Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is a medical condition that can stem from another medical condition. One such condition is called Peyronie’s Disease. What precisely is Peyronie’s Disease? What causes it, and how is Peyronie’s Disease connected to ED? Read on and learn everything you need to know about Peyronie’s Disease.
What is Peyronie’s disease?
Peyronie’s Disease is a medical condition resulting in abnormal lumps forming inside the erectile tissues of the penis. If left untreated, these lumps or plaques can grow and cause deformities to an erect penis. The erect penis will have a pronounced curve or bend, making it difficult to achieve erection and prevent sexual intercourse. According to the Better Health Channel of the Victorian Government, Peyronie’s Disease affects around 3% of men aged 30 to 80 years.
Peyronie’s Disease usually affects the upper side of the penis. However, it can sometimes affect the lower side of the penis. There were also instances when the disease affects both sides of the penis.
When Peyronie’s Disease affects the upper side of the penis, the affected penis will have an upward bend. When the plaque caused by Peyronie’s Disease develops on the underside of the penis, the affected penis will have a downward curve. When plaque grows throughout the length of the penis, the affected penis will become shorter and appear distorted.
Symptoms of Peyronie’s Disease
Peyronie’s Disease can be mild, moderate, or severe. It can appear without warning and develop slowly over weeks or months.
- Scar tissue – Peyronie’s Disease causes scar tissue in the penis. This scar tissue is also called plaque, not to be confused with the plaque found in blood vessels and on the teeth. These scars feel like flat lumps or bands of hard tissue under the skin of the penis. The skin over the plaque may feel tender under the touch.
- Bent penis – Peyronie’s Disease makes the penis look bent or curved. This is a pronounced bent that is different from some normal penises that have a natural curve on them.
- Erection issues – Peyronie’s Disease might prevent you from achieving and maintaining an erection.
- Pain – Peyronie’s Disease can cause pain in the penis. This pain can be felt whether or not there is an erection.
- Shortening of the penis – Peyronie’s Disease can make the penis shorter during erections.
- Changes in how the penis looks – Although a bent or curve in the penis is the most visible physical symptom of Peyronie’s Disease, the disease can cause other physical changes to the penis. Peyronie’s Disease can make an erect penis look narrow or sunken. In some cases, an afflicted penis can have the appearance of an hourglass, with a tight narrow band around the shaft.
Note that these are merely common symptoms of the disease. If you suspect that you have Peyronie’s Disease, consult a licensed doctor to understand your symptoms.
Peyronie’s Disease Diagnosis
Your doctor may be able to diagnose Peyronie’s Disease with a simple physical examination. The distinctive plaque resulting from the disease can be felt even when the penis is not erect. If you are unable to achieve erection because of Peyronie’s Disease, your doctor can inject a drug into your penis to achieve erection. An erect penis will help your doctor better assess how your penis curves. There are also instances when a medical professional might use a dynamic ultrasound during diagnosis. A dynamic ultrasound will help your doctor check for the location of plaques, check for calcium build-up, and assess blood flow through your penis.
Causes and risk factors of Peyronie’s Disease
Most of the time, the precise cause of Peyronie’s Disease is unknown. However, medical professionals have identified some common causes of Peyronie’s Disease. Let’s look at some common Peyronie’s Disease causes and risk factors.
Causes
- Injury to the penis – The most common cause of Peyronie’s Disease is an injury to the penis. The injury can be because of damage while engaging in sports or because of an accident. Some reported injuries while engaging in vigorous sex.
- Autoimmune issue – Peyronie’s Disease can be a result of an autoimmune issue. This happens when your immune system cannot distinguish between normal cells and foreign and harmful cells. As a result, your immune system attacks your cells, resulting in a scar on your penis.
Risks factors
- Age – As you age, your likelihood of getting Peyronie’s Disease increases. It affects between 10 to 15% of men between the ages of 40 and 70. However, according to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Peyronie’s Disease is most common in men between the ages of 55 and 60.
- Family history – If a member of your family, like your father or your brother, has Peyronie’s Disease, you have a higher risk of the condition.
