Urology

I forgot to mention that I have no trouble at all urinating, though I experience discomfort at the base of my penis sometime after urination. There is also no discharge. I have urinated often in the last three hours, but then I've been drinking lots of water and cranberry juice under the paranoia that I have a UTI.

I forgot to mention that I have no discomfort urinating and no discharge of any kind. I have urinated frequently in the last three hours, but I have been drinking a lot of cranberry juice and water under the suspicion that I may have had a UTI.

One last thing... sorry for the multiple posts. My computer has been weird lately.

I noticed two red dots along the rim of my penis head. Every once in a while when it rubs against something, I experience a stinging sort of discomfort. It's not crippling, but it is there. Are all these things related? Could I just have irritated the skin? Said dots are flat and not raised. They've very small, so small that I could not adequately describe their size and they are very far apart.

You don't have a UTI, and cranberry juice will NOT treat a UTI if you have one. Total myth. It's only for prevention, not treatment. Men don't get UTIs unless they stick something in their urethra, have a structural defect, or are trapped in soiled underwear.

The "veins" you find irritated could be actually lymph channel irritations, however they would not be blue. This would go along with the lump (possible lymph node inflammation), and the raised feeling of these channels under your skin. The red markings could be an allergic reaction, or just a symptom of general irritation related to whatever caused a lymph reaction.
No, it doesn't sound like an STD.

Unfortunately, if you did go to the E.R. you wouldn't receive any help. They treat emergencies, and know about as much about penises as you know about breeding silk worms.

Insurance is NOT required to see a urologist. And the doctor's office will work out payment with you. An office visit should be less than $200, and can be put on credit or payment plan. You only get ONE penis, and it's been through a lot recently, so I suggest you get it some proper care before there's actual damage that could have been prevented with prompt attention.

This is one of those things that a visual inspection tells so much more than a description. And a general doctor isn't going to be worth your time and expense compared to a urologist (no more expensive, but all the expertise).

I respect that you are attempting to make the best of a situation without rushing to the doctor, but I think it's gone beyond a lay-person's help level and you do actually need to see a urologist at this point.

Thank you for your continued support and information. I have scheduled an appointment with a urologist tomorrow. I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge!

Hi, what was it you had in the end? I have the same symptoms and cant find anything else on the internet. Hopefully you can help me out. Im travelling around Europe so its kind of hard to find time to see a Urologist.

Thanks.

The veins in your penis do not stay the same in appearance throughout your life. They change with age and activity, and that's fairly normal. You're probably paying a lot more attention to your penis lately than you otherwise would and are noticing differences that you would likely have otherwise overlooked before.

The bump in your skin could be explained by an inflamed lymph node. Any kind of infection, from an ingrown toenail to a sinus infection can cause these things to flair up. It could itself also just be an ingrown hair, but a vague description is insufficient to determine the cause.

STDs rarely have the symptoms of throbbing pain. This could still be related to your previous injury. Or it could be something new. Unfortunately there isn't nearly enough information to make good guesses here.

It is also false that you cannot see a doctor without health insurance. All doctors' offices are required give you an estimate of the charges for an examination or treatment prior to coming in (if you ask), and most of them will also offer payment plans or accept credit cards. A typical office visit to a urologist is probably about $200, whereas a trip to the emergency room (which does NOT exempt you from paying) is on average $1300. You still get a bill and are still legally obligated to pay it. The difference is that if you welch on the bill, a PUBLIC hospital has to make it up by taking profits from other patients. That does not mean they will not send your bill to a collection agency. So, get the idea that E.R. medicine is free right out of your head now.

Planning for the cost of your continued health is no different than planning for the cost of a flat tire, a broken computer, or anything else. I appreciate that financial pressures can force unwanted decisions. It's a tendency for people to neglect their physical health until it becomes an emergency, and that always ends up costing more. Yes, there are some bets you can make with your health that you can delay help, just like betting that noise your car is making is not serious.