General measures to treat balanitis include washing the area with lukewarm water or saline a few times a day and avoiding soaps or other substances that may be irritating while there is inflammation of the glans.
And it is that, with proper hygiene of the penis , many cases of balanitis can be avoided. For this it is necessary to carry out a complete wash of it, which includes the retraction of the foreskin to expose the glans, thus being able to clean it comfortably. This prevents the accumulation of dirt in the frenulum and in the glans. Later the area will be dried as it is done with the rest of the body. Excessive washing is not good, since it favors the appearance of irritation.
If the cause of balanitis is a sexually transmitted disease , the basic recommendations indicated by the primary care physician or specialist doctor for your specific case must be adopted.
On the other hand, depending on the causative agent of balanitis, a specific treatment or another will be started:
- Treatment of candidiasic balanitis: it is treated when it produces symptoms, being antifungals such as Cotrimazol or Miconazole of choice . Given that the infection rate in the couple is quite high, it is advisable to treat the couple as well, especially if they have symptoms. In cases of recurrent candidiasic balanitis, the presence of diseases such as diabetes mellitus or HIV must be ruled out .
- Treatment of aerobic and anaerobic balanitis : the treatment of choice is antibiotics, which are selected based on the suspected causal germ. The most used are Erythromycin for aerobes (germs that use oxygen to carry out their metabolism) and Metronidazole or Amoxicillin-Clavulanic for anaerobes (germs that do not use oxygen to carry out their metabolism).
- Treatment of herpes balanitis : antiherpetic drugs such as valacyclovir , acyclovir or famciclovir are used . If there are frequent or very serious recurrences, you can consider maintaining maintenance suppressive treatment for a year, since it reduces the risk of them appearing.
- Treatment of lichen sclerosus : the treatment of choice is topical corticosteroids until achieving remission of the lesion, and then gradually reducing them. Sometimes intermittent treatment is maintained for some time, to maintain remission. The performance of more aggressive measures such as circumcision or other surgical interventions depends on the degree of involvement of the glans or the foreskin, being something that must be assessed in each particular case. Patients are usually followed up, since in a small percentage of cases there may be malignant transformation.
- Treatment of circinated balanitis : the treatment of choice is topical corticosteroids, associating a specific treatment if associated infection is suspected. Partner treatment is necessary when STDs are suspected .
- Treatment of Queyrat erythroplasia and Bowen’s disease : surgical excision is the recommended treatment, although sometimes alternative treatments may be chosen. Follow-up is mandatory, as there is a risk of recurrence.
- Treatment of Zoon’s balanitis : treatment includes general measures (hygienic measures), medical treatment (topical corticosteroids, antibiotics) and surgical measures (circumcision), to be evaluated depending on each case. Follow-up may or may not be performed, depending on what the specialist doctor estimates in each case.
- Treatment of balanitis by drugs : it is necessary to eliminate the causative drug and, if the involvement is extensive or severe, moisturizers or topical corticosteroids can be administered on the lesion.
- Treatment of balanitis by irritating (allergic) agents : the precipitating agent must be removed and, depending on each case, add moisturizers or topical corticosteroids for a few days if deemed appropriate. In this way, inflammation is reduced.
Regarding how long the balanitis treatment lasts , with the proper choice of it, and always depending on the cause or possible problems or associated risk factors, it can disappear from a day to a week after starting it.