- Connective tissue diseases – Men who have medical conditions affecting connective tissues are more prone to getting Peyronie’s Disease.
- Collagen abnormalities – Having a collagen abnormality means higher chances of getting Peyronie’s Disease, especially if the medical condition affects the growth of fibrous connective tissue proteins.
- Surgeries – You have a higher risk of Peyronie’s Disease if you had surgery on your penis. For example, prostate cancer may require surgical treatment and the scar resulting from the said treatment might cause Peyronie’s Disease.
Peyronie’s Disease and Erectile Dysfunction Link
How are Peyronie’s Disease and erectile dysfunction connected? To better understand the connection between the two, let’s learn more about erections.
The penis has erectile tissues called corporal bodies. These corporal bodies look like two rods or tubes running the length of your penis. These corporal bodies have countless blood vessels within them. They are also covered in elastic tissue that stretches during erection.
As you get sexually aroused, blood flows through these tubes, causing the penis to be erect. When you have Peyronie’s Disease, the part of your penis with the scar or plaque doesn’t stretch. Instead of expanding and stiffening to an erection, the penis bends or curves.
Complications
If you have Peyronie’s Disease, you might experience complications, including:
- Inability to have sex – The bent or curve caused by Peyronie’s Disease can make sexual intercourse challenging or even impossible.
- Erectile dysfunction – Peyronie’s Disease can result in trouble achieving and maintaining an erection.
- Stress – Having Peyronie’s Disease can result in a great deal of stress. Stress can result from a strained relationship with your romantic partner or from feeling down because of ED.
- Inability to conceive – Peyronie’s Disease might prevent you and your partner from being able to conceive because of erection issues.
- Shorter penile length – Peyronie’s Disease can result in a shorter penis.
Peyronie’s Disease Treatment
There are several Peyronie’s Disease treatment options available, depending on the severity of your ailment. There are also instances when Peyronie’s Disease goes away without the need for any treatment. If a patient’s Peyronie’s results in small plaques, no pain, and no curvature of the penis, a treatment may not be needed.
- Oral drugs – Drug therapy can help men suffering from Peyronie’s Disease. However, there are still doubts about oral drug therapies because of the need for more studies showing that oral drugs have convincing benefits. An example of oral drug for Peyronie’s include vitamin E. Vitamin E might make plaques smaller and help arrest the curvature of the penis.
- Penile injections – Penile injections are recommended for when Peyronie’s is still in the early stages and surgery is not yet needed. One drug used in penile injections is Interferon. Interferon might help control scarring by slowing down the rate of scarring build-up.
- Traction therapy – Traction therapy is a type of Peyronie’s Disease treatment involving the use of a device that keeps the penis in a cradle. The goal of traction therapy is to prevent curvature and length loss.
- Surgery – Surgery is reserved for cases when the curve caused by Peyronie’s is severe. It is also an option if the patient is unable to engage in sexual intercourse because of the effects of Peyronie’s. For less severe cases, a doctor might use a surgical technique called suturing. Suturing helps straighten the penis by restricting the longer side of the penis without scar tissue.
There is a surgical option to insert an inflatable pump into the penis. Aside from helping with Peyronie’s, it will also be beneficial to men suffering from ED because it helps straighten the penis and make it stiff enough to allow for sexual intercourse.
- Peyronie’s Disease exercises – Some small studies suggest that a patient with Peyronie’s should stretch the penis daily for at least six months. This Peyronie’s Disease home treatment can help restore a penis to its natural length and curve.
Book a FREE Appointment with a Licensed Doctor
Peyronie’s Disease is a medical condition that can be uncomfortable and painful. It can lead to erectile dysfunction, which can strain a relationship and prevent conception for couples wanting to have children. However, it is also treatable. Depending on the severity of the condition, a patient can choose between oral drugs and penile injections. Surgery is also available for severe cases. There are also physical exercises to help minimise the effects of Peyronie’s.
If you experience erectile dysfunction due to Peyronie’s disease, consult a trusted doctor. Your doctor can examine you and recommend the best treatment option to help you get rid of ED and get your health back on track. Book a FREE consultation today.
