"itchy penis"

[joeymama]

my 4 year old keeps walking around "itching" himself. he and his brother are both intact. when In ask him why he keeps grabbing himself (I am not uncomfortable with him grabbing just concerned) he tells me his penis itches. I have been having him wash himself in the bath, and when he pulls his foreskin back his penis is really red. (He retracted it naturally on his own) I am concerned about taking him to the doctor about it without finding out as much info as I can to protect him from the doctors ignorance as well as my own. could he have an infection? could he just like "itching"it.

[Cheshire]

Unless he's experiencing pain, swelling or discharge I'd just watch it for a while. Maybe have him soak in a tub with baking soda. Cut out all bath soaps for a while, no bubble baths, etc. When he's done just playing in the bath water then do a quick wash with a mild soap (hair, body, rinse) and get him right out. Don't let him sit in soapy water.

My DS had a yeast infection when he was 2. He didn't complain of itching but he had a lot of swelling : and some white discharge. He started to complain that it hurt when he would urinate so we tried an over the counter yeast treatment and it cleared up in about 10 days.

If you take him to the doc right now the first thing their going to want to do is look at it and retract him. If I were you and itching were the only symptom I'd just wait and see if it goes away or gets worse.

Now, if he's constantly scratching, is uncomfortable enough to complain about it and can't keep his hands off then I might consider taking him in but if it's just a mild irritation then wait and see what happens.

[thixle]

Most likely either yeast, or he likes "itching."

I would not do a baking soda bath- it can make yeast worse. Pour some vinegar in the bath (1/2 cup or so) to make an acidic enviornment yeast hates.

[eepster]

Stop having him retract and clean.


The penis really doesn't start getting dirty at all till puberty, and even then all it needs is a quick rinse with plain water. Just as with vaginas, the inside has a natural ph balance, moisture level and beneficial flora; when it is washed too much those levels can become out of balance. Basically too much washing can lead to yeast infection, bacterial over growth, or simply dry irratated skin.

[MommytoB]

brendan has had itchy penis too . I put balmex on his foreskin and it helps him .

no yeast issues for him.

[Ron_Low]

I can specifically recall prancing around the house naked (this was the house we lived in until I started kindergarten so I must have been 4 or 5) and touching my penis a lot, and when my parents asked what's up I said it itches. In fact it just felt good.

-Ron

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Something to keep in mind is the glans should be a bright red/purple. It is this way because it is an internal organ like the inner checks or inside the vagina. So it just being red is not a concern all by itself.

Here is a link that you might find helpful http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=764732

[taralv]

Okay, I actually came to this forum to do a search on this problem. My 4 year old has been telling me that his penis itches and it's bothering him. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't bring it to my attention if he was just enjoying touching himself - he actually keeps telling me that it's itching and he wants me to do something about that. So, I did a search on eczema because he does have eczema but it has never presented on his foreskin before. But that's what it looks like - a little patch of eczema on the foreskin. So, I've been using that California Baby calendula cream on it, and it seems to help, but it does come back every couple of weeks or so. Any thoughts? I have never retracted the skin - and I don't want to - so really I can only tell you what the foreskin looks like. There's no discharge or redness other than the little patch of eczema-like rash. It's a mystery...

Tara

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

taralv: I bet it is the eczema my dd has that and gets it on her bottom as well. I usually let her put a but of hydrocortizon on it if it is really bad. I dont like to do that but her suffering isnt something I want to do either. I just give her a tiny amount and it helps.

Is your ds's eczema food related?

Since you can see the problem on his foreskin there is no need to look elsewhere even if he was retractable. If he didnt have foreskin it would be on his glans :

[taralv]

Thanks, MCAtLVRMom. All three of my kids have eczema (it varies in severity depending on the time of year). DS is really sensitive to tomatoes or citrus, and I have to be careful about how often he eats things like pizza or even ketchup. Anyway, he and my youngest dd also get eczema on their behinds (poor things, scratching their butts...) but I was really surprised to see it on ds' foreskin. I wasn't sure if I could use hydrocortizone in that area, but I do use it when their eczema gets really bad in other areas of their body. If I can use it (only occasionally of course) on the foreskin, it might help get this flare-up under control.

Tara

[latinalonestar]

Originally Posted by eepster

Stop having him retract and clean.


The penis really doesn't start getting dirty at all till puberty, and even then all it needs is a quick rinse with plain water. Just as with vaginas, the inside has a natural ph balance, moisture level and beneficial flora; when it is washed too much those levels can become out of balance. Basically too much washing can lead to yeast infection, bacterial over growth, or simply dry irratated skin.

:

I can be normal for some itching to occur during the separation phase. I know you said he already retracts but he could still be going through some separation processes.

It is very NORMAL for the inner foreskin and glands to be red. It is a very vascular area and since he is intact it is also a mucosal area (unlike circed men). Just think of it like the inner portion of your lips.

Yeast will have bumps and peely look with discharge and excessive itching. Yeast will also spread and become worse.