While erectile dysfunction is still the main sexual problem for men. There are other diseases that can affect our sexual life, such as Peyronie’s disease, named after the French surgeon Francois Gigot de la Peyroniewho first described the condition in 1743. A disorder characterized by a significant curvature of the penis that affects between 3% and 10% of men. But what exactly is this disease and what are its symptoms and treatments?
What is Peyronie’s disease?
Peyronie’s is a disease in which scar tissue on the penis causes it to bend, bend or lose length or thickness. A disease that can cause scar tissue (plaque) to be felt through the skin or pain in a specific part of the penis as the tissue forms. Making the penis bend up, down or to one side during an erection, depending on the location of the scar. However, some people with this condition do not have a proper curvature, but may have an area that has an indentation or ‘hourglass’ appearance.
However, we must keep in mind that although most men do not have perfectly straight erections. Just because there’s a slight curve to the penis doesn’t mean you have Peyronie’s disease.. Even men who have had a curvature all their lives do not necessarily have Peyronie’s disease.
In most cases, the scar forms on the top of the penis, causing it to curve upward during an erection. Although, in some cases, the scar develops on both the top and bottom of the penis, which can cause it to ‘dent’ or become shorter. Additionally, the scar can also completely encircle the penis, making it narrower, like the neck of a bottle or the center of an hourglass. Also, approximately 1 in 3 men with this condition may have calcium in the tissue scarring which can cause it to feel as hard as a bone.
What are the stages of Peyronie’s disease?
acute phase: This stage lasts between six and 12 months. During this period, the scar forms under the skin of the penis, causing a curvature or other change in its shape. Also, you may feel pain when the penis is erect or soft.
chronic phase: The scar has stopped growing at this stage, so the curvature of the penis does not worsen. Usually the pain will be gone by now, but sometimes it can continue, especially with erections. Also, erectile dysfunction or problems keeping the penis hard can develop.
What causes Peyronie’s disease?
The cause of Peyronie’s disease is not always clear. Some researchers believe that the scar occurs after the erect penis has been injured or bent abnormallyUsually during sexual intercourse. However, 80% of men do not remember a specific event that led to these changes in their penis. According to experts, such alterations probably occur due to small injuries during regular sexual intercourse. Men with Peyronie’s disease may be at risk of developing too much scar tissue in response to these small lesions compared to men who do not develop the condition.
If you have a close relative with the disease, you are more likely to get it. Not all men who have lesions end up with Peyronie’s disease, so there are likely genetic or environmental reasons. It is also more likely if you have certain connective tissue disorders, such as Dupuytren’s contractures or tympanosclerosis.
Although there are health problems that have been linked to Peyronie’s disease, it’s not clear if they cause Peyronie’s disease or occur along with it:
High blood sugar level.
Pelvic trauma.
Problems with wound healing.
Tobacco use.
Autoimmune diseases such as lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, and Behçet’s disease.
What are the symptoms of Peyronie’s disease?
The main symptom of Peyronie’s disease is curvature of the penis, however, you may feel pain in the scar tissue under the skin of the reproductive organ.
The penis is shorter.
The penis is bent or curved.
There is loss of circumference, an indentation, or an hourglass-shaped count.
There are lumps on the penis.
Erections are painful.
The erections are mild.
Sex is difficult because of the curve.
Although symptoms can develop slowly, they can also appear overnight. As for the pain of the disease, this is usually mild and often does not require treatment, but medications such as ibuprofen can be used to relieve pain if necessary. Furthermore, in most cases, pain lessens over timebut the curvature of the penis can still be a problem, since if the curvature is pronounced enough, more than 30 degrees, it can interfere with sexual intercourse.
A man with Peyronie’s disease may also find that this condition affects his mental health. Changes to the penis can cause body image issues, anxiety, or even depression. In addition to causing tension in personal relationships and in other aspects of life.
What treatments are there for Peyronie’s disease?
