Just because the vagina has its gynecologist, yearly checkups and so forth, doesn’t necessarily mean you can overlook the health of your penis. The fact is, there could be a lot of problems if you don’t pay attention to it. You only have one penis, and as with any body part, you need to take care of it.
This is not just a matter of protecting your sex life, but of maintaining overall good health. In fact, it’s pretty easy to keep your penis healthy. For instance, it’s essential to stay active, be safe during sex, and keep good hygiene. Below are all the things you need to know about taking care of your penis, as well as the most common problems that can occur if you don’t.
Table of Contents
What affects your penis health
The penis can be affected by all kinds of diseases: inflammatory, infectious, traumatic, tumor, congenital, and hereditary; causing structural or functional alterations, which may lead to difficulties in its normal functions of urination and sexual intercourse. Furthermore, many diseases that affect the penis also have important and, sometimes, serious general impacts.
Below we will only look at the most common ones and at the issues that directly affect the penis. However, there are many other testicular diseases which some of them can be even life-threatening, so it is important to have healthy testicles.
There are many causes for different penis diseases. For example, there are viruses, bacteria and fungi which can lead to penis infections and on the other hand, any traumas, allergic reactions or exposure to toxic substances will result in inflammatory diseases of the penis.
We have also many erection problems in penis health which are due to many different vascular, hormonal, psychological, neurological, behavioral, iatrogenic (drug use), or idiopathic causes. There are also many risk factors of the penis diseases, with the most important of them including:
Smoking
Cigarette smoking can negatively affect the function of the penis and facilitate the development of cancer in the penis.
Poor intimate hygiene
The lack of attention to intimate hygiene is a factor that promotes penile diseases of infectious type, inflammatory type and, again, cancer.
Intense sexual activity
More sexually active men have a higher risk of developing infectious or trauma-related penile diseases.
Immunodepression
Immunodepression means reduced immune efficiency; its presence encourages infectious and cancer-related penile diseases.
How to find if your penis is healthy
Many men, at some point in their lives, end up having to ask themselves, “Is my penis normal?” You can judge a healthy penis not just by how well a man is performing in bed, but also by how well it is functioning every day.
The sensation of pain, size and erection – all are related to the overall health of a person’s body with respect to what is normal and what is not, which may act as the first indicator of problems in other areas. If the penis cannot stand erect, this may reflect deeper health problems, for example, which go beyond mere issues of passion and sex.
Physical characteristics of a healthy penis
Here, we will discuss some of the physical signs of a healthy penis.
Structure
The majority of the penis is not smooth. It is normal for the blood vessels in the penis to be visible and to even slightly appear on the surface, in particular when it is erected. Many healthy penises may also have hair follicles on the stem, which may feel like small bumps. Provided the size of the bump is not alarming or red or irritated, then this bump may be a part of your natural skin.
The color
Generally, a healthy penis is of the same color as the skin tone of a person’s body. Nevertheless, a man could have a penis that is 1-2 levels darker, browner or reddish – and even brighter than other body parts. Also, some men may have black spots on their penis. This is a normal part of their skin for some males. But, if spots or blotches start appearing and do not go away, you should consult a doctor immediately.
Size
There is an existential question that all men ask: what is the average size of a normal penis? Based on dozens of studies on the subject with the oldest dating back to 1899, the researchers concluded that the average length of an erect penis was between 12 and 16 cm. The length of the average male penis at rest ranged between 7 and 10 cm.
Shape
You may find some penises drooping on one side or the opposite. There may also be a mild curve in some penises, even when they are erect. While this condition is normal and does not need much care, in particular, if this curve has been present since you were a baby. Nevertheless, if your penis is curved all of a sudden – as a result of Peyronie’s disease, a buildup of benign plaques – and is causing pain during sex, be sure to consult your doctor.
Ejaculation
When a man is stimulated, he ejaculates and secretes semen. There is usually less than one teaspoon of semen in one ejaculation, although this may vary between men. Semen is most often milky white, but some men have slightly yellowish semen. You should contact your doctor if ejaculation is painful or if you cannot ejaculate. Also, semen containing blood should be checked.
How to self-exam your penis
Self-examination of your penis can be done easily after showering or bathing, for example. When you wash your penis every day, if you are uncircumcised, pull the foreskin and check for any problems:
- Check for any areas of redness, sores, bumps, warts or blisters in the penile area.
- Carefully observe and examine the entire surface of the penis and the scrotum. Retract the foreskin that covers the tip of your penis and carefully look at the tip of your penis if you are uncircumcised.
