Priapism: Causes, Symptoms & What to Do About a Painful Erection

Priapism is a pathological erection that lasts longer than 4 hours, and its cause is not directly associated with sexual excitement. It is not only sensitive but also a health concern that needs the attention of a medical practitioner. In case of untreated priapism, penile tissue to be permanently injured and thus lead to a state of organic erectile dysfunction.

While it is a rare condition, it is most likely to develop in teenagers and men who suffer from sickle cell disease. Among these, the risk is higher with some ED medications and antidepressants. Due to these risk factors, its early detection and treatment with increased time to time response is important in retaining the future sexual health.

What Is Priapism?

This sexual dysfunction is defined as a hard and painful erection lasting greater than four hours in the absence of sexual activity. In contrast to common cases of Erection, this state does not fade when the man has ejaculation or gets rid of sexual arousal. This may trigger pain and result in the development of unsound tissue growth. As such, it is important its signs be detected as early as possible.

There are two main classification categories of cardiogenic shock: ischemic or low-flow and non-ischemic or high-flow. Ischemic is more serious type and the patient requires immediate medical help. Non-ischemic forms may take time to heal and cause relatively mild pain compared to other forms of gangrene. Still, both types require medical attention to be paid to them.

Although Priapism is quite a rare phenomenon, male practitioners of all ages, especially those with a diagnosed coexistent haemopathy, can observe it. Commonly mentioned risk factors include sickle cell anemia, leukemia, and trauma. ED medications, depression medication, or entertainment are other factors that lead to this issue. Consequently, there is a great need to ensure that the public is aware of priapism to enable early treatment.

Types of Priapism

Ischemic (Low-flow)

1. This is the most common type. Blood accumulates around the erectile tissues which results in hard, painful and prolonged erections.
2. You can best address this condition by seeking professional medical care otherwise, some of the tissues might sustain irreversible damage.

Non-Ischemic (High-flow)

1. This is usually as a result of an injury or an accident. The blood flow also improves without any restriction.
2. It is not normally uncomfortable and is likewise not serious, but a specialist should diagnose the condition.

Stuttering Priapism

1. Researchers describe it as involving numerous, brief and incomplete erections, and they sometimes associate it with sickle-shaped cells condition.
2. Whereas the above-mentioned episodes are rare occurrences on the road, frequent similar cases may cause damage that lasts for a long time.

Causes of Priapism

Medical Conditions

There are conditions that put a man at a higher risk of getting this condition and these are those that affect the circulation of blood and the supply of oxygen in the body.

1. Sickle cell anemia also impairs blood circulation: part of the blood lodges up in the penis.
2. Leukemia results in excessive formation of white blood cells that the clog blood circulation within the male organ.
3. Thalassemia leads to the absence of normal hemoglobin and reduction of healthy red blood cells which irregulars blood oxygen and circulation levels.

Medications

Certain prescription drugs can interfere with the normal erectile response. This interference can lead to undesired erections.

1. Late effects may include new onset of prolonged erection with the use of ED drugs such as Sildenafil or Tadalafil.
2. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, in particular, may change neurotransmission involved in erection.
3. These include those which may cause interference with the coagulating process resulting in pooling of the blood.

Substance Abuse

Alcohol and other recreational drugs disrupt the brain and the body, most especially the sexual system of the body.

1. Researchers widely recognize that cocaine increases blood flow to the brain and disrupts its ability to regulate blood flow.
2. Alcohol interferes with the transmission of signals between the nerves and affects blood vessels.
3. In point form, marijuana can change the blood vessels, meaning that it will take time before the erective tissues return to their normal state.

Trauma or Injury

Accident or trauma to the genital area or spinal cord may affect nerves or the vessels leading to the small spongy tissues, causing priapism. However, minor trauma to the pelvic region can also affect a man’s lymphatic drainage for the penis.

Neurological Disorders

Diseases such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, spinal cord lesions may interfere with the signals that lead to erections. Diseases of the nerves can cause prolonged erections that are undesirable. These erections are a result of the nerves not functioning properly.

Symptoms to Watch For

The patient’s primary indication for priapism is erectile capacity lasting more than four hours. Doctors should consider severe pain, especially when it occurs in the shaft of the penis, as ischemic priapism and should address it without delay. Boys should erect their shaft and if only the glans is rigid but the rest of the shaft is flaccid, that is another indication. In medical approaches, stagnant blood from the penis indicates a hazardous situation. Deoxygenated blood in the penis is a very hazardous situation.

When to Seek Medical Help

However, if an erection persists for more than 2-4 hours, no sexual activity is occurring, one should consult a doctor on the issue. This also puts the client in a medical emergency especially when the level of pain, swelling or discomfort worsens. The first important lesson to learn is that never should one hope that a particular symptom or sign will just go away as this can be fatal to your penis’ capacity to erect.

Such measures, on the other hand, cause permanent damage to one’s sexual health and increase the likelihood of complications. Always address erections that last for more than 4 hours not as an exception but as an emergency.

Diagnosis and Medical Evaluation

The first steps to diagnosis are a physical examination and taking the patient’s account of the symptoms and when they occurred. Cavernosal blood gas determination helps to exclude blood trapping as a cause of erection problems. Other conditions have emerged as a result.

Doppler ultrasound is a valuable method of monitoring blood flow and differentiating the ischemic from the non-ischemic types. Most times, blood tests may indicate conditions such as sickle cell anemia, leukemia among others.

This is important since early diagnosis of a disease or an ailment means that the treatment process would commence more quickly to increase the degree of efficiency of the treatment process, as well as the health safety of the person concerned.

Treatment Options

Ischemic priapism is treated by doctors by removing the trapped blood in the penis. They administer medicines such as alpha-agonists including phenylephrine for the purpose of increasing the blood circulation. In the case of an open question, a channel forms through which surgery can remove blood.

This type of priapism does not usually require any treatment as it naturally subsides within several days. In general, cold applications and simple observation will suffice since the condition is usually self-limiting. Some cases may use arterial embolization as a comparatively rare technique.

Medical professionals will treat stuttering priapism with hormone therapy and low dose PDE 5 inhibitors. The goal of these is to treat anemia, besides managing other diseases like sickle cell that is malignant.

Preventing Priapism

Men should avoid excessive use of ED medications to minimize the occurrence of priapism. This situation should be rectified by seeing a doctor often, especially by those who have contracted the sickle cell disease. It may also always be useful to hear always if one should avoid using any form of recreational drugs that affect blood flow. Concerning the side effects, it’s important to know that the doctor should discuss these in order to regulate them appropriately.