Priapism affects men of all ages

When a man is afflicted by an ongoing erection that he does not want, this is known as priapism. The condition, often identified as involving an erection that lasts for over four to six hours, is usually associated with pain and can ultimately lead to infertility and impotence. Somewhat of a misnomer, priapism derives its name from the Greek god of fertility, Priapus. Perhaps it was because of the god’s unusually large penis size that he became the mythical accomplice to such an unfortunate affliction.

Priapism most often hits men who are sexually active and does so for seemingly no obvious reason. Caused by a hindrance to the natural flow of blood from the penis, priapism can also be caused by blood disease, controlled substances, leukemia, sickle cell anemia or penis injury. When these easily identifiable factors exist, then the penile condition is known as secondary priapism. In both cases, the condition is serious and should be acted upon immediately. Those affected by priapism often delay visiting a doctor because they are uncomfortable bringing up the issue to a stranger. After several attempts at intercourse and finding it extremely painful, however, men usually seek medical help. The possible side effects of this serious condition include hardened tissue and permanent scarring. These, however, are minor next to the impotence and infertility, which, as mentioned above, can occur as a result of priapism treated too late. If a man notices this unusual erection occurring, he should seek emergency care immediately.

So what is actually happening to the penis when priapism occurs? It is, in fact, a problem of drainage. In order to understand this more clearly, it will be important to briefly explain the erectile process. An erection is achieved by blood engorging the spongy tissue in the corpus cavernosae, the main mass-filling regions through and along the penile shaft. In the course of a normal erection, the blood is blocked from leaving the penis until an orgasm is reached or until whatever stimulation that has caused the erection ceases. This act of blocking is created when smaller veins expand with blood themselves in order to press against the arteries through which blood would escape. Indeed, the process can be likened to stepping on a hose in order to stop the outward water flow. When it is time for the erection to be over, the blocker veins decrease in size-the foot is released from the hose-and blood is allowed to gush out back into the body.

When priapism occurs, however, it is speculated that one of the leading causes could be that the foot actually never leaves the hose, and the blood is trapped indefinitely inside the penis. Another cause of poor drainage is also a sort of sludginess due to a variety of diseases or poor medications. No matter the cause, once drainage has been prevented, the blood loses all of its oxygen because it is unable to circulate through the body and back through the lungs. The blood then clots and causes scarring. Needless to say, it furthers the predicament that the blood is caused to be more viscous and less able to flow, even should the venous drainage system suddenly start to function again (although this is unlikely in and of itself.) As it is easy to understand, this condition can be quite uncomfortable, especially if an activity such as sex or masturbation is forced upon the penis.

It should also be warned that there are several methods of increasing a man’s potency, which have, unfortunately, been associated with priapism. While in many instances this condition can appear to spring up out of the blue, and in other cases such as secondary priapism, have an understandable medical explanation leading up to this unfortunate consequence, there are also cases of priapism that result from men actively seeking to develop stronger erectile capacity. Penile injections, for instance, fit right into this category. This strange practice of self-administered medication to achieve an erection is actually recommended by some physicians. With one of three types of chemical used, the process of penile injection delivers the medication directly to one of the corpora cavernosae, causing an erection to occur, without stimulation, about half an hour later. The chemicals function by either relaxing certain smooth muscles-those which man has no conscious control over, like those along the sides of the penis-, or blocking the alpha chemicals and in so doing acts against the effects of high blood pressure. It is recommended not to do this more than twice a week, and one of the most common side effects resulting from this therapy is priapism.

Another way to counter impotence is through the use of Viagra. Although knowledge is somewhat limited so far as to all that Viagra does to create a firm erection, it is known that the way this drug helps erectile functioning is through increasing the flow of blood into the penis. It is also known to lower blood pressure and change a man’s sexual chemistry. Though it is quite popular, this medication was surveyed after it was first released on the market only to reveal that there were in fact documented occurrences of priapism associated with its use. Since it first came out, warnings have since been required to be attached to the medication’s packaging and advertising to alert those most susceptible to this possible adverse side effect.

As always, it is important to consult a physician before beginning any therapy regarding potency, especially when there exists the possibility of such dangerous side effects as priapism.