Some causes of a swollen penis include balanitis, contact dermatitis, urethritis, and priapism. Treatment may include home remedies, topical ointments, medications, and surgery.

Penile swelling is usually a symptom of a health condition rather than a condition itself. It may show up with other symptoms, which can range from mild to severe.

If you have penile swelling, your penis may also look discolored and the area might feel sore or itchy. The swelling can occur with or without unusual discharge, foul odor, or bumps.

These symptoms can make it difficult to urinate or have sexual intercourse.

In rare cases, a swollen penis may be a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention.

Read on to learn the common causes of penile swelling and what to do to treat it.

You’ll notice the language used to share stats and other data points is pretty binary, fluctuating between the use of “male” and “female” or “men” and “women.” While we typically avoid language like this, specificity is key when reporting on research participants and clinical findings.

Balanitis is a common cause of penile swelling. It occurs when the glans (head) penis is inflamed. About 3% to 11% of people with a penis will experience balanitis in their lifetime, and it’s more common in uncircumcised penises.

Balanitis usually results from improper penile hygiene, which causes an overgrowth of Candida albicans, a type of yeast that naturally occurs on the body. The second most common cause is due to the bacteria Streptococcus.

Recurring balanitis is associated with unmanaged diabetes and immunodeficiency.

Common symptoms of balanitis may include:

While the condition isn’t a sexually transmitted infection (STI), the microorganisms that cause it can be physically transferred.

Treatment

Treatment will depend on the underlying cause, but may include topical medications or oral antibiotics. Regularly cleaning the penis area with warm water and a gentle soap is important to help prevent fungal or bacterial growth.

Contact dermatitis involves an allergic or nonallergic reaction to an irritant, which may cause penile swelling. Some common irritants of penile contact dermatitis may include:

In addition to swelling, symptoms of contact dermatitis may include:

  • skin discoloration
  • itching
  • dryness
  • bumps
  • blisters
  • burning

Treatment

The best treatment for penile contact dermatitis is to avoid the irritant or allergen altogether. As such, you might consider:

  • wearing loose-fitting cotton underwear
  • using fragrance-free soaps and detergents
  • wearing latex-free condoms during sexual activities

A healthcare professional can help you identify possible irritants and allergens.

Inflammation of the urethra, known as urethritis, may cause swelling of the penile urinary meatus (external urinary opening), but not the entire penis. The urethra carries urine from your bladder to your penis.

In the United States, urethritis affects 4 million people every year.

Urethritis is typically the result of an STI caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonococcal urethritis), but nongonococcal bacteria can also cause it.

Less common causes include irritating chemicals or injury from a urinary catheter.

Other symptoms of urethritis may include:

  • pain or burning during urination
  • irritated glans penis
  • whitish-yellow penile discharge

Treatment

Urethritis is usually treated with a course of antibiotics. Symptoms usually go away after 1 to 2 weeks.

A swollen penis might be a symptom of priapism. This condition is a prolonged erection that continues without sexual stimulation. In some cases, it can happen after sexual stimulation has occurred.

Symptoms of priapism may include:

  • erection that lasts 4 hours or more without sexual stimulation
  • progressive pain
  • erection without a fully rigid penis
  • fully rigid penis with soft head

Treatment

Priapism is a medical emergency that requires medical treatment to prevent complications, such as erectile dysfunction. Treatment will usually involve penile aspiration and saline irrigation in the hospital.

In some cases, injection of a drug called phenylephrine may be necessary.

Medical emergency

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have an erection that’s painful, lasts longer than 4 hours, or any of the following apply:

  • you have sickle cell disease (a common cause)
  • you take intracavernosal drugs for erectile dysfunction
  • you consume alcohol or illegal drugs

Peyronie’s disease happens when plaque builds up in the corpora spongiosa of the penis, below the skin. Blood can’t fill the areas where the plaque is located so the penis bends at that point during an erection.

Experts estimate that 4 in 100 males between 40 and 70 years old have Peyronie’s disease. In rare cases, younger people may be affected.

