The foreskin is the skin that covers the glans; in almost all newborns, this skin is attached to the glans. The fact that the foreskin is attached to the glans prevents infection or irritation due to contact with poop, urine, and other substances. Over time, a kind of ring of tough skin prevents the foreskin from being retracted and gradually disappears, causing the foreskin to detach from the glans.
However, this change never occurs in some men, and the foreskin continues to adhere to the glans once they reach adulthood. In the following article, we will explain the causes of this condition, its possible consequences, and the treatment to follow; in the same way, we will answer your question about why I have the foreskin attached to the glans.
Table of Contents
Causes of the foreskin glued to the glans
If you wonder why you have the foreskin attached to the glans, you should know that you suffer from phimosis, a condition that may be congenital or acquired later. Here we explain the possible causes:
Physiological phimosis
Almost all newborn babies suffer from phimosis. However, this is temporary. Between 5 and 7 years of age, the foreskin detaches from the glans, making it possible to retract without problems and reveal the head of the penis. However, it is possible that after puberty, the foreskin will not be able to fully retract, causing complications in sexual performance, urination, and proper intimate hygiene. Within this category, there are different types and grades. The degrees go from 1 when the foreskin cannot retract and the glans is completely closed, to 5, when it can abandon completely but causes pain. Among the types of phimosis, we find:
- Pointed: Although the appearance and thickness of the foreskin appear normal, the diameter of the preputial opening is minimal, which prevents the foreskin from being retracted and the head of the penis from coming out.
- Non-retractable annular: The skin around the foreskin hole is thickened, which creates a kind of ring through which the glans cannot pass.
- Cancel retractable: In this group, all those cases that cannot be included in the previous groups are classified.
Pathological phimosis
This is a different type of phimosis that, unlike the previous one, is acquired; it appears over time. The cause of pathological phimosis is an infection or wound in the foreskin that, by causing a scar, makes it very difficult for the foreskin to be removed so that the glans can come out. It is essential to say that in these cases, the person did not suffer from phimosis, but it is the infection or wound that has caused that condition. Balanitis is one of the diseases that can cause phimosis.
Depending on the narrowing of the foreskin, problems such as difficulty urinating, having sex, or maintaining proper hygiene may appear, so it is necessary to carry out the treatment.
In the following article from FastlyHeal; Phimosis: what it is, symptoms, and treatment, we will explain everything about this condition.
Symptoms and complications of phimosis in adults
The most obvious symptom that a man suffers from phimosis is that he has the skin of the foreskin attached to the glans, which makes it impossible for it to retract and fully discover the glans. Being unable to do so makes sexual intercourse painful or may even prevent it. Depending on the degree of phimosis, there may be sexual satisfaction, but skin lesions, wounds, and cracks in the foreskin often appear, which will only aggravate the symptoms.
In the most acute cases, having the skin attached to the glans makes urination very difficult, preventing urine from coming out quickly and making it very easy to contract urine infections.
Another of the main complications of phimosis is that the fact that the skin of the foreskin cannot be significantly retracted complicates the hygiene and cleaning of the area; in addition, it causes all kinds of substances to accumulate as a result of urine, ejaculation and sweating, critical factors for inflammation and infection.
Studies that have been done show that those adults who suffer from untreated phimosis increase the risk of suffering from different types of penile cancer by 30% due to the substances that accumulate in that area.
Foreskin attached to the glans due to adhesions
Some confuse phimosis with adhesions of the foreskin when they are two different conditions. Preputial adhesions come out spontaneously and are a consequence of the organism’s normal development. In the same way, they disappear as the boy grows older, has erections, and washes his penis.
The adhesions between foreskin and glans are caused by the fusion between these two parts later during the first years of life. There are likely cysts of smegma, a white or yellow fatty material that accumulates between the glans and the foreskin and is eliminated spontaneously and with hygiene.
These adhesions must be respected, as forcing them to detach would cause wounds and bleeding that could end up causing pathological phimosis.
There is another type of balanopreputial adherence, which occurs in very few cases among those men who were circumcised during childhood. This infrequent surgical complication occurs when scarring is inappropriate and causes the inside of the foreskin to stick to the glans.
Phimosis in adults: treatment
Phimosis in adults: treatment without surgery
There are two different types of treatment for phimosis. The first one is only useful in those cases in which the affectation is not very serious, and it is a topical application of ointment with corticosteroids. Its application is made two times a day, between 4 and 8 weeks, while retractions will be made until the skin of the foreskin is completely detached. If no improvement is achieved with the ointment, the patient will undergo surgery.
Phimosis: operation and postoperative
Circumcision is the name given to the surgery that treats phimosis and consists of cutting the area of the foreskin that covers the head of the penis and the glans. This is an outpatient intervention; it does not require hospital admission and usually lasts between half an hour and 40 minutes.
The postoperative period consists of cures and deep cleaning until the area is completely recovered, which usually occurs in 2 or 3 weeks. During this time, sexual abstinence is recommended, at least for a month.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Why do I have the foreskin glued to the glans , we recommend that you enter our category of Male reproductive system .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.