I have bumps on the crown and shaft of my penis

Last updated on January 2, 2021

Question:

Good evening. 

I was reading these questions because I find myself with a similar problem. I have these bumps on the crown and one or two on the penis. The strange thing is that this is now the second time they have appeared, giving me a slight bit of redness and itching. Could this be associated with pearly papules? I went to visit my doctor who gave me a cream, called Canesten, and he said there should be nothing to worry about. How accurate is this? It is normal for these bumps to appear and disappear? Could they be harmful in any way?

I am waiting for an answer to these questions. My best regards and thank you in advance.

Answer:

Canesten is an ointment to treat fungal infections, specifically yeast infections. Therefore, the doctor believes you have a yeast infection. Most images of infections tend to be of severe cases, and the image to the right is no exception. Fungal infections, including yeast infections, typically are patchy red areas that itch. There are sometimes small bumps or blisters.

Usually, yeast infections are associated with women because the fungus grows best in warm moist areas, and a woman’s vagina is just such an area. However, men can get yeast infections too. Usually, the body is able to defend itself against such infections, but if your immune system is weak because of other illnesses, yeast can overrun a body’s defenses.

You do want to get fungal infections treated. They rarely go away on their own. The itching is distracting. Worse, if left untreated, it can make sex with your wife painful since the skin of the penis is irritated. Fortunately, it is easy to treat. However, make sure you follow the instructions for the medication exactly. Don’t stop just because you no longer see the red patches. If you stop too soon, the fungus deep in your skin will grow back.

Since you seem to be prone to catching yeast infections, you need to change a few habits to make it happen less often. Since fungus needs moisture to thrive, keeping your groin area dry will do a lot to prevent another infection. After bathing, dry yourself well, and don’t be in a rush to dress. Consider using a hairdryer set to low to dry out your pubic hair. Take care of other toiletries, such as shaving, while your skin continues to air out. Always put on clean underwear after washing; otherwise, you will be reintroducing any fungus that developed earlier back to your skin. At night don’t wear anything you wore during the day, including underwear. Get a pair of lightweight shorts or pajama pants to wear just for sleeping. If you tend to sweat a lot, especially on warm nights, you might even consider sleeping in the nude. What you are aiming for is a chance for your skin to stay dry for at least part of the day. Dry skin interrupts the growth of fungus and gives your body a chance to fight off infections.

If you are uncircumcised, the area underneath your foreskin can be a breeding ground for fungus. Make sure you unsheathe your penis when bathing to clean that area daily. Don’t use a lot of soap because that will irritate the sensitive skin under the foreskin.

If you are out working or playing where you sweat a lot, bathe when you get home and change into dry clothing. The layman’s term for fungal infections around the groin is “jock itch” because men involved in sports tend to sweat a lot. Too often sports equipment is not washed as often as they should be.

Fungus, including yeast, is present in the air. Usually, the amounts are so low that it doesn’t matter unless a breeding ground is present. You can get yeast infections by having sex with a woman who has a yeast infection. Treating one partner without treating the other doesn’t remove the problem. You can also get a yeast build-up under your fingernails. If you have a habit of scratching your genital area, you can be introducing yeast and roughening up your skin, giving the yeast a place to take hold.

Question:

Good evening. Thank you for your reply. I stopped the treatment with Canesten since the condition deteriorated even more, and I started treatment with Eusina. Now it seems to be a bit better. But what do I have that calls for this treatment? Is one dose a day enough? I got this thing can bring a lot of bubbles like pearly papules? Precisely under the glans in a wreath? But at least the itching has calmed down and even the red spots are fading. Only those bubbles remain in the crown. Can you tell me if I’m doing the kind of appropriate treatment, or if it is necessary to see a urologist?

Thank you for your attention and patience.

Answer:

I was unable to locate a medication called “Eusina” in any of my references, so I can’t tell you what it is for.

From your description, my best guess is that you have two things at the same time. Pearly penile papules are harmless bumps that look like blisters. They appear on the bottom edge of the corona of the glans. One of the distinctive features is that the bumps are in rows. As I said, they are harmless. Some men have them and some do not. They are most noticeable when you are a young man and they fade as you get older.

The redness and itching is something separate and most likely from a fungal infection of some type.

Question:

Thank you for your reply. I still wanted to ask you a few things, then I will be quiet. Can these pearly papules present themselves without a cause? And is there a possibility they will go away completely without treatment? Why do I have these kinds of blisters? Browsing web sites and looking at some pictures these are the same as pearly papules. But mine only appeared with the itch. Do you understand? Regarding the tincture; it is a red drug, containing mercury chromium, which should dry these impurities. Since I started using it six days ago the redness and itching are gone. There are only the blisters all lined up along the crown of the glans.

Answer:

The cause of pearly penile papules is not known. We only know that they appear on some young men and stay with them throughout life. Their distinctiveness will fade, but they will not go away completely. If you do have pearly penile papules, they do not come and go.

What I’m gathering is that they appeared about the time your itching started, but they are not going away. As I stated before, I suspect that it was coincident that they started at about the same time. But please understand that I’m not a medical doctor; I’m just a good researcher. Unlike your doctor or yourself, I haven’t seen the blisters.

I am assuming your doctor told you that you had a fungal infection and successfully treated you for that. She also told you that the blisters were pearly penile papules. If that is accurate, there is no treatment for these bumps. They cause no harm. They are not contagious. We don’t know the cause of them. By themselves they do not itch; they are just there.