What is priapism?
Priapism is a prolonged, painful erection of the penis that is not associated with sexual stimulation, and can last from hours to several days. It occurs when the penis begins to fill with blood, as in a normal erection, but the blood does not drain properly.
There are two types of priapism:
- Arterial priapism: ischemic or low-flow priapism is the most common type, and occurs when blood does not return properly from the penis to the rest of the body.
- Venous priapism: non-ischemic or high-flow priapism occurs when there is a rupture in an artery or injury to the penis and too much blood flows into the penis.
This pathology is more common in children between 5 and 10 years old and in adults between 20 and 50 years old. When an erection lasts several hours, it is necessary to see a doctor immediately to treat the problem and prevent future episodes.
Priapism in women consists of a continuous and painful erection of the clitoris, and is called clitoral priapism or clitoralism.
What are the symptoms of priapism?
Although the main feature of this pathology is the unwanted erection that lasts several hours, the symptoms vary depending on the type of priapism: in arterial or low-flow priapism the penile shaft is rigid, and the penis is painful or sensitive. On the other hand, in venous or high-flow priapism, the penile shaft is not rigid and is not usually painful.
What causes priapism?
Priapism may be a consequence of disease or traumatic injury to the spinal cord or nerve centers, leukemia, or inflammation in the urethra. But there are also causes such as the abuse of alcohol and other drugs (especially marijuana, cocaine, heroin and alcohol), the use of antidepressant or blood pressure medications, or treatments for erectile dysfunction.
Can priapism be prevented?
Some prevention measures for priapism are:
- Avoidance of factors that can cause it, such as drug or alcohol use.
- Use of muscle relaxants and phenylephrine injections if you have very prolonged erections.
- Review the medications you take, in case any of them could cause it.
What is the treatment of priapism?
Ischemic priapism is an emergency situation and should be treated immediately by a medical professional, who will drain the blood from the penis with the help of a needle and/or provide medication to drain the blood. If drainage by injections and medication does not work, surgical intervention may be performed.
Non-ischemic priapism will usually go away without treatment, and since there is no danger of damage to the penis, one can wait for the erection to subside, including applying ice to the perineum to facilitate this.