# Older son with infected penis..Help



## MissyTx (Sep 16, 2008)

Hi, I am so glad I found this group. I have been reading posts about infected penises and they seem to be refering to small babies or toddlers. I have an 8 1/2 year old who has been getting what I guess is an infection on his penis. This past summer his penis got so swollen that he could not urinate. I took him to the Dr. and she put him on steroids. She said she thought he must have been bitten by a bug. Everything cleared up in a few days. Well since then he has complained about redness and pain off and on. Because he is almost nine he is embarrassed to have me look at his penis, but the times I have the tip is red and looks irritated, but it has not been swollen like it was before. The Dr. did say that she thought his foreskin was too tight or something like that at one point. Every time this happens my husband says we should have had our son circumcised and we would not have these problems. I fought a long hard battle to keep my boys intact and I would hate to think one of them is suffering now because of it. Is there anything I can do other then take my son to the Dr. to give him a little relief? Is he not cleaning himself properly?


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## Baby Makes 4 (Feb 18, 2005)

It's probably a hygiene issue. My 13yo got a fungal infection this summer. He was prescribed a cream that cleared it right up and he learned a painful lesson about keeping himself clean.


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## Fellow Traveler (Jan 8, 2008)

I am sorry I don't have time for a long response right now but if you ask the Dr. for something then perhaps it would be a good idea to have a culture done so you can determine what is going on. The redness could be due to a few things, do you know if he is retractable yet?


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## MommytoB (Jan 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Baby Makes 4* 
It's probably a hygiene issue. My 13yo got a fungal infection this summer. He was prescribed a cream that cleared it right up and he learned a painful lesson about keeping himself clean.









See this is a Logical Consequence of a Natural Cause -easy to fix - than to automatically get rid of just 'because of not-cleaning' What prescription did your doc use I just want to know so if that ever happens to my boy I have a RX Idea on hand!

MommyinTx -You didn't retract his foreskin as a baby right ? if not then good!
Did your doctor only do steriods did she recommend anything else to do after the 'steriod issue ?


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## snangel (Nov 27, 2006)

Was it an infection...Did the dr do a swab? If not then you may have treated the wrong thing. I would go and ask him for a swab. It involves just swiping the end on the penis, no retraction needed. Also it could be due to that he is becoming retractable. My son is just starting to retract and I noticed the same thing as what you describe.
If he is retractable make sure he isn't using soap or other irritants, just retract, rinse, replace. (only IF he is retractable)


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## kldliam (Jan 7, 2006)

Quote:

MissyTx: Every time this happens my husband says we should have had our son circumcised and we would not have these problems. I fought a long hard battle to keep my boys intact and _I would hate to think one of them is suffering now because of it._

It's unfortunate when parents don't teach their children proper hygiene (it's not rocket science either) and then use it to scare other parents into circumcising.


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## MCatLvrMom2A&X (Nov 18, 2004)

A link you may find helpful http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=764732 He may not have infections at all he just may be having seperation issues.

And just for the record not retracting and cleaning will not cause infection. Stinky genitals yes, infection no. It just wont. If that were the case then the men who go their whole lives not being retractable would have infection after infection and that isnt the case. Yes good hygein is a good thing but to say it is what causes problems isnt accurate.

Bacteria and germs cause infection and over cleaning can cause infection so avoid soap. Rinsing in the shower or swishing in the tub is all it takes.


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## Dave2GA (Jul 31, 2005)

Since this occurred in the summer, might not swimming pool water with an unacceptably high pH level be causing this? Balanitis or balanoposthitis in boys of this age is usually not bacterial or viral in nature unless it is a yeast infection. Most of it is caused by contact with an irritant. You can research balanitis at length on the internet to find out about this. Bubble baths can cause it too. Sometimes a systemic antibiotic can so reduce the natural bacteria on the glans and foreskin that bad bacteria replace them. It certainly is no reason to circumcise. Of course, existing foreskins will have foreskin problems. Existing ears and toes have ear and toe problems, but they can almost always be cured medically. You need to find a pediatrician who knows this. Marilyn Milos at NOCIRC may have some suggestions for you on how to handle this. Paul Fleiss, M.D. in L.A. knows how to deal with these problems. Perhaps you could see him or pay him for a phone consultation.


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## eepster (Sep 20, 2006)

If it is tending to clear up within 48 hrs and is intermittent, then I would think seperation or irratation. Common irratants are chlorinated pool water, bubble baths, agressive washing with soap (very likely if you've been telling him to clean it better) and many others. It is also possible your DS has simply discovered masturbation earlier than most boys and is being too vigorous.


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## Frankly Speaking (May 24, 2002)

Missy, it appears that your son was inappropriately treated for an infection. That is, the doctor made a visual examination and prescribed an antibiotic. This is a notoriously inaccurate way to make a diagosis. What you describe suggests that the medication was not the appropriate medication for the bacteria or fungal present and only battled the symptoms back. The recurring symptoms also suggest an ever present infection.

The way to positively identify the specific pathogen (bacteria or fungal) is with a culture. You should take your son to the doctor and insist that samples for a culture be taken. The doctor will swab the end of your sons penis with cotton tipped swabs. This will be sent to a laboratory and the results will be back in two or three days. It will name the specific infectious agent and at that time, the doctor can prescribe a medication that is known to be effective against that pathogen.

You can expect to see results within 1 or 2 days but be sure to continue medicating for the prescribed time to make sure you get all of the nasty little buggers. With the correct medication, you can expect the condition not to return.

Much is made of these genital infections in boys but here is something for you to consider: The infectious agents that cause problems for boys are the exact same bacteria and fungals that cause problems for girls and women and the exact same medications used for females are just as effective for boys and men. We all hear the rumors of boys or men who had to be circumcised because of these infections but how many instances of girls or women being circumcised as treatment for the same exact infection? Boys and men are circumcised for these infections only because it is socially acceptable and it is not socially acceptable for girls and women. Don't let it happen to your son!

Frank


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