Although there is no cure for the disease, there are ways to improve the symptoms. There are many different treatments including stretching (traction) therapy, medication, and even surgery.
What therapies treat the disease without drugs or surgery?
The traction therapy (or stretching) uses a device to stretch the penis and sometimes even bend the penis in the opposite direction of curvature. This encourages scar tissue to be recycled and can help improve curvature, restore length lost due to Peyronie’s disease, and even improve erections. Nevertheless, the device must be used daily for several months to show improvement, which is why many men wear the device while they sleep. Also, there have been no long-term side effects reported for this treatment.
On the other hand, many health care providers use vacuum erection devices to treat Peyronie’s disease. However, traction therapy has shown better results on curvature because it causes more stretch in the scar tissue.
What medicines can treat Peyronie’s disease?
There are drugs that are taken by mouth and drugs that are injected directly into the penis. Oral medications show little effectiveness compared to injections. Injections that go directly into scar tissue can break up the scar and improve the curvature of the penis. The drugs can be used in the acute phase or in men who are not sure they want surgery, however they rarely result in a fully straight penis.
Medications for the pain: Ibuprofen and similar medications can help with pain and reduce inflammation.
Tadalafil: Daily tadalafil improves blood flow to the penis and may prevent scarring from getting worse.
Pentoxifylline: Pentoxifylline can improve blood flow, but may cause stomach upset.
L-arginine: L-arginine is an amino acid that can improve blood flow.
colchicine: Colchicine is an anti-swelling agent.
potassium aminobenzoate: This vitamin B complex can help reduce the size of the plaque, but not necessarily the curvature of the penis.
injections of collagenase: This medication is prescribed for men who have curvatures greater than 30 degrees but less than 90 degrees. Breaks down scar tissue to improve curvature. This is the most effective injection and two injections should be given per week for eight weeks.
injections of interferon: Interferon is a protein that helps control inflammation and scarring. In theory, it reduces the rate of scar tissue buildup by producing an enzyme.
injections of verapamil: This medication can be taken by mouth to treat high blood pressure, but when injected into Peyronie’s patch it has been shown to help with pain and curvature of the penis.
What operations treat Peyronie’s disease?
Mild penile curvature caused by Peyronie’s disease usually does not need treatment. However, men in the chronic phase who want faster results or those who want a straight penis may opt for surgery, although the operation is only performed on men whose disease makes it difficult for them to have sexual intercourse.
Shortening of the side of the penis opposite the plate: This surgery is done using small internal stitches or by cutting small pieces of tissue on the outside of the curve and then sewing the remaining tissue closed. This shortens the outside of the curve to match the inside of the curve and straightens the penis. A good approach for men who have good erections and have not lost much length due to Peyronie’s.
Elongation of the inside of the curve: If the curvature is very bad, or if the shaft has narrowed or shortened a lot, this might be the best option. In the operation, the surgeon cuts through the scar tissue and may remove some of it. The remaining space is then covered with a graft. There are several types of grafts, but the most common are processed human or animal tissue. This type of surgery is a good approach for men who have good erections and a severe curvature, which causes exaggerated loss of length or interference with sexual function.
prosthetic device inside the penis: This is the best approach for men with very poor erections who still want to have sex. In this surgery, the penis is straightened over an inflatable device called a penile prosthesis. The implant allows a man to control his erection by squeezing a pump hidden inside the scrotum between the testicles. The pump is squeezed until the penis becomes hard and can then be deflated when sexual activity is performed. This procedure is also commonly performed on men with erectile dysfunction who do not have Peyronie’s disease.
It should be noted that, before surgery, your doctor will need to do a sonography to your penis, which will check the blood flow and show if there is any erectile dysfunction.
Finally, talking about the health of the male reproductive organ, especially when it comes to the shape and size, can be difficult and uncomfortable. However, if you want to improve your situation, those conversations must take place.