What is Peyronie's Disease?
Penises come in all shapes and sizes and having one that isn't perfectly straight is not uncommon. However if a straight penis gradually begins to develop a curvature over several weeks or months then Peyronie's disease may be the cause.
Despite its name Peyronie's is not a disease. It's not something you can catch, it's something you develop. The official statistics have about 1% of men developing Peyronie's disease but it's probably higher than this as men are often reluctant to admit they have developed a bent penis unless it's got so bad that they need to seek medical advice.
The most likely men to suffer are Caucasian males ages 40 and above. However, it can strike any man from their late teens.
The actual cause of the problem is a build up of scar tissue (known as plaques) in the connective tissue of the penis. This scar tissue causes the penis to distort when it becomes erect. This is seen as a curving or bending of the penis. It's only noticeable during an erection although advanced Peyronie's may cause a shortening of the flaccid penis.
No one's quite sure why the plaques appear though it may be through previous injury to the penis. Another factor may be genetic. Some men who develop Peyronie's also appear to develop similar scar tissue lumps in other parts of their bodies including their hands. Having diabetes or high blood pressure may also increase your chances of developing the problem.
Roughly two out of every three men with Peyronie's will experience pain in their shaft during an erection. For most the pain will subside after a few months but for others the pain can increase as the penis becomes increasingly distorted.
Most plaques appear towards the top of the shaft causing the penis to bend upwards. However, depending on where the scar tissue is sited the penis may curve downwards or, more unusually, to the side. Sometimes the penis can develop an indented, or "hourglass" shape when erect.
If the distortion becomes too great then the penis may become too curved or distorted to allow penetration to take place. A less frequent side effect of Peyronie's disease is impotence.
The good thing about Peyronie's disease is that it can go away by itself. This is why surgeons insist on waiting between 1 to 2 years before surgery is carried out. However the reversal may not be complete and some curvature of the penis may still remain and for many men there is no reversal of symptoms. Peyronie's can also reoccur at any time.
Peyronie's is not life threatening and for many men the symptoms will be mild enough to cause little inconvenience but for others it can be very embarrassing and mean a curtailing of their sex life. Luckily there are various options that can help you if the problem begins to impact on your quality of life. While a magic cure is yet to appear research is coming up with new treatments.