When we talk about priapism, we are talking about a painful erection of the penis that usually lasts over time. It is important to make it clear that this erection is not associated with sexual stimulation.
The person who suffers from this problem may suffer from a painful erection for several hours, although there have been cases in which it has lasted for days.
Why does priapism occur?
It occurs because the penis begins to fill with blood to seek an erection, but that blood does not drain correctly and then has great difficulty coming out. This causes pain in the affected person. Within the problem of priapism we can enter two options.
Arterial priapism: known as low-flow priapism, it is the most common in the vast majority of men who have ever suffered from this problem. This problem makes it difficult for blood to return to the body, which makes the erection last a long time.
Venous priapism: also known as high flow, it happens when the penis has some type of injury or there is some type of rupture in the artery. This causes blood to enter the penis too forcefully and then not be able to leave.
To give you an idea, this problem can happen at any age, but it is usually more common in adults between 20 and 50 years old. Although it can also happen in children between 5 and 10 years old, although it is not usually as common.
What you should be clear about is that when the erection lasts longer you have to go to the doctor to find a solution. Some men may be embarrassed and not come. But the longer the erection lasts, the more risk there is to your health. Doctors are specialists and will know what to do to get the blood to drain back into the body.
What are the symptoms of priapism?
As there are several types of priapism, the symptoms can be one or another. But to give you an idea, the main symptom is that the erection lasts several hours.
Analyzing the two variables, we see how arterial priapism causes the penis to remain completely rigid. In addition, it is very sensitive and any friction causes pain and pressure in the area. When you suffer from venous priapism then the penis is not rigid and that means it is not painful in the vast majority of cases. Regardless of the type of priapism you may suffer from, if the erection lasts longer, you should go to the doctor to resolve the problem as soon as possible.
What can cause priapism?
It is important that you know that the problem is not usually common, that is, you should not be afraid of having an erection, especially if you have never suffered from the problem. That said, we are now going to show you a list of the main causes that can cause priapism.
- Blood disorder: Blood cell diseases or leukemia can cause this problem.
- Injury: A traumatic injury or illness can cause the problem. For example, it may be due to a problem in the spinal cord or nerve center.
- Alcohol: Alcohol and drugs can cause this problem. According to the latest studies, it is more likely when the man has taken cocaine or marijuana. The problem can also appear with other drugs and alcohol, but the risk is lower.
- Treatments: Some medications can cause priapism. For example, erectile dysfunction medications can cause the problem. But also medications that seek to control blood pressure or antidepressants. The latter are giving many men a lot of problems.
When should priapism be treated?
When you notice that the erection lasts longer than it should, you will have to go to the emergency room to solve the problem as soon as possible. When going to the doctor, try to protect the area to avoid damage that could cause more pain.
It is important that you keep in mind that priapism must be treated immediately. The sooner action is taken, the less likely it is to suffer tissue damage. This damage can cause future problems when having an erection.
According to experts, after four hours of erection you should go to the doctor as an emergency. He or she will analyze the problem to see what type of priapism is being suffered and will take the appropriate measures so that everything returns to normal.
What is the treatment of priapism?
Treatment must be rapid to prevent priapism from causing side effects that could affect the patient's health. When the patient goes to the professional, what the doctor will do is analyze the type of priapism suffered.
If after analyzing priapism it is concluded that the problem is non-ischemic, then it will usually disappear without the need for treatment. Even so, the patient will remain hospitalized in many cases until the problem is solved. It is better to be under medical supervision to deal with any problems that may arise in case the erection does not subside. Sometimes, the professional can put some ice on the perineum area to help the blood recede and thus finish the erection.
In other cases the professional will have the obligation to drain the blood. To do this job, the professional will use medications and a needle. This makes blood drainage possible and everything returns to normal. In case the medications and injection do not work, then there will be no other option but to perform a surgical intervention. Fortunately, this type of operation has evolved a lot, which means that the patient's life is not in danger.