- Look for any discharge from your penis.
- Examine your testicles for tenderness and swelling.
- You can use a mirror to help you check the lower side of your penis and scrotum.
- Pull your pubic hair aside with your fingers so you can see the skin underneath the hair.
Lifestyle factors for penis health
Did you know that your lifestyle plays an important role in having a healthy penis? In the following, we will discuss more on how your lifestyle can improve your penis health.
Tackle stress
Stress is a genuine libido killer. Besides, when you are feeling relaxed and comfortable, your penis will appear bigger than when you are nervous. With that in mind, one could think of his penis as a barometer for the condition of his central nervous system.
Many erections and orgasms
Having weekly erections has been found to be good for the health of your penis. In this way, the penis gets enough oxygen. In addition, orgasms keep the prostate healthy and improve the quality of sperm.
Healthy diet
Have a healthy, varied diet and ensure that your diet is rich in fiber. Like in the rest of the body, the level of cholesterol in your blood can lead to the narrowing of the blood vessels in the penis. Therefore, this is not only bad for your heart but also your penis.
Lose weight
Around an estimated 84.5% of men in Canada are overweight and therefore may be concerned about penis length and function. If you are overweight, your penis will appear smaller visually. Losing weight will naturally make your penis appear larger. Furthermore, by losing fat and doing a lot of sports, the testosterone levels in your body will increase, which in turn will enhance your libido.
Get enough sleep
Having a good night’s sleep will leave you with enough energy for lovemaking and will keep your reproductive organs healthy. Furthermore, good and sufficient sleep produces many more benefits for your health.
Quit smoking and drink alcohol moderately
Men that smoke will produce less semen. In addition, alcohol has a bad influence on your fertility. Therefore, it is better to stop smoking and limit the consumption of alcohol.
Kinds of foods good for penis health
As we mentioned above, alcohol abuse, stress, smoking and insufficient sleep can all affect the health of a man’s penis, but it’s not just your lifestyle that impacts the health of your manhood, but also your diet. The ability to get an erection, sperm count, sex drive, even prostate cancer risk are also impacted by what men put on their plates. Making a few simple changes in food choices can make a difference, so start incorporating these 3 ingredients into your meals.
Olive Oil
You may have heard about the heart health benefits of olive oil. However, a recent study revealed that its benefits also extend to the bedroom. Researchers at the “Medical School of Athens” in Greece discovered that men who swapped butter for olive oil while sticking to a Mediterranean diet saw significant improvements in their sexual health. Indeed, the researchers said that olive oil could even be better than Viagra in fighting erectile dysfunction.
Oysters
Naturally, they are known as an aphrodisiac, although no evidence has been found that these bivalves have any real effect on the libido. However, what they can do is to keep your body hard. Oysters are full of zinc, which helps with erections. In addition, zinc is an essential component of testosterone. It, therefore, supports libido and sperm production.
Salmon
One of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, this pink fish is exceptionally rich in healthful omega-3 fatty acids. One recent study found that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids might help prevent veno-occlusive body dysfunction (VOD). What is it? It is a disorder that is a major cause of erectile dysfunction.
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Other tips to take care of your penis
So far, we have talked about many aspects of penis health care, but to further help you maintain penis health, below we will discuss some more penis health tips.
Stay active
To achieve and maintain a healthy penis, men should get plenty of exercise by doing sports, for example. A lot of jobs require sitting for a long time, which is bad for the health of penis. For this reason, you should try to stand up regularly or walk around in the breaks. In this way, the blood circulation of the entire body, for that matter, is better than when someone sits still all day.
Use a condom all the time
This simple thing not only protects you from serious dangers such as STIs, including HIV, but also from smaller problems such as mycosis and infections, which can be less serious but very unpleasant.
Try to avoid fatty foods
It’s okay to have some fast food from time to time, but you should not have a fatty snack on the table every day. This is because fatty foods are not good for the health of penis. Conditions like diabetes can make a man impotent, so you should maintain penis health by consuming healthy food regularly.
Types of penis conditions and disease
The list of penis diseases types include infections, inflammation, erection problems, tumors, congenital anomalies, acquired anomalies, and autoimmune diseases. Some of the most important diseases of the penis include balanitis, postitis, balanopostitis, phimosis, penile cancer, erectile dysfunction (or impotence), micropenis, Peyronie’s disease, priapism, penile fracture, syphilis and genital herpes. Here, we will look at some of the most common penis diseases.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
STIs, previously known as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), are infections that are transmitted during sexual intercourse. STIs are caused by infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria or fungi. STIs can be transmitted very easily.
