Men’s health would be incomplete without considering the penis.
In some cases, penis health reflects overall wellness.
Penis problems could point out hidden health issues such as cardiovascular disease and diabetic neuropathy (1,2).
Keep reading to find out what affects penis health and 6 ways to keep your penis healthy.
What affects penis health?
A healthy penis does not have erectile problems or sexually transmitted infections.
But as you can see below, there is much more to consider.
Erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is the most prevalent penis problem. It is the inability to either achieve or maintain an erection.
In some cases, there is a partially flaccid penis when erections are incomplete and not stiff enough for penetration.
It usually improves with Viagra and other PDE5 inhibitors.
However, in some cases, men require more radical measures, including a penile implant or a penis pump.
Ejaculation problems
This one is next on the list of famous penis problems.
Some men have healthy erections but suffer from premature ejaculation.
In other cases, they may have painful ejaculation, delayed or reduced ejaculation, and more.
After prostate cancer treatment, some men experience retrograde ejaculation, too.
Sexually transmitted diseases
There is a wide range of sexually transmitted infections affecting penis health.
The most common include genital herpes, syphilis, warts, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and yeast infections.
Each has distinct lesions that urologists can diagnose.
Orgasm issues and low libido
Not achieving an orgasm is not as common as the penile problems listed above.
However, it may happen to some men.
Others have a reduced sexual desire, known as low libido.
Peyronie’s disease
In Peyronie’s disease, there’s scar tissue in the penis.
This creates a fibrous band that feels different from the elastic nature of healthy tissue.
Scar tissue is stiff and often causes changes in penile curvature and painful erections.
Penile fracture
Forceful striking during sexual intercourse may lead to penile injury.
The fibrous penile tissue of the penis is ruptured in these cases.
Luckily, it is not a very common penis problem.
Priapism
This is a persistent and often painful erect penis.
It is not caused by sexual activity and is not relieved after ejaculation.
Phimosis and paraphimosis
There’s an excess foreskin in phimosis, and it can’t be retracted behind the penis tip.
In some cases, patients with phimosis retract their foreskin but cannot return to the initial position.
The foreskin is stuck behind the penis tip, and this is known as paraphimosis.
Penis cancer
Cancer may grow in almost every tissue of the body, including the penis.
The initial phase of penile cancer looks like foreskin blisters or warts.
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6 tips to keep your penis healthy
What can you do to avoid the ailments and penis conditions listed above?
Consider the following health tips to make sure that your penis stays healthy regardless of your age and other health conditions.
1) Practice Kegel exercises
These exercises are helpful to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
This strengthening is useful to prevent urinary dribble and to maintain an erection for a longer time.
It may also help people with premature ejaculation to delay their orgasm for longer.
According to studies, Kegel exercises are helpful to counter erectile issues.
Up to 40% of participants report improvements in their erectile function.
They sometimes experience a complete recovery, depending on the causes of erectile problems (3).
2) Learn to cope with stress
Stress and anxiety are the most common causes of sexual dysfunction, especially in young males.
Performance anxiety can lead to erectile problems and premature ejaculation in otherwise healthy patients.
It is also a source of immunity problems through an increase in cortisol levels.
Such a decrease in immune function may lead to higher susceptibility to infections and cancer (4).
There are plenty of stress management techniques, including mindfulness and meditation, breathing techniques, and journaling.
The best strategy for you depends on the source of stress and your personality.
3) Quit tobacco
Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for several diseases. One of them is erectile dysfunction.
Tobacco smoke has hundreds of substances, and many of them are not yet thoroughly studied.
The ones targeted by clinical trials have been identified as carcinogens and inflammatory agents.
According to a 2013 study, smoking affects the autonomic function of the heart.
By causing heart disease and circulation problems, it also leads to erectile dysfunction.
Moreover, smoking may also reduce your fertility levels (5).
4) Use protection and wash your genitals
This is a relatively simple recommendation, but it makes a difference to prevent sexually transmitted infections in your penis.
Use protection every time you have sex, especially if you have anal sex or multiple sexual partners.
In an uncircumcised penis, washing is essential.
Cleaning your penis should include not only the foreskin but also the penis tip. Wash your scrotum as well, and the skin all around.
Adequate penis hygiene prevents balanitis and other penile conditions (6).
5) Keep a healthy weight
Obesity is one of the worst risk factors for a series of penile health problems.
It can increase your chance of high cholesterol levels, circulation problems, and diabetes.
Altogether, obesity increases the chances of orgasm and erectile difficulties.
Additionally, obesity reduces your testosterone levels and may cause a reduction in sexual desire.
Moreover, some studies suggest that sexually transmitted diseases are more prevalent in obese people (7).
Thus, keeping a healthy weight will solve many risk factors at the same time.
We recommend losing weight through a healthy diet and exercise to experience better results.
6) Exercise regularly
Physical activity is not only beneficial for your heart. It is also excellent for your penis.
Studies show that patients with erectile dysfunction recovered their penile erections after increasing physical activity.
It can be as easy as walking around the block or doing exercises at home a few times a week (8).
Exercise increases blood flow and improves blood lipid levels and blood pressure.
By increasing the blood flow, penis engorgement with blood will be easier, and erections will improve.
Lower blood lipid levels prevent atherosclerosis. Not having fat plaques in the blood vessels allows for improved blood circulation in the penis.
When to see a doctor
The recommendations above do not replace the opinion of healthcare professionals.
Remember that medical knowledge should be applied to each individual case.
Thus, you may need to see a doctor if you have an ongoing penis health issue.
Talk to your doctor if you’re concerned about erectile function, ejaculation, or any new symptoms you’re experiencing.
They can be bumps, warts, or a rash in your penis or genital area.
If you have an abnormal penile curvature or experience pain during erections or ejaculations, it is a good idea to ask your doctor about it.
Inspect your penis for discharges and report any urinary symptoms, such as painful urination.
It is also recommended to see a doctor if you received a recent trauma to your testicles or penis.
Conclusion
A healthy penis is one without erection problems and which performs adequately for a satisfactory sexual function.
Among the recommendations to keep your penis healthy, we have covered in this article the importance of Kegel exercises, physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, and practicing safe sex.
When done right, these measures may contribute to maintaining good penis health.
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