Peyronie’s disease is a term that describes the condition that causes your penis to bend when erect. In most instances, the bend is mild and not noticeable. But there are rare cases where the bend can reach an angle of 90 degrees!
Severe Peyronie’s disease is not only highly painful, but can equally jeopardize the quality of your erections and is also aesthetically unattractive. In instances where the condition is severe, it can significantly impact your overall sexual function.
Most people confuse Peyronie’s disease with congenital penile curvature. However, these are completely different conditions. Congenital penile curvature is a condition a male child is born with and is usually only apparent when your penis is erect. What’s more, as opposed to Peyronie’s disease which equally involves the bending of the penis, congenital penile curvature isn’t triggered by scar tissue. Also, it may not require treatment unless it causes secondary conditions or impacts intercourse.
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Erectile dysfunction is a condition whereby a male individual experiences difficulty either getting or maintaining an erection. It can lead to a whole host of problems in the bedroom for people of all ages. A rare type of erectile dysfunction is Peyronie’s disease, which often results in the bending of the penis.
Apart from ED, Peyronie’s disease is believed to develop after trauma to the penis, such as hitting. This can result in bleeding and subsequent buildup of scar tissue. However, in most instances, the condition arises without a traumatic event. Bearing in mind that scar tissues are usually not as elastic as their normal tissue counterparts, they can potentially cause your penis to either curve or bend, particularly during an erection.
In general, you may feel a hardened lump on the same side as the direction of the bend of the penis. You may also experience erection issues, but this only happens in fairly more serious instances. With time, the bending of the penis becomes more and more apparent.
The primary cause of this particular type of erectile dysfunction is not particularly known. However, it is widely believed that it can be caused by repeated bending of an erect penis. It is also believed that some immune-related conditions such as diabetes can potentially result in the formation of scar tissue as a result of minor penile injuries.
Peyronie’s disease can be diagnosed in several ways. On most occasions, your doctor may be able to physically feel the scar or the hardened lump on your penis, particularly during an erection.
Previously, the only treatment option for this particular condition was surgery. However, thanks to advancements in the medical industry, there are a number of treatment options, including;
Some of the most common non-surgical treatment options include the injection of steroids into the scar tissue as well as the injection of toxin that is strikingly similar to that used in enzymes and botox known to dissolve collagen. Side effects include penile bleeding or fracturing.
This type of treatment usually entails the removal of scar tissue. It can also involve the plication of the penis, which refers to the stitching up the opposite side of the curvature location. But with the plication of the penis treatment, the part where the stitches are executed, the penis will always be shortened. The major risk involved in this type of treatment is the potential damage to the nerves of the penis, which can lead to erectile dysfunction.
Popularly referred to as ESWT, this is also a painless, less-invasive non-surgical treatment. The theory behind ESWT is that the pulses produced by the device can help break up the scar tissue, resulting in the ultimate correction of the penile curvature.
As earlier explained, if the condition doesn’t cause any adverse side effects that interfere with your sex life or cause erection problems, no treatment plan is required. In most instances, patients are only advised to keep an eye on the bending of the penis in a year.
During this period, the bending of the penis might gradually improve or even resolve completely. However, in some people, the bending could progress further and also affect their overall sexual life.
It is imperative to note that regardless of the type of treatment involved, there is always a slight chance that the curvature of the penis may recur.
While there are viable treatment options for this condition, it is pretty common for the curvature of the penis to recur with each type of treatment.
Not all types of lumps in your penile region are caused by Peyronie’s disease. In certain instances, they could appear as a result of cysts, Fordyce, pimples, which are relatively small glands close to the skin’s surface.
No! This condition never results in any potential problems with either the quantity or quality of your sperm.
Recent clinical research reveals that at least one in every ten males suffers from Peyronie’s disease! And bearing in mind that a significant number of men suffering from the condition are less likely to discuss it openly with their doctors, the chances are only high that many men could be suffering from Peyronie’s disease.
No. Peyronie’s disease is neither linked to any form of cancer. What’s more, it is not cancerous!