A painful and persistent erection, known scientifically as priapism, is an emergency situation that can arise as a complication of the use of some medications or blood disorders, such as clots, sickle cell anemia or leukemia, for example.
Since this change causes an erection that does not go away, injuries can appear on the penis due to excess blood and, therefore, treatment must be carried out as quickly as possible in the hospital.
Generally, a man can recover completely without suffering any type of sequelae, however, it is important to go to the emergency room as quickly as possible to avoid injuries.
How to identify
Symptoms may vary according to the type of priapism, with ischemic priapism, which is the most dangerous, causing:
- Erection that lasts more than 4 hoursnot needing to be related to sexual desire;
- Very hard penis bodybut with the tip softened;
- Intense pain which may worsen over time.
In the case of non-ischemic priapism, the symptoms are similar, but there is no pain. However, both situations present a risk of causing permanent damage to the penis, which may result in erectile dysfunction, and it is recommended to go to the hospital when the erection causes pain and takes more than 1 hour to disappear after the stimulation ends.
Why it happens
Erection is a natural process that occurs when there is a physical or psychological stimulus, due to increased blood circulation to the penis, leading to an increase in size. Normally, the erection disappears a few minutes after sexual pleasure or after the stimulation ends, because the veins relax and blood leaves the penis, allowing it to decrease in size.
However, some diseases, such as sickle cell anemia, leukemia or other blood disorders, can alter circulation in the intimate region, preventing the erection from disappearing.
Furthermore, the use of drugs, blows to the intimate area and the consumption of some medications, such as sexual stimulants, antidepressants or anticoagulants, can also lead to this problem.
How the treatment is carried out
The most commonly used treatments for priapism include:
- Use of cold compresses: allows you to relieve the swelling of the organ and reduce the amount of blood;
- Blood removal: it is done, with local anesthesia, by a doctor who uses a needle to remove excess blood in the penis, relieving pain and swelling;
- Injection of alpha-agonist medicines: make the veins narrower, reducing the amount of blood that reaches the penis.
In more serious cases, where it is not possible to solve the problem with these techniques, the doctor may also recommend surgery to block the artery that carries blood to the penis or to drain all the blood from the organ.
Generally, a man can recover completely without suffering any type of sequelae, however, it is important to go to the emergency room as quickly as possible to avoid injuries.
Possible complications
The blood that is trapped inside the penis has less oxygen and, therefore, small injuries appear due to the lack of oxygen. When the erection lasts for a long time, the injuries become worse, which can lead to erectile dysfunction.
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