The signs are not always visible and you should not wait until you have symptoms to act. It is important to recognize an STI early on. To know whether or not you have an STI, getting tested is important. As soon as the diagnosis has been made, actions to avoid transmission are essential, together with early treatment when possible.
The primary signs of the most common STIs are penile discharge; inflammation of the genitals: redness of the skin and enlargement of the testicles; swelling (lymph nodes) in the groin; lower abdominal pain; fever, fatigue, etc.
Non-sexually transmitted skin diseases of the penis
In addition to common dermatological diseases (psoriasis, eczema, irritation, precancerous lesions, cancers, etc.) which may affect the male genital organs, some diseases are more specifically and frequently expressed on the penis. We are talking about balanitis, which is the inflammation of the glans, and posthitis, which is the inflammation of the prepuce.
Bacterial balanitis
This is a benign and common bacterial superinfection in the uncircumcised subject.
Candida balanitis
This is not an STI, but it often occurs after sexual intercourse, particularly if the partner has vaginal candidiasis. Symptoms are often the same in sexual partners although it is not always possible to determine whether the source is exogenous or endogenous.
Zoon’s plasma cell balanitis
This disease affects exclusively uncircumcised men between the ages of 40 and 80. Its cause is unknown, but it appears to be a form of chronic irritation balanitis. In the majority of cases, balanitis affects the glans with a mirror image on the inner leaf of the foreskin, which is localized, well-defined, stable and fixed. It appears as a smooth, shiny, moist, varnished, chocolate brown or orange-red patch.
Non-specific balanitis
When no etiology is found, the condition is called non-specific balanitis. It is quite common to be confronted with acute recurrent or chronic balanoposthitis with no clinical, microbiological or histological specificity. This disease occurs only in uncircumcised men, especially in cases of eczema, excessive intimate hygiene or, on the contrary, in cases of lack of hygiene, as well as in elderly subjects due to urinary maceration.
Erectile dysfunction
In cases where erectile dysfunction occurs only occasionally, it is a normal phenomenon and not a disease. However, erectile dysfunction becomes more common with age and affects around one in five 65-year-olds. In this regard, smoking is one of the main risk factors. Prolonged erectile dysfunction usually has a physical cause, that should be found and treated.
When erectile dysfunction only occurs sometimes, it is usually the result of stress or psychological strain, such as conflicts between partners. Following causes can be present if erectile dysfunction occurs more frequently:
- Diabetes (diabetes mellitus)
- High blood pressure
- The disease of the nerves (polyneuropathy, multiple sclerosis (MS), etc.)
- Consequence of injury
- The consequence of a surgical intervention (prostate carcinoma, rectum or similar)
- The side effect of medication (antidepressants, antihypertensives)
Treatments available for penis problems
When a penis disease is present, the therapeutic approach always includes a causal therapy, i.e., a therapy aimed at eliminating the root cause.
However, this approach is not always possible, since there are penile diseases that arise from unknown causes. If the causative factor of a penis disease is not known, the only option for causal therapy is symptomatic treatment, which is a treatment intended to manage symptoms and prevent complications.
For penis disease of an infectious or cancerous nature, timely treatment is critical to hope for a recovery free of complications. Below we will talk about treatments available for some of the most common penis diseases.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
As diagnostic methods of STIs are often limited or unavailable and/or patient follow-up is uncertain, initial therapy is often disease-specific, i.e., focused on the spectrum of pathogens most likely to cause the clinical syndrome (e.g., urethritis, cervicitis, genital ulcers, adnexitis/PID). The majority of STIs can be treated successfully with medications. However, drug resistance is an increasing problem.
Balanitis
The therapy will depend on the cause of the disease. In many cases, it helps to change the hygiene habits, because too frequent washing can cause acorn inflammation as well as too little hygiene. A cortisone ointment can also provide rapid relief in a few days. The most common therapies for balanitis include the following:
- Penis baths and, where necessary, antibiotics in the extreme inflammatory flare-up of a bacterial infection
- Clotrimazole ointment in case of fungal infection
- Steroid ointment in case of non-infectious cause
- Further therapy depending on the underlying disease
- Circumcision in case of recurrent balanitis or phimosis
Erectile dysfunction
Should a physical illness be the cause of erectile dysfunction, it should first be treated in order to prevent serious health risks. In case there is a possible connection between the use of medications and erectile dysfunction, the treating physician must assess whether these can be stopped or replaced by other drugs.
