Do I have an infection of my penile skin?

Q: I am 34 years old and a diabetic. Whenever it is cloudy, I develop a fissure on the inner skin of my penis and the skin on the head of penis starts peeling off, which is very painful. The moment I apply Zole-F ointment I get relief. What is the reason for such a problem and if possible how to avoid it?

A:This condition is called as fungal balanitis and is due to fungal infection of the penile skin. This is very common in diabetics and treatment is anti fungal ointment like Canesten/Zole etc. Continue to apply this ointment for at least 5 days after the skin starts looking normal.