Generality
The red glans is a typical cutaneous sign both of some pathological conditions and of some non pathological conditions.
The reddened glans, in fact, constitutes an alteration of the skin of the end of the penis that can be found both after wrong behaviors (ex: too vigorous masturbation, over-use of intimate cleansers etc.), and as a result of infections (ex: genital herpes, syphilis and scabies) or allergic reactions.
To characterize the reddened glans can be: blotches or flat spots, papules, vesicles filled with liquid, real bumps, ulcers, etc .; to determine the precise characteristics of the phenomenon of the reddened glans are the triggering causes.
During the diagnosis of the reddened glans (which is, in itself, simple and immediate), it is essential to investigate in detail the origin of the clinical sign, as it is on this that the future treatment will be based.
Short anatomical review of the penis
The penis is the male reproductive organ.
Cylindrical in shape and covered with leather, it can be anatomically divided into 3 main parts, which are: the root, the rod (or body ) and the glans .
- Root: located between the pubis and perineum, it represents the point of origin of the penis;
- Auction: it is the central part of the penis as well as the most considerable; to its formation the two cavernous bodies and the spongy body participate, three structures constituted by erectile tissue and wrapped by connective tissue.
Inside the cavernous bodies the cavernous arteries flow; inside the spongy body, however, the urethra passes.
- Glans: it is the most distal portion of the penis; including urinary meatus for the expulsion of urine and sperm, it is provided with a flap of sliding skin called foreskin.
What is the Reddened Glans?
The reddened glans is a typical sign of several conditions that have as their object the penis.
The reddened glans is, in fact, a cutaneous manifestation that can arise from the presence of:
- Spots or flat patches (ie not detected) of red color, more or less close;
- Small reddish vesicles filled with liquid, which after a few days burst, releasing their contents and becoming scaly patches, always reddish in color;
- Single or multiple nodules of red color and hard consistency, which in a short time are transformed into single or multiple ulcers;
- Blotches detected by red shades and similar in appearance to papules;
- Real reddish bumps ;
- Smooth plaques with a shiny appearance and a red-pink color.
Causes
The phenomenon of the reddened glans recognizes causes of variable gravity.
More in detail, the list of factors capable of inducing a glans redness includes:
- Too vigorous masturbation acts . They are among the less serious causes of reddened glans; if due to masturbation, in fact, this sign disappears spontaneously in a short time (a few hours / a day at the most), provided you do not further stress the penis.
As is the reddened glans in such circumstances: it presents simple undetected red patches.
- Excessive use of intimate cleansers . Like too vigorous masturbation acts, it is a cause of reddened glans of scarce clinical relevance, the consequences of which are resolved quickly when the penis is no longer subject to continuous stress.
As is the reddened glans in such circumstances: initially, it presents flat patches of intense red color; subsequently, thanks to the cellular renewal that involves the skin, it develops patches of a less vivid red.
- Poor personal hygiene . It is a habit that can be found more easily in young people and among those living in areas of the world where sanitation is poor.
As is the reddened glans in such circumstances: it has simple undetected red patches of varying sizes.
- Allergic reactions or irritations resulting from the use of certain intimate cleansers or in contact with certain materials or substances (eg: the latex of condoms). The most appropriate medical term to define these circumstances is contact dermatitis (it is an inflammation of the skin induced by contact with substances that for the patient act as irritants or allergens).
As is the reddened glans in such circumstances: usually, it presents very close, flat red patches / spots.
- Balanitis or balanoposthitis episodes. In medicine, the term balanitis indicates inflammation of the glans penis, while the word balanopostitis refers to the simultaneous inflammation of the penis and foreskin.
The list of causes of balanitis and balanopostitis is similar and includes: some bacterial, viral or fungal infections, some deficiencies of the immune system, the aforementioned contact dermatitis and the so-called sexually transmitted infections (NB: some of these infections will be discussed in points subsequent, as potential responsible for reddened glans even without causing balanitis or balanopostitis).
How is the glans glazed in such circumstances: its appearance varies according to the triggering cause; in some cases, it presents simple red patches not detected; in other cases, it exhibits small blisters filled with liquid that burst after a few days, becoming scaly patches; in other cases, it shows reddish ulcers.
- Genital herpes . Due to the herpes simplex virus 1 or 2 (respectively HSV1 and HSV2), it is a sexually transmitted infection which, in addition to the red glans, can cause redness in the scrotum, pubic area, legs, buttocks, hands and / or mouth.
Generally, the transmission of genital herpes occurs during unprotected sexual intercourse with people carrying the infection in question.
As is the reddened glans in such circumstances: it presents vesicles filled with liquid, which, over time, burst and become scaly patches.
- Syphilis . It is the sexually transmitted infection due to the bacterium Treponema pallidum .
In syphilis, the reddened glans represents one of the onset symptoms of infection and the cutaneous manifestations that characterize it are called sifiloma.
How is the glans glazed in such circumstances: at the beginning of the infection, it presents one or more nodules of hard consistency; in the phases following the onset of the disease, however, shows ulcers (which are the evolutions of the aforementioned nodules).
- The scabies . Belonging to the great category of infectious diseases, it is the infestation of the skin sustained by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei hominis .
Scabies is a highly contagious infection that mainly affects the flexor surfaces and folds of the skin.
How is the glans glazed in such circumstances: it presents papules, therefore patches detected.
