Dr. D K Srivastava

Pain in the penis?

Penile pain can affect the base, shaft, or head of the penis. It can also affect the foreskin. An itching, burning, or throbbing sensation may accompany the pain. Penile pain can be a result of an accident or disease, and it can affect males of any age.

The pain can vary depending on what underlying condition or disease is causing it. If you have an injury, the pain may be severe and occur suddenly. If you have a disease or condition, the pain may be mild and may gradually get worse.

Any type of pain in the penis is a cause for concern, particularly if it occurs during an erection, prevents urination, or occurs along with discharge, sores, redness, or swelling.

Possible Causes of Pain in the Penis

Peyronie's Disease

Peyronie's disease starts when an inflammation causes a thin sheet of scar tissue, called plaque, to form along the upper or lower ridges of the shaft of the penis. Because the scar tissue forms next to the tissue that becomes hard during an erection, you may notice that your penis bends when it's erect. The disease can happen if bleeding inside the penis starts after you bend or hit it, if you have a connective tissue disorder, or if you have an inflammation of your lymphatic system or blood vessels. The disease can run in some families or may happen for an unknown reason.

Priapism

Priapism causes a painful, prolonged erection. This erection can happen even when you don't want to have sex.

If this occurs, you should get treatment as soon as possible or permanent damage could occur. This damage might stop you from having erections in the future.

Balanitis

Balanitis is an infection of the foreskin and the head of the penis. It usually affects men and boys who don't wash under the foreskin regularly or who haven't been circumcised, although those who have been circumcised can also get it. It also can happen if you have a yeast infection, a sexually transmitted infection (STI), or an allergy to soaps, perfumes, or other products.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

Infection with an STI can cause penile pain. STIs that cause pain include:

• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhea
• Genital herpes
• Syphilis

Injuries

Like any other part of your body, an injury can damage your penis. Injuries can happen if you:

• Are in a car accident
• Get burned
• Have rough sex
• Put a ring around your penis to prolong an erection
• Insert objects into your urethra, which is the tube that carries urine out of your penis

Preventing Pain in the Penis

You can take some steps to reduce your chances of developing pain, such as using condoms when you have sex, avoiding sex with anyone who has any kind of active infection, and asking sexual partners to avoid rough movements that bend your penis.

If you're having repeated infections or other problems with your foreskin, having a circumcision or cleaning under your foreskin every day can help.

Paan which is prepared using tender green betel leaf and areca nut is very popular and widely consumed in many countries of South and South East Asia such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia. There are many variations to the preparation, some might contain tobacco, slaked lime paste also known as choona and a paste that is known as kattha which is a breath freshener.

The betel leaves used to make paan have a range of healing and curative benefits. The leaves contain vitamins such as niacin, riboflavin, vitamin C and many more. Chewing paan can, therefore, have a good impact on your health.

1. Digestive Health: The chewing action when consuming paan helps to stimulate the salivary glands. This causes the secretion of saliva which contains the enzymes necessary to ensure that the food is properly broken down. This aids in a good digestion. Betel leaves are also very effective in relieving constipation. The extract of these leaves also have good gastro-protective properties and can, therefore, be used for treating gastric ulcers.
2. Oral Health: The various variations or ingredients of paan such as the addition of cloves or fennel work as a mouth freshener. The betel leaf too helps to reduce or get rid of bacteria that cause bad breath. Chewing paan maintains ascorbic acid levels in saliva which can prevent and lower the risk of oral cancer. Ascorbic acid is an antioxidant which works to reduce the levels of free radicals in the body, this prevents cancer.
3. Treatment for warts and boils: In the practice of ayurvedic medicine in India, betel leaves have been used as a cure for warts and boils. Treatments using betel leaves can permanently remove a wart without any scars. Therefore chewing betel leaves can help to cure and prevent boils and warts from forming in the mouth and other parts of the body.
4. Treatment for common ailments: The analgesic properties of the betel leaf has made it very popular in traditional medicinal remedies in India for various ailments such as cough, headache and in the treatment of small cuts and wounds. The slight bitter taste of the leaf has an anti-diabetic property and can be used to control blood sugar levels.
5. Treatment for skin disorders: The antimicrobial properties of the betel leaf make it a good natural treatment option for skin disorders such as rashes, acne, itching and body odours.

As with all things chewing paan can be both good but excess of the same can be bad. The health benefits of chewing paan are not widely known and they can be further enhanced by using ingredients that are good for your health. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a General Physician.