Balanitis is a man yeast infection

1. you don't want to just assume that you have a man yeast infection (balanitis),
   
   
2. you could have something more serious than a man yeast infection such as another STD (sexually transmitted disease), and
   
   
3. self treatment with an over-the-counter yeast infection medication when in fact you do not have a man yeast infection is not a good thing. Why? If you in fact do not have a man yeast infection but still treating your infection symptoms with an OTC antifungal cream, you could end up creating a more resistant strain of candida albicans with repeated use.

See the complete list of man yeast infection symptoms.

Side note - if you're a man but suffering from other forms of yeast infection such as skin yeast infection, nail yeast infection, etc), click here, or check out our "Other Infections" link on my navigation bar to the left.

So why do men get yeast infections?
The human body is a naturally balanced "ecosystem" (if I can use it in this context) of millions of bacteria. There are the "good" or "friendly" bacteria (such as those found in acidophilus supplements) and the "bad" bacteria. Candida albicans, or yeast, falls under the "bad" bacteria category. Why did I put quote marks around good and bad? Well, for one thing, in a human body that has a balanced flora (of "good" and "bad" bacteria), neither of these bacteria is good or bad. They keep each other in check and your body is happy. But when the environment in the body somehow gets out of balance, for example an increase in pH, or you're taking a drug that somehow affects one group of the bacteria, the other group of bacteria will flourish in the absence of the first. Make sense? In the case of a man yeast infection, what happens is the "environment" in your genital region is such that it's conducive to the growth of candida albicans.

So what makes a yeast happy environment? One of the most common reasons comes down to personal hygiene. That's right --you have to keep your area "down under" clean. When a man gets a yeast infection, it is typically in the genitals region. This typically happens more to men who are uncircumcised. Rule # 1 -- yeast thrives in a warm moist environment. You guess it -- the penis and the inside of the foreskin is kept very moist with the foreskin constantly pulled over the head of the penis.

Other causes of balanitis, or man yeast infection ...

Diabetes ... another cause of man yeast infection is diabetes. Rule # 2 -- yeast feeds on glucose. This is why, if you have recurring man yeast infection, your doctor may order a urine and ultimately blood test to check your blood glucose level.

Antibiotics ... if you are on a course of antibiotics, you may also end up with a man yeast infection. This is because antibiotics typically kill most of the "good" bacteria in your body. And remember what I said about the balanced needed between "good" and "bad" bacteria in the body?

Thanks honey! ... it is quite possible to contract a yeast infection from your spouse if she has a yeast infection and the two you had sexual intercourse. There is still debate among doctors and researchers on whether a yeast infection can be considered a STD.

Irritants from chemicals in personal products such as soap and bath products, and even lubricants such as petroleum jelly, spermicides (such as nonoxynol-9), etc.

Other prescription drug use. Sometimes it's an allergic reaction to drugs such as sulfonamide and tetracycline.

Individuals with a weakened immune system such as those suffering from AIDS are also more susceptible to man yeast infection.

A host of other causes of man yeast infection includes morbid obesity, penile cancer, and a variety of viruses and organisms such as anaerobic infection, trichomonal species, group B streptococci, treponema pallidum (syphilis), borrelia vincentii, and gardnerella vaginalis.

What are you doing, doc?
When you go see your doctor, he may be able to diagnose you and the cause through a physical examination. He may also order a skin culture or culture of your discharge to check for fungi (of which candida albicans, i.e. yeast, is one), bacteria, or viruses. In some cases, he may also order a skin biopsy. If you suffer from frequent man yeast infection, your doctor may also order a serum glucose test to check for diabetes. Other tests your doctor may order are syphilis serology test and a wet mount..

So you have a man yeast infection .. now what?
The good news is, in the majority of cases, a man yeast infection (balanitis) is not life-threatening by any means. What's more, most guys don't even realize they have it or even if they do have it, it doesn't bother them one bit. BUT, doesn't mean you should just ignore it ... if not for your own health, then for the health of your spouse, as in so you don't give her a yeast infection! The majority of the time, a penile yeast infection can be resolved and controlled through good hygiene and over-the-counter medication. In some severe cases, if you are not circumcised and have recurring male yeast infection, or can't pull back the foreskin to clean and treat the penis, you may want to consider circumcision.

Not convinced you need to be treated for your man yeast infection? Well, chronic inflammation of your penis can result in scarring and narrowing of the opening of the penis. What's more, chronic inflammation or infection can also make it difficult and sometimes uncomfortable / painful to reposition the retracted foreskin and cover the head of the penis. And, the inflammation can cause the retracted foreskin to swell, and constrict the penis and with the possibility of injury to the penis.

If you're not circumcised, start by practicing good hygiene. When showering each day, be sure to gently retract (pull back) your penis' foreskin and clean your penis and foreskin with a mild soap and water. Don't over latter -- more soap isn't always better. Over drying the skin with caustic soaps will only make the man yeast infection worse. Be sure to rinse thoroughly, making sure all soap residue is gone. Over drying and scrubbing (cringing as I write this) the skin with caustic soaps will only make the man yeast infection worse. If your penis yeast infection is severe, you may want to skip the soap and rinse with just warm water. If you must use some sort of cleansing agent, try one that doesn't contain harsh cleaning chemicals such as --

• sodium lauryl sulfate
• propylene glycol
• fragrances
• methyl paraben
• butylate hyroxyanisol
• cetyl alcohol
• methyl benzethonium chloride

In some people, these cleaning agents have been known to cause yeast infections. After shower, be sure to retract the foreskin again and dry the area thoroughly. PAT, DON'T RUB! Your skin is already tender enough from the man yeast infection ... don't add more injury to the poor thing! Provided you have a medical diagnosis for your man yeast infection, you will probably be told by your doctor to try an OTC (over-the-counter) antifungal medication like Monistat or Lotrimin AF (yes, I know this is for athlete's foot, but trust me, it works just the same).

Here's what you do with the OTC antifungal cream -- first, it's best to do this at bedtime. Make sure you clean your penis first (see above). Then sparingly apply a layer (don't goop it on, guys ... more isn't necessarily better!) of the yeast infection antifungal medication onto the tip of your penis and onto the shaft if that area is also infected. If your foreskin is intact (i.e. you're not circumcised!), be sure to (gently) pull the foreskin back over the tip of the penis after application of the medication.

If you've been through a bout of yeast infection before and you know what you currently have is a man yeast infection, you can try some of these antifungal creams -- Monistat (miconazole) or Lotrimin AF.

Click here for additional man yeast infection treatment options.



Click here for additional information on recurring man yeast infection and how to prevent them.