Peyronie’s disease: What and Why?

Having a curved penis is common and isn’t a cause for concern. But if it is unusually arched and you are feeling a pain then it is a concern. It is a Peyronie’s disease. The penis is building up benign or noncancerous plaques that are forcing your penis to bend, making sexual intercourse difficult and occasionally painful.In most cases, the pain decreases over time, but the bend in the penis can remain a problem. Peyronie’s disease gets resolved on its own between 5%-19% of the time. Generally, when the disease heals within a year or so, the plaque does not surpass the initial inflammatory phase. However, when the disease persists for a period longer than that, the plaque becomes tough, fibrous followed by calciferous deposits.Many men due to embarrassment may not seek help for the disease; the exact figure for prevalence and incidence is unveiled. The incidence of the congenital form has been reported variously as <1% and between 4-10%.

Some researchers believe Peyronie’s disease develops following a trauma that causes bleeding inside the penis. In other cases, it may relate to genetically linked or inherited disorder. It is also said that a number of medications list Peyronie’s disease as a possible side effect. However, no absolute evidences exist for validating the relationship of Peyronie’s disease with drugs.

Symptoms

The symptoms of Peyronie’s disease may resemble other conditions or medical problems too. The general symptoms include:-

• Plaque on either top or underside or both areas of the shaft
• In cases where the plaque develops on both top and bottom, indentation and shortening of the penis may occur
• Painful erections may occur
• Pain, bending, and emotional distress during sexual intercourse
• Some men with Peyronie’s disease develop scar tissue elsewhere in the body, such as on the hand or foot

Associated conditions: Peyronie’s disease and ED

Peyronie’s disease was first described in 1743 by a French surgeon. He classified Peyronie’s disease as a form of impotence. Peyronie’s disease makes it difficult to get or maintain an erection causing erectile dysfunction preventing a man from having sex. Erectile dysfunction in men is the inability of his to attain, sustain and maintain the erection which is required for sexual intercourse. Erectile dysfunction is consequence of Peyronie’s disease. Penetration is very difficult if erection is difficult which happens in Peyronie’s disease. For many men with erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s disease also causes stress and anxiety.

Erectile dysfunction caused by Peyronie’s Disease can be cured with erection pills and male enhancement supplements unless the disease cross mild level and surgery is not required. Sex related problems are extremely stressful but treatment armed with herbal erection pills can overcome it. Erection pills which are composed on plant and herb extracts are the best. Herbal treatments are rather inexpensive, effective and most importantly with no side effects. Moreover you would be learnt about the usage and possible side effects if any. Due to all of these alternative cures one needn’t rely on conventional medicine anymore.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis of Peyronie’s disease is usually made when men seek medical attention for painful erections and difficulty with intercourse. To begin with, doctor will first talk to you and ask about any traumatic episode bringing injury to your genital occurred in your life before the symptoms in your life that may have occurred prior to symptoms appearing. Doctor will further proceed to physical examination and a complete medical history followed by an ultrasound. Ultrasound is most commonly used test for penis abnormalities. Ultrasound tests use high-frequency sound waves to create an image of soft tissues of organ. Color doppler examination is particularly important. A Colour Doppler examination is a type of ultrasound that uses sound waves to measure the flow of blood through a blood vessel. These tests can show the presence of scar tissue, blood flow to the penis and any other abnormalities. In some cases biopsy may be performed. A biopsy involves removing tissue from the affected area to be examined in a lab.

Treatment

Generally, Peyronie’s disease goes away on its own in its mild form in six to 15 months and doctors often suggest waiting one to two years or longer before attempting to correct it. If the condition is mild and intercourse is satisfactory then it rarely require treatment,however if the curvature is severe enough that it prevents successful sexual intercourse, a treatment might be needed. The goal of treatment is to keep the patient sexually active. Often treatments include:

Medications that are used include

• Verapamil: This drug is believed to disrupt the production of collagen, a protein that might be a key factor in the formation of Peyronie’s disease scar tissue. However there are no studies to show the effectiveness of this drug
• Interferon: This is a type of protein that appears to disrupt the production of fibrous tissue and help break it down
• Collagenase: This medicine has been approved for use in adult men with moderate to severe curvatures. This medicine breaks down the buildup of collagen which is responsible for penile curvature. This is most effective medicine reported so far

Surgery

The surgery is recommended in cases of severely deformed penis and in the instances where the curvature of the penis has stopped increasing.Common surgical methods includes:

• Suturing the unaffected side: The longer side of the penis (side without scar tissue) is sutured. This results in a straightening of the penis. Nesbit plication is an example of this type of procedure. This is used in mild persistence
• Incision or excision and grafting: With this type of surgery, the surgeon makes one or more cuts in the scar tissue and removes them followed by a grafting with the healthy tissues. This procedure is generally used in cases of more severe curvature or deformity
• Penile implants: Surgically inserted penile implants replace the spongy tissue that fills with blood during an erection.This is better than both of the above because this surgery considers both the problem Peyronie’s disease and erectile dysfunction, on the other hand above treat Peyronie’s disease but come with risk of erectile dysfunction

Other treatments

• Iontophoresis: in this technique an electric current is usedto administer a combination of Verapamil and a steroid through the skin. Available research has shown conflicting results on penile curvature and erectile function
• Radiation therapy: With this treatment approach, radiation is aimed at the plaque to reduce pain, but does not affect the plaque itself; unwanted side effects or worsening of the disease may occur

Understand partner supremacy

Peyronie’s disease undoubtedly influences the sexual life negatively. It can be generate anxiety and create stress between you and your sexual partner therefore don’t be shy or feel ashamed talking to your partner about your problems. Let your partner know how you feel about this deformity and you understand your ability and liability to have sex but make her understand that how much is your life and your psyche getting affected with this disease. Talk to her about how the two of you can preserve sexual and physical intimacy and in case of any psychological fluctuations talk to a mental health provider who specializes in family relations and sexual matters.