Penile Yeast Infection: Sign, Causes, Effective Treatment

A penile yeast infection is typically caused by a type of yeast, Candida, overgrowing in the genital area, particularly in the region of the penis beneath the foreskin and the head of the penis.

Although yeast infections are often more associated with women, men can get them too. An infection that goes untreated can lead to more serious complications.

What Is a Penile Yeast Infection?

Infections caused by Candida result in an overgrowth of yeast in the genital area. This condition is worse in areas that are warm and moist.

This overgrowth can lead to an inflammation of the head of the penis, balanitis. The infection can inflame the head and the foreskin of the penis.

A penile yeast infection occurs after sex with someone suffering from a vaginal yeast infection, though infection can occur even without sex.

Symptoms of a Penile Yeast Infection

These infections can have mild or extreme symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms are:

• Swelling and redness of the penis
• Itching
• Soreness and irritation of the penis and foreskin
• Small red spots
• White patches or shiny skin on the penis
• A foreskin that is dry and cracked
• Thick, white material under the foreskin
• Burning during urination
• Painful sex

For some men, the swelling of the foreskin and inflammation may cause pain and make it difficult to pull back the foreskin.

Because penile yeast infections can cause many of the symptoms of other conditions, including sexually transmitted infections, it is important to see your doctor for any symptoms that linger.

What Causes a Penile Yeast Infection?

Penile yeast infections happen when candida grows too much and moisture is present in the genital area. This creates an optimum environment for candida to grow.

Sexual transmission of yeast infections, including penile yeast infections, is known to occur. This happens most often when a man has sex with a partner who has a vaginal yeast infection, although it can still happen to men who do not have sexual contacts.

What are the risk factors?

There are several factors that increase your risk of contracting a penile yeast infection.

Some of these are:

• Poor genital hygiene
• Being uncircumcised
• Diabetes
• Long-term antibiotic use
• A weakened immune system
• Obesity
• Wearing tight underwear
• Staying in wet clothing
• Irritating soaps or skin products

You can mitigate these factors by keeping the genital area clean and dry.

How Is a Penile Yeast Infection Diagnosed?

The physician will perform a physical examination on the penis after reviewing symptoms and will determine if penile yeast infection is the likely cause of the symptoms and if the penile infection is causing the redness, itching, and discharge, as well as pain.

Never self-diagnose, but there are several infections and skin conditions that can cause the same symptoms. To eliminate these possible diagnoses, a sample of the penis is sometimes taken to be examined under the microscope for the presence of fungus.

How Is a Penile Yeast Infection Treated?

If the infection is mild, antifungal topical creams will be the treatment of choice. For more severe cases, oral antifungal medications will also be prescribed.

Healthline reports that miconazole and clotrimazole are examples of antifungal drugs used for yeast infection treatment, however, more persistent/severe cases may require prescription treatment.

In some cases, healthcare professionals may prescribe oral fluconazole in cases of more severe infection. The correct drug would depend on the diagnosis and several individual factors.

Discontinue use of the cream if there is severe irritation or any adverse reaction. Consult with your doctor or pharmacist.

Can It Cause Complications?

Leaving a penile yeast infection untreated can cause complications which can include balanitis, or inflammation in the head of the penis.

Severe balanitis can produce symptoms of pain, difficulty urinating, and an inability to retract the foreskin. Repeated infections can even be a sign of diabetes or other chronic conditions.

In patients with severely compromised immune systems, Candida can go beyond mucosal yeast infection and into bloodstream candidiasis (invasive candidiasis) which can cause serious illness and death.

How Long Does a Penile Yeast Infection Last?

In most cases, a specific antifungal treatment given early can resolve a penile yeast infection in 7 to 14 days.

Failure to clear an infection may warrant further examination and evaluation for potential chronic conditions that may be present.

How Can You Prevent a Penile Yeast Infection?

A penile yeast infection can be avoided in most cases with good hygiene. This includes drying the penis after bathing (and under the foreskin if uncircumcised) and avoiding soap or other products on the genital skin if possible.

protected sex can limit the risk of both infection transmission and infection acquisition. If one partner has an active yeast infection, it is good practice to not have sex until they finish treatment and do not further pass the infection.

When Should You See a Doctor?

Visit a doctor if the described symptoms do not go away within a few days.

Consult a doctor if you continue to get infections, experience significant swelling, have difficulty urinating or retracting the foreskin.

The symptoms of this infection are often confused with STIs and other conditions of the penis, and therefore, self-diagnosis and self-treatment are not advisable.

Conclusion

A penile yeast infection is caused by a fungus, and is also known as a Candida overgrowth. The infection can cause burning, swollen itchy areas, discharge, and white patches on the penis.

Most cases of this infection can be treated with antifungal medicines. Some simple lifestyle changes can help prevent these infections, such as remaining dry, good personal hygiene practices, and addressing the problem that causes the infection.