PROLONGED PENILE ERECTION - A SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITION.
By Clementine Osodo
Beats the logic how some communities in Africa have ignorantly associated Prolonged penile erection with witchcraft resulting to severe repercussions to the ailing patients.
Not long ago we witnessed the same in the Kenyan County of Kisii when a man suffered from this condition for over a week and instead of seeking proper medical help he was taken to herbalists and traditional healers with claims that he had been bewitched.
Prolonged penile erection unrelated to physical or mental stimulation for more than four hours is a medical condition known as Priapism. The name was derived from the Greek and Roman god Priapus, a minor fertility deity most renowned for his enormous, continuously erect penis.
This condition can affect males at any age and is classified into Ischemic Priapism and Non Ischemic Priapism.
Ischemic Priapism which is also known as “low flow” or “veno-occlusive” priapism is the situation where there is no blood flow into the erectile tissue of the penis. In this case there is obstruction in the outflow of blood from corpora cavernosa which is the paired erectile bodies located on the topside of the penis. Because blood is trapped within the corpora cavernosa, Pressure builds up to a point at which no fresh arterial blood can enter the erectile tissues making the corpora cavernosa a dead space with no blood flow.
The shaft of the penis is very hard during ischemic priapism, although the head scientifically known as glans may not be swollen. This occurs because corpus spongiosum the erectile tissue in the head of the penis located on the underside of the penis and contains the water channel scientifically known as urethra is separate from the erectile tissue of the corpora cavernosa.
Ischemic priapism is a medical emergency and can occur for a variety of reasons though the end result is that fresh blood carrying oxygen is not able to enter the corpora cavernosa and waste products from cell activity cannot be cleared from the penis. It may also occur because of either obstruction of blood flow out of the penis through penile veins or because of failure of the smooth muscle within the spongy erectile tissue of the penis to contract normally.
The penis is able to tolerate short periods of diminished blood flow during normal penile erection but after several hours of continuous erection, cells within the penis are unable to carry on their vital functions due to lack of fresh blood supply.
Cells that cannot carry on vital functions will be damaged and may even die. As this damage accumulates, a man with ischemic priapism will have increasing pain and will run the risk of severe and permanent injury to his penis. In some cases, this injury is significant enough to lead to erectile dysfunction a condition in which a man has difficulty attaining or maintaining an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual intercourse.
Non-ischemic Priapism on the other hand is also known as “high flow” priapism because blood continually flows into the penis. It is a rarer condition in which there is excessive flow of blood into the corpora cavernosa due to rupture of a small artery inside the erectile tissues. This rupture is most commonly the result of blunt injury to the groin, pelvis, or crotch. In non-ischemic priapism, the penis is enlarged and firm compared to its baseline flaccid state, but it is usually not as rigid as it would be with normal sexual arousal. Although tissue damage may be present from the original injury, pain is typically not present. Unlike Ischemic priapism, non-ischemic priapism is typically not an emergency but prompt diagnosis and treatment would be beneficial
Erections that last four hours or longer are a serious matter. Ischemic priapism being an emergency, demands prompt medical evaluation to minimize the risk of long term loss of erectile function. Non-ischemic priapism on the other hand may be managed conservatively although treatment options are available for men who desire resolution of the problem
Though embarrassment keeps some men from seeking prompt medical consultation, a man who has an erection that has lasted more than four hours should seek immediate medical attention even if he is not yet experiencing pain. Even if four hours have not passed a man should consider seeking medical attention if he has an erection that is painful and persistent despite lack of sexual arousal.
Save men from foreseen erectile dysfunction.
