Dr. Amit

Penis Rash From Shingles? It Happens

Good penis care is essential for maintaining a guy's favorite body part in its best condition. Not only is a healthy penis better positioned to perform at appropriate levels, but it also tends to be more handsome and appealing. And sine first impressions are important, a man wants to have a piece of equipment in his pants that looks good and healthy - not one that is sporting an off-putting penis rash. Taking good care of penis skin can help prevent a penis rash, but there can be other causes of skin conditions, like shingles, which can still pop up unexpectedly.

For young guys, too?

But, wait - isn't shingles an old man's disease? Should a healthy young guy really be worried about it? Well, worried, no - but he should be aware of the possibility, because shingles is NOT something which occurs only in old age. True, about half of all shingles cases occur in people age 60 and over, but even children can come down with it.

So what is it?

People talk about shingles, but do they have more than a vague idea of what they are talking about? Shingles is a viral disease that is also called herpes zoster. Its most common feature is a skin rash that tends to be localized but occurs in a fairly wide swipe. The rash can be anywhere on the body, including the penis, balls and general midsection area. Many people report feeling a tingling sensation in the affected area for a few days before the rash appears. In some instances, there may also be fever, headache or pains associated with the shingles outbreak. Many people find the rash, which may turn to blisters, to be painful to the touch.

Most cases of shingles clear up within a few weeks, but in some cases there may be lingering nerve pain which can last for months or even years.

What causes it?

Shingles is actually caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. If a person contracted chickenpox as a child, the virus remains in their system in an inactive state - and it can be activated later in life and cause shingles.

A person can also contract the virus if they come into physical contact with the blisters on an infected person. For this reason, a person with a penis rash caused by shingles should abstain from sexual contact with another person until the rash has cleared up, to prevent the risk of spreading the virus to a partner. Of course, since significant pain is often present in the area that is affected by shingles, the penis may be too sensitive to withstand sexual contact anyway.

Treatment

A man with shingles on his penis should consult with a doctor to determine treatment. Pain medications (often basic over-the-counter kinds) may be recommended, as well as antiviral drugs or corticosteroids. If nerve pain is present, the doctor may recommend wearing loose-fitting underwear and trousers. Some men find that cold compresses applied to the penis can lessen the pain during an outbreak. Oatmeal baths and calamine lotion can help if the penis rash results in excessive itchiness.

The penis rash caused by shingles is but one of many potential skin conditions which can affect one's penis health. Rashes with a topical, non-viral base are more likely to be prevented by regular application of a top notch penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin). It helps to find a crème that contains both a high end emollient (such as shea butter) and a natural hydrator (such as vitamin E, which together can create a moisture lock to keep penis skin properly moisturized. A good crème will also include a powerful antioxidant; alpha lipoic acid is a superb example of one. The antioxidant helps fight excess free radicals which otherwise may cause oxidative stress that weakens sensitive penis skin.