- The contagious mollusk . It is an infection of the skin and mucous membranes, which triggers a virus of the poxvirus family (DNA virus).
The contagious mollusc has a high contagiousness, but, fortunately, has a benign evolution.
It affects various parts of the body, not just the penis.
How is the glans glazed in such circumstances: it has protuberances of the skin.
- Inverse psoriasis . It is a particular form of psoriasis that mainly affects the skin folds (in simpler words, the armpits, the inguinal region, the navel, the perianal area, the area below the breast in women, the genital area and the region of the foreskin in men).
How is the glans glazed in such circumstances: it exhibits smooth and shiny-looking patches.
Symptoms and Complications
In general, the reddened glans is never isolated, but appears in association with other symptoms ; addicted to the triggering factor, the symptoms that can be associated with the reddened glans are:
- Itching of the glans . The red glans is also itchy, when it is due to scabies, contagious molluscum, genital herpes and reverse psoriasis.
- Glans pain . Glans pain is a symptom that usually accompanies the reddened glans due to syphilis, balanitis and balanoposthitis.
- Loss of fluid due to blistering . This phenomenon is typical of the reddened glans related to genital herpes.
- Redness similar to that present on the glans in other areas of the body, neighboring and not. The causes of reddened glans that produce similar redness in other parts of the body are syphilis, reverse psoriasis, genital herpes and scabies.
- Fever It is an observable symptom whenever the cause of the reddened glans is an infection.
- Dry skin on the glans . This sign accompanies the reddened glans caused by scabies or as a result of excessive use of intimate cleansers.
When should I go to the doctor?
The phenomenon of the reddened glans deserves the attention of a doctor (better if a specialist in diseases of the penis), when there is the suspicion that it is due to an infection (whether it is a sexually transmitted infection or another infection gender) or a non-infectious condition, which requires appropriate care.
To understand when the reddened glans falls into one of his circumstances just mentioned, the patient must evaluate the associated symptoms (eg: co-presence of fever indicates an infectious state; the presence of similar redness in other parts of the body may mean that it is ongoing an infection or a disease like reverse psoriasis).
Complications
The reddened glans can give rise to complications, when at its origin there is an important medical condition (eg syphilis) and the patient concerned has not received timely and appropriate care.
Diagnosis
The red glans is a sign of easy identification; for its detection, in fact, it is sufficient to observe the penis, on the occasion of a common objective examination of the genital area.
What is the next step to the Reddened Glans Diagnosis?
After finding the presence of reddened glans, diagnostic investigations must continue with the search for causative factors, as it is on the basis of the latter that the treating physician plans the most appropriate therapy.
Without the diagnosis of the causes of the reddened glans, it is impossible to draw up an effective therapeutic plan suited to the situation.
In order to identify the causes of the reddened glans, they are fundamental: the anamnesis, the blood tests and the allergic tests .
history
The anamnesis allows to establish if the reddened glans depends on particular habits (ex: too violent masturbation, poor intimate hygiene or excessive use of detergents), from infections or other causes, for which more specific tests are needed (ex: allergy tests) .
Blood analysis
In a context of reddened glans, blood tests are used to clarify whether an infection is in progress and, if it is, what is an infection .
Allergic tests
Subjecting to allergy tests, the patient with reddened glans discovers whether the present sign depends on any allergy or intolerance towards intimate cleansers or other materials (eg: condom latex).
Therapy
The therapeutic approach with which doctors deal with the reddened glans varies according to the triggering cause detected during diagnosis.
In medicine, this type of therapeutic approach is called causal therapy .
The causal therapy is the set of treatments aimed at intervening on the triggering factors and favoring a certain symptom or sign or a certain condition, with the final aim of achieving healing.
Examples of Causal Therapy
- If the reddened glans is due to too vigorous masturbation acts, the causal therapy will simply consist in leaving the penis to rest for a few days and avoid repeating itself in certain oversized behaviors;
- If the reddened glans is to be attributed to the exaggerated use of intimate cleansers, the causal treatment will consist in limiting the use of the aforementioned products and waiting for the spontaneous "healing" of the affected skin area;
- If the reddened glans is due to genital herpes, the patient will need a causal therapy specifically designed for the management of the ongoing viral infection; including the use of antiviral drugs, the therapy in question does not allow the definitive recovery from genital herpes, but it is nevertheless very effective in limiting its consequences;
- If the reddened glans is a consequence of syphilis, the patient will need immediate antibiotic treatment in order to defeat the bacterium responsible for the infection.
- If the reddened glans is the result of scabies, the causal therapy will include: the patient's hospital isolation for at least 24 hours after treatment has begun, the use of topical and systemic acaricidal drugs (to eliminate the patient from the mites responsible for the infection), the disinfestation of the domestic environment in which the patient usually lives and the sanitation of personal effects (eg: clothing, sheets, etc.) belonging to the infected person.
Prognosis
The prognosis in the presence of reddened glans depends on the clinical relevance of the triggering cause. In practical terms, this means that:
- The less severe the condition at the origin of the reddened glans and the greater the chances of an optimal recovery and in a short time, while
- The more serious is the factor responsible for the reddened glans and the lower the chances of an optimal and / or tight recovery.
Of the less worrying causes of reddened glans, too vigorous masturbation and excessive use of detergents are reported; on the other hand, sexually transmitted infections are worthy of mention among the most serious redhead glans.
