Priapism is an appropriate way of saying your penis is in an undesirable state of prolonged erection, which might be accompanied by penile pain symptoms. Prolonged as in over four hours. Undesirable as in not related to sexual stimulation nor relieved by ejaculation.
Priapism condition is a rare reproductive health emergency. And the earlier you seek health care attention the better your chances for total penis function recovery because how long you suffer an erection and penis pain significantly affects the outcome. Untreated priapism may cause erectile dysfunction (impotency) and penile disfigurement.
Under normal healthy conditions, an erection is caused by an increase of blood flow into your penile spongy tissue in response to sexual stimulation. The blood vessels that control the outward flow of blood contract, causing your penis to become erect from the trapped blood.
Post stimulation, this trapped blood flows out and your penis returns to a flaccid state. However, the painfully prolonged penis erection caused by priapism means your penile shaft isn’t draining or it’s overfilling for some reason. When an erection lasts over fours hours, the high pressure of trapped oxygen deficient blood causes penile tissue destruction.
Causes of priapism are broken into two types: ischemic and nonischemic. Ischemic priapism results when penile blood is not able to exit, causing symptoms of:
- penile pain
- prolonged erection
- rigid penis with soft tip
Nonischemic priapism occurs when too much blood flows into your penis, causing symptoms of:
- prolonged erection
- non rigid penile shaft
- typically no penis pain
Sickle cell anemia is one of the most common causes of priapism, and ischemic priapism is the most common type of prolonged erection penis pain. Some other health conditions that can cause priapism are:
- malaria
- dialysis
- diabetes
- leukemia
- vasculitis
- melanoma
- blood clots
- thalassemia
- amyloidosis
- fat embolism
- Fabry disease
- bladder cancer
- prostate cancer
- multiple sclerosis
- gout (extremely rare)
- autonomic neuropathy
- total parenteral nutrition
- spinal cord injury, stenosis
- carbon monoxide poisoning
- renal carcinoma kidney cancer
- poisonous venom ~ scorpions, black widow spiders
Priapism can be caused by a drug side effect as well, for example:
- penile injection of cocaine
- epidural infusion of morphine
- excessive alcohol consumption
- illicit drugs – cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy
- hormones - GnRH, tamoxifen, testosterone
- erectile dysfunction medication ~ Viagra, Levitra
- anticoagulants, blood thinners – heparin, warfarin
- antidepressants, antianxiety ~ SSRIs, diazepam, fluoxetine, bupropion, trazodone
A common cause of nonischemic priapism is injury to your genitals and the surrounding area. Sometimes, the cause of painfully prolonged penis erections are indeterminable.