Whenever you see a commercial for Cialis or Viagra you always hear warnings about 4-hour erections, medically known as ischemic priapism. If you’re a man and take any of these pills for erectile dysfunction or impotence and your erection simply won’t go away you’re supposed to seek medical treatment immediately. By why? After all, for a guy who has trouble getting an erection, having one that lasts hours and hours sounds pretty amazing. If you take ED pills, there are several reasons why a 4-hour erection is bad.
How ED Pills Work
If you have trouble getting an erection this is usually because of poor circulation or a glitch in your nervous system. With pills like Viagra or Cialis they get your nervous system and brain operating on the same wavelength and send more blood to your penis. In turn, this produces an erection about fifteen minutes after taking the pill. There are times though when the ED pills throw off something in the nervous system and it keeps getting the signal to stay erect.
The 4-Hour Erection
Although the erection might not last 4 hours, it can last long enough to cause damage. When the penis is erect there’s a lot of blood pressure in it and if the swelling lasts for any great length of time this damage could be permanent. Think of it like putting a tourniquet on your penis. The blood flows into the penis but doesn’t flow out. It stays there and the pressure builds. You need medical attention for ischemic priapism so circulation can return to normal.
Permanent Impotence
If you do take an ED pill and have an erection that lasts several hours but refuse to seek medical treatment it could result in permanent impotence. This drug you’re taking so you can enjoy sex may actually backfire and you could never be able to have sex again. True, the 4-hour erection is rare, but the warning is made because if it does happen you should take care of it right away by going to the emergency room or seeing your doctor.
Other Health Problems
A prolonged erection could have an effect on your future health as well since it might cause problems with your cardiovascular or nervous system. Again, getting treatment is key to protecting the health of your penis, heart, blood vessels, and nerves.
How It’s Treated
The most common way to treat ischemic priapism is by "therapeutic aspiration." The doctor, a urologist, takes a needle and sticks it into the side of the penis, taking blood out. Injections may also be given that can constrict the blood vessels of the penis so blood doesn’t flow into it as quickly. If those two methods fail, the doctor may perform a minor operation, inserting a surgical shunt to drain the blood from the penis, allowing it to flow into an unaffected vein.
Although many guys use Viagra, Cialis, and other ED pills like this with no problem, it’s good to be informed and to be aware of the risks involved.
Kelly Wallace - Kelly is a seasoned freelance writer, multi-published author, radio show host, teacher, speaker and highly acclaimed intuitive ...
