Causes of prolonged erection in men

A persistent erection is a persistent, often painful, erection of the penis that lasts more than 4 hours without sexual stimulation. Persistent erections can occur in men of all ages, including infants.

An erection cannot occur without proper blood flow. Normally, when a man is aroused, the arteries in his pelvis and penis dilate and widen, bringing more blood to the spongy tissues in the penis. The valves in the veins close, trapping blood in the area and causing an erection. After the excitement ceases, the venous valves open, blood flows out, and the penis returns to its normal state.

Abnormal blood flow can lead to a prolonged erection. Abnormal blood flow to the penis is usually caused by:

Sickle cell anemia: Scientists think that about 42% of men with sickle cell disease will at some point develop priapism.

Use medicine: Many men develop this condition when using or abusing certain medications. Medications that can cause prolonged erections include medications for depression or for certain mental illnesses. Medications or injections that treat erectile dysfunction can also cause prolonged erections.

Other causes include: trauma to the spinal cord or genital area, bites from black widow spiders and scorpions, carbon monoxide poisoning, and use of drugs such as marijuana and cocaine.

Although rare, prolonged erections can also occur because men have cancer that affects the penis and prevents blood from flowing out of the area.

If an erection persists, a man needs immediate medical attention. Your doctor will review your medical history and do a complete physical exam to find the cause of the problem. Your doctor will examine your rectum and abdomen for signs of cancer. You may also need to see a urologist for additional screening tests.

Treatments

The goal of the treatments for erectile dysfunction is to make the erection go away and prevent erectile dysfunction. The methods include:

Apply ice to reduce swelling during a prolonged erection due to excessive blood flow.

Aspiration: After numbing the penis, the doctor will use a needle to suck out blood to reduce pressure and swelling.

Medications: Your doctor may inject drugs that make the blood vessels narrow, sending less blood to the penis and reducing swelling.

Blocking an artery: your doctor will perform a procedure called arterial embolization to block the blood vessel that is causing the problem.

Arterial ligation: When a ruptured artery causes a prolonged erection, your doctor will perform an operation to tighten it.

Surgery: the surgeon creates a “path” in the penis for blood to flow through. This is a good method for prolonged erection due to anemia, but it carries a high risk of erectile dysfunction later on.

Most men make a full recovery after receiving treatment. The longer a man goes without medical attention, the more likely he is to have persistent erection problems.

Mr. Ngoc (According to Webdm)