Phimosis is a condition in which the head of the penis cannot be completely open due to the narrowing of the foreskin. Moreover, for newborns and small boys (up to 3 years old), this is considered a physiological, normal phenomenon. Usually, it goes away on its own. But the narrowing of the foreskin can persist into adolescence and adulthood. And then, we are talking about a deviation from the norm.
The causes of phimosis in adults include:
• hereditary predisposition;
• consequences of trauma to the penis: scar tissue of the foreskin is less elastic;
• inflammatory processes in the area of the head of the penis, including balanoposthitis.
Phimosis may not cause any particular inconvenience to a man in addition to the difficulty of exposing the head of the penis. But also the narrowing of the foreskin can cause the following problems:
• discomfort and pain during intercourse;
• decrease in the intensity of sexual sensations;
• problems with potency or early ejaculation.
In addition, phimosis can cause severe complications in the genitourinary system as a whole. Risk factors include:
• formation of a favorable environment for infectious inflammatory processes, since high-quality hygiene of the penis (glans) is complex;
• formation of adhesions, that is, the fusion of the tissues of the penis and foreskin;
• infringement of the head (paraphimosis), which in turn is fraught with tissue necrosis;
• obstructed outflow of urine, and this negatively affects the functioning of the kidneys, can cause diseases of the prostate;
• pronounced problems with potency.