Balanitis

Balanitis is irritation of the head (glans) of your penis. It’s usually caused by poor hygiene or an infection. You’re more likely to develop balanitis if you’re uncircumcised.

Red spots, swelling, and itching are common symptoms.

Other symptoms include:

pain while urinating
fluid buildup under the foreskin
inability to pull back your foreskin (phimosis)

Options for treatment

In some cases, balanitis can be resolved by practicing good hygiene. You should keep your penis clean by regularly washing under your foreskin. Use natural, unscented soaps and pat your penis and the area under your foreskin dry.

If your symptoms linger or don’t improve after a couple of days, see your doctor. You may be experiencing an infection.

Your doctor may prescribe:

steroid creams, such as hydrocortisone
antifungal creams, such as clotrimazole (Lotrimin)
antibiotics, such as metronidazole (Flagyl)