Most Peyronie’s is first noticed as a bend or curvature with no other symptoms. Over time, the swelling may turn into a hard scar.

Other symptoms of Peyronie’s disease may include:

  • inflammation with swelling
  • painful erections
  • soft erections
  • lumps
  • painful sexual intercourse
  • erectile dysfunction

The cause of Peyronie’s disease isn’t clear. However, it’s associated with:

  • penis injury
  • autoimmune disease
  • connective tissue disorder
  • aging

Treatment

Treatment for Peyronie’s disease will depend on the severity of the condition. A doctor may prescribe drugs to be administered orally or by injection.

In more severe cases, you may need surgery to help shorten or lengthen a side of the penis, or to have a prostethic device implace.

If only your foreskin is swollen, you might have posthitis. This is inflammation of the foreskin. An overgrowth of fungus often causes it.

Posthitis often develops with balanitis, a condition known as balanoposthitis.

Foreskin symptoms may include:

Treatment

Treatment depends on the underlying cause. It may include oral or topical medications and maintaining proper penile hygiene.

Typically, balanitis and posthitis occur together, a condition known as balanoposthitis. It’s inflammation of both the glans and foreskin.

Compared to balanitis, balanoposthitis is less common and only affects uncircumcised penises. It affects up to 1 in 5 people with an uncircumcised penis.

Balanoposthitis may cause penile swelling along with:

  • discoloration
  • pain
  • smelly discharge
  • itching

Treatment

Treatment for balanoposthitis may include a combination of:

Paraphimosis is another cause of penile swelling that only affects people with an uncircumcised penis. It happens when the foreskin is stuck just behind the glans, causing constriction.

This may be a medical emergency. If the foreskin can’t be pulled back, it can cut off blood flow and lead to tissue death in the glans.

Additional symptoms of paraphimosis may include:

  • pain
  • discomfort
  • discoloration
  • tenderness
  • difficulty urinating

Paraphimosis may result from:

  • forgetting to pull the foreskin back down
  • infection
  • injury
  • incorrect circumcision
  • diabetes-related inflammation

Paraphimosis affects about 1 in 100 people over 16 years old who aren’t circumcised.

Treatment

Treatment for paraphimosis will depend on the severity of the condition. A doctor may use compression techniques like ice, elastic bands, aspiration, or surgery to relieve tension.

Penile swelling might indicate penile cancer, but this is extremely rare. In North America and Europe, fewer than 1 in 100,000 men are diagnosed with penile cancer.

Typically, skin changes are the first sign of penile cancer. Other symptoms may include:

  • skin thickening
  • discoloration
  • lump or ulcer
  • flat, blue-brown bumps
  • foul-smelling discharge under the foreskin
  • bleeding under the foreskin

You’re more likely to develop penile cancer if you:

Treatment

Treatment for penile cancer will depend on the stage and severity of your cancer. It may include:

  • medications, such as chemotherapy
  • radiation therapy
  • surgery

If you have minor penile swelling, home remedies might provide relief. These include:

  • soaking in a warm bath
  • applying gentle pressure to your penis
  • applying a cold compress to your penis

It’s also best to avoid harsh soaps, lotions, and other potentially irritating substances.

If you have penile swelling that worsens, doesn’t go away, or occurs after injury, connect with a doctor.

A doctor may perform a physical examination and ask you about your medical history. They may also request other tests, depending on your symptoms, including:

This could help them determine the underlying cause and develop an appropriate treatment plan for you. In some cases, a doctor might refer you to a urologist.

Penile swelling is a symptom of an underlying medical condition. Depending on the cause, you might also have skin discoloration, itchiness, unusual discharge, or bumps.

There are many causes of penile swelling, so see a doctor if it gets worse or doesn’t go away. Many conditions can be diagnosed with a basic physical exam.

If you have an erection that lasts for more than 4 hours or the foreskin of your penis gets trapped behind the head, get emergency help.