Sore, Itchy or Red Tip of your Penis

The tip or glans of the penis can experience pain or soreness, swelling, redness and an itchy sensation due to several conditions. Soreness at the tip of the penis can be extremely painful and distressing if you do not deal with the original cause of the irritation. 

This blog brings an end to your worry of an itchy penis with recommendation for a better penile health.    

If the tip of your (glans) of the penis is swollen, itchy, and red here are the usual signs of an infection to look for:    

Swollen, red and itchy penis?

A combination of soreness, itching, and redness could indicate an infection or a condition that requires further investigation.

Symptoms may include:

• Unusual smelly discharge.
• Pain during urination.
• Swollen shiny tense blisters
• Cracked and sore lesions of the glans.
• Painful sexual intercourse

Diseases causing soreness, redness and itchiness at the tip of your penis

There are many causes of soreness of the tip of the penis.

Thrush, Eczema, Sexually transmitted diseases, Infection, Trauma, and Psoriasis are some common among them. You may also develop an itchy penis due to Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) or Balanitis (irritation in glans of the penis).

* Balanitis is a condition affecting the tip of your penis. Major symptoms of this condition include red marks on the penile head with a tight foreskin. You may also experience an unpleasant smell from your penile head and creamy discharge from under the foreskin in severe conditions. Balanitis may occur from fungal, viral or bacterial infection.

Reports suggest that 3-11% males approximately experience Balanitis in their lifetime.

Due to the number of conditions that it could occur, it is best that you visit a medical professional who can request the appropriate investigations and start treatment accordingly.

Depending on the outcome of the tests which the doctor will require for an accurate diagnosis there are treatments and appropriate medications that will resolve your symptoms and improve your health.

What are the complications of penile irritation?

Complications of an itchy and sore penile tip may range from mild to severe. Some probable complications include:

• Irritation at the penis head may indicate the growth of an STI.
• Recurring penile irritation may also occur due to an increased blood glucose level. You can test for diabetes to assess the actual problem.
• Rare cases showing the growth of blisters and ulcer-like lumps at the tip of your penis basically indicate penile cancer.

Home Remedies

You may try the following tips at home to get relief from itching, soreness or redness at the tip of your penis:

• Soak in warm bath

You can wash your penis thoroughly with mild warm water. You should also pull back the foreskin on your penile tip to ensure proper rinsing.

• Avoid a moist penis

Ensure a dry penis after a wash. Remember, moist environments serve as the breeding grounds for germs.

• Cool compress

You may use a cool compress or an ice pack with cover on the area of your penile tip to soothe your irritation. 

Prevention

The following preventive measures are important for proper care and maintenance of your penis:

• Maintain proper hygiene

A good hygienic routine includes taking regular showers. You must also ensure proper cleaning and drying your penis.

• Choose mild products for skin care

You need to stop using regular soaps. Soap basically acts as an irritant in washing away your skin oils and moisture. A dry skin leads to the occurrence of irritation and consequent itching.

• Use of barriers

Condoms are the best mode of protection of your penis from an infection during sexual intercourse. However, you may experience allergic reactions against latex present in condoms. In such cases, you should go for latex-free condoms.

• Be careful about your sexual relationships

Avoid having sexual relationships with individuals experiencing STI infections. This can increase your risks of itchiness and red marks on the tip of your penis.

• Wear loose and comfortable clothes

Cotton underwear of loose fitting is perfect for a healthy tip of your penis. This allows sufficient circulation of air, allowing to keep the penile region dry. This decreases the formation of sweat on the skin around the penile region.

• Circumcision

Irritation at the tip of the penis mainly results due to issues with the foreskin. As circumcision causes the removal of foreskin, it may be useful in reducing the risks of balanitis and other irritations on the penis.

Lastly, you should undertake sexual health screening as an essential part of healthcare routine. This safeguards you against risks of penis infection.    

When should you see a doctor for a penile irritation?

You may not require visiting a doctor if you experience mild symptoms at the tip of your penis. For example, once you restrict exposure to any irritant, signs of soreness, red marks on the penile head or itching at the tip of the penis may go away with time.

However, if the symptoms start to get severe with the advancing days you must see a doctor. The development of other symptoms as well like painful blisters, rashes and abnormal discharges require you to visit the doctor.

The doctor will identify the original cause of irritation at the tip of your penis. They may collect the swab samples of your penis and send them to a laboratory for further assessment. You may also get a referral to a dermatologist. 

Diagnosis of Red and Itchy Penile Tip

Your doctor may use the following methods to diagnose the condition of your penile tip:

• The doctor may take an account of your medical history, habits of hygiene and concerns regarding overall health.
• In most of the cases, doctors diagnose your condition by physically examining your penis.
• The doctor may collect your swab sample for a lab test in case you are experiencing an abnormal discharge from your penis. In this way, they can identify the microorganisms producing the symptoms.
• Imaging techniques such as X-rays, ultrasound, MRI or CT scan can generate an in-detail visual of the soft tissues in your penis.
• Doctors may recommend a biopsy in case they suspect penile cancer.

Final Thoughts

GP consultation is a must when you experience any irritation and other symptoms on your penile tip. Itching at the tip of penis can actually turn out to be severe infections in course of time.

You must undertake screenings of private sexual health in London to once you observe red marks on penile head. It is highly important to figure out the original cause of generating soreness and itchy sensation in the tip of your penis.