin. Use a syringe of two or five milliliters, which can be purchased at the pharmacy.
If the treatment hurts
The flushing can hurt the first few times and only then can an anesthetic gel be injected under the foreskin. This is also done with a syringe without a needle. A moment before flushing, the child may receive painkillers. It can sometimes get more swollen in the first few days and then get better.
After the treatment
The first time the baby pauses after a flush, it can fade. It may help to urinate with the penis immersed in water, or in the water jets from the shower.
Prescription painkillers containing paracetamol or ibuprofen can also relieve the pain.
If the trouble comes back several times
The foreskin may need surgery if the infections recur and the child also has a narrow foreskin.
The child then receives a referral to a surgeon. The surgeon can either widen the foreskin opening by making a small incision or removing a portion of the foreskin or the entire foreskin.