Today, a variety of therapeutic methods are available for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. The doctor will take into account the underlying disease, possible side effects and intolerances (contraindications) when making a choice.
Products available to treat ED
One of the methods of treatment for erectile dysfunction is the use of drugs. In the following, we will introduce some of the most famous of them.
Sildenafil
The active ingredient of sildenafil has a potency-stimulating effect and is thus used to treat erectile dysfunction (impotence). Sildenafil’s potency-enhancing effect was discovered by chance since a new heart drug was originally being sought. Its active ingredient belongs to the group of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE-5 inhibitors). They improve the blood flow into the penis. Sildenafil prescription medicines usually come in varying dosages.
Vardenafil
Vardenafil is another erectile dysfunction drug on the market. The active ingredient of vardenafil comes from the group of PDE-5 inhibitors and is used to treat erectile dysfunction in adult men. When taken as a tablet, the drug increases the blood flow into the penis and thus ensures an increased or prolonged erection.
Tadalafil
Tadalafil is one of the most important drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (impotence) in the market today. It belongs to the active substance class of PDE-5 inhibitors. When compared to the other products in this class (sildenafil, vardenafil), tadalafil has a far longer effect on the body.
Tadalafil Daily
Long-term therapy of ED with Tadalafil Daily is a very good way to get back the freedom over one’s love life. Through daily use, a consistent level of the active ingredient in the blood will be reached after about five days, enabling you to achieve an erection at any time without prior preparation during sexual arousal.
Frequently asked questions about penis health
So far, we have discussed many different things about penis health and in this section, we want to answer some of your frequently asked questions about penis health care.
How can I protect myself from sexually transmitted infections (STI)?
With safer sex, you protect yourself from HIV and reduce the risk of contracting other STIs. The use of condoms plays a central role in this, as they can prevent direct contact with infectious body fluids, infectious mucous membranes and, in some cases, infectious skin sites during sex. Moreover, infectious skin lesions, especially herpes blisters, genital warts or syphilis sores, should not be touched. And you can also be vaccinated against some STIs like hepatitis A, hepatitis B and HPV.
Can a penis break?
Yes, while there are no bones in the human penis. In very few men (there are reports of sporadic cases), there is ossification of connective tissue, which incidentally sometimes needs to be removed. “Fracture of the penis” is just nothing more than damage to the corpora cavernosa. In such cases, a characteristic crack can be heard, which is probably where the name comes from. Usually, a fracture is caused by an abnormal bend of the penis. The condition is painful, but most often there are no long-term consequences if the penis is quickly sutured.
When should you be concerned about penis curvature?
Every penis is slightly crooked. The curvature is only worrying when it is impossible to insert the penis into the vagina and have sexual intercourse.
Who can help me solve my erectile dysfunction problems?
First of all, yourself, by becoming active and doing something about your impotence. Second, a qualified doctor you trust, who will identify the causes of erectile dysfunction and propose a suitable treatment option for your erection problems. You can directly contact an urologist, or make an appointment with your primary care physician, who may refer you to a urology specialist.
How can I get infected with a sexually transmitted infection (STI)?
An STI can be contracted during a wide variety of sexual activities – particularly during unprotected vaginal and anal sex; however, oral transmission sometimes also occurs. There are several ways in which bacteria, viruses or parasites can enter the body. One is through contact with infectious body fluids, such as semen, vaginal fluid, the fluid film of the intestinal mucosa, or (menstrual) blood. However, on the other hand, an infection can also occur through contact with affected mucous membranes in the vagina, penis, buttocks or mouth, and through contact with skin lesions, such as herpes blisters, genital warts or syphilis ulcers.
Conclusion
Penis health is something that should be a concern for all men. Indeed, a man needs to have a healthy penis to function as a healthy man. It is only a healthy penis that can excrete urine and keep the fluid balance in the body. Having a healthy penis means you can have sex and make a woman pregnant.
There are several measures that everybody can take to maintain penis health. One should exercise regularly and have a healthy diet. Besides, people should refrain from unprotected sexual intercourse, drinking too much alcohol and smoking tobacco products.
Furthermore, man should wash their penis properly at least once a day. Those who are more sexually active are also advised to go for a sexual health checkup once a year at a minimum, as well as conducting periodic self-checks at home.
Should a person have penile health worries, he should consult a doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will identify the cause of the problem and offer appropriate treatments. As we discussed in this article, there are many treatments and therapies for many penis diseases, ranging from erectile dysfunction to different sexually transmitted infections.
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