Penis health isn’t a widely discussed topic. Moreover, a few individuals would have sufficient knowledge related to penis health.
Mostly, people understand penis health as a sexually transmitted disease or erectile dysfunction.
But, there are plenty of other things that you need to know for a better knowledge of penis health.
Hence, this article will cover all the necessary details related to penis health for better understanding.
What Is Penis Health?
An individual’s penis health could[1] be defined as the ability to urinate comfortably, get or maintain a firm erection, and have fertility.
Hence, any disturbance or irregularity in these conditions could signify poor penis health.
But why do men need to maintain good penis health? Generally, people following healthy habits prevent themselves from certain disorders.
But, neglected measures for penis health could lead to certain diseases like STI, erectile dysfunction, cancers, etc.
Moreover, maintaining penis health would result in better sexual performance, partner satisfaction, and pleasure. Hence, you should work on different measures to keep the penis healthy.
Factors Affecting Penis Health
Several factors that may affect the penis health are as follows:
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Hormonal Imbalances
Hormonal imbalance is a primary cause[2]of several penile diseases, especially ED.
Generally, lower testosterone levels result in an inability to get a firm erection, leading to erectile dysfunction in men.
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Health Conditions
Erectile dysfunction is a common problem related to penis health.
ED may[3]arise due to several medical conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, neurological diseases, etc.
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Age
An individual’s testosterone levels gradually drop; older men produce lower testosterone in their bodies.
Thus, such low concentrations could[4]be a cause of erectile dysfunction.
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Intercourse
Most severe penile disorders may arise due to unprotected sexual practices.
People doing sexual activities without protection, like condoms, are prone to several sexually transmitted infections.
Hence, you should[5]consider correctly using a condom every time you have sexual intercourse to avoid such diseases.
Sometimes people doing sexual activities roughly may experience traumatic fractures and tear in the penis.
Hence, you should carefully perform sexual activities to avoid such accidents.
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Hygiene
Hygiene could be a primary factor in maintaining penis health.
People maintaining good penis and groin hygiene would experience minimum infections or unhealthy substance deposition in the penis regions. This is also among the healthy sex tips for men.
Poor hygiene in the penis may cause the deposition of smegma, an oily substance below the foreskin that causes irritation and inflammation in the nearby skin.
Sometimes, such an inflammation leads to balanitis, in which[6]the penis head turns red and inflamed.
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Medications
Some antidepressants, antihistamines, and high blood pressure medicines may[7]cause erection problems in men.
Hence, you should ask your doctor to change the medication causing such a condition.
Tips To Maintain Penis Health
Penis health may directly impact an individual’s sexual performance. Hence, working on a few things to improve and maintain penis health would be helpful.
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Healthy Diet
A good and healthy diet has a significant role in keeping the penis healthy. It is believed that a diet that helps maintain cardiovascular health would be helpful for penis health.
You should[8]consider a balanced diet with optimum nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and compounds.
But, consuming food items rich in zinc, vitamin D, etc., could help improve erection problems.
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Maintain A Healthy Body Weight
Body weight may[9]have a significant role in improving penis health and sexual performance.
People who maintain a healthy body weight are less prone to penis-related disorders.
But, people with obese BMI may develop erection problems and other sexual disorders.
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Follow A Healthy Sleep Cycle
Getting sufficient sleep may[10]help you maintain good penis health.
Besides quantity, quality sleep could benefit good cardiovascular health; hence, it may help improve penis and reproductive health.
People getting inconsistent and insufficient sleep regularly are prone to severe disorders like high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, etc., that may impact erection and sexual performance.
Hence, a healthy adult must sleep for at least 7-8 hours daily for good penis health.
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Perform Pelvic Floor Exercises
Pelvic floor exercises are significant for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles between the pubic bone and tailbone.
You could[11]efficiently perform the exercise at home with no additional equipment. Tighten the pelvic floor muscles for 10 seconds and relax them for a few seconds.
You should continue the above step for at least 10-15 repetitions. But, you should empty the bladder before performing the exercise.
Strengthening these muscles would help improve your erection and sexual performance. Moreover, it may help improve your control over the bladder.
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Keep Your Penis And Groin Clean
Keeping the penis and groin clean could help prevent several infections and deposition of smegma.
Moreover, it would prevent inflammation, foul smell, and rashes that may irritate. Hence, you may follow these methods to clean the penis and groin.
- Try washing the penis with mild soap at least once a day. You may use lukewarm water for better cleaning.
But, while cleaning, you should wash all the areas, including the scrotum, pubic hair, and penis shaft, underneath the foreskin, groin, and anus region.
- Some people consider grooming pubic hair for better hygiene near the penis. You may consider shaving the hair using a fresh razor to get a clean and uniform shave.
But, some people trim their hair using scissors or electric trimmers.
- Try washing the penis with mild soap at least once a day. You may use lukewarm water for better cleaning.
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Avoid Smoking
Smoking cigarettes could significantly impact an individual’s health, including penis health.
Generally, smoking cigarettes has a considerable impact on cardiovascular health, resulting in bad penis health.
Hence, avoiding or quitting smoking may[12]help keep the penis healthy.
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Prevent Yourself From STIs
Several sexually transmitted infections or diseases may occur due to unhealthy sexual practices.
Some commonly recorded STDs include gonorrhea, human papillomavirus(HPV), herpes, etc.
These diseases could[13]be controlled or prevented by following a few preventive measures.
Using condoms during sexual activities could significantly reduce the chances of STDs. Moreover, limiting the sexual partner numbers would be beneficial for better sexual health.
Always consider regular checkups for STDs to avoid the risk of severity. Moreover, checkups would allow you to have safe sexual activities with your partner.
Vaccination is another crucial measure for preventing sexually transmitted infections. Some STDs like HPV could be prevented by timely vaccination.
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Improve Mental Health
People should opt for methods to improve their mental health as bad mental health may affect fertility and sexual performance.
Excessive stress, anxiety, or depression may[14]impact cardiovascular health, leading to ED.
Hence, you should practice meditation, deep breathing, exercising, etc., to improve your mental health.
Common Diseases Related To Penis Health
An individual may get affected by several diseases that impact the penis’s health. Some of these common diseases are as follows:
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Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is a common problem related to the penis in which an individual fails to get an erection.
The condition may[15]arise due to multiple issues impacting an individual’s sex life.
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Phimosis
In such conditions, your foreskin gets tight, resulting in difficulty in moving backward.
As the foreskin stays tightly attached to the penis’s head, it may[16]cause infections and difficulty in urination.
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Peyronie’s Disease
Peyronie’s disease could[17]be diagnosed by observing hard lumps of scar tissues in the inner walls of the penis.
Such a deposition results in bending or narrowing of the penis during erection.
Generally, Peyronie’s disease doesn’t require treatment as it gets cured with time. But, in severe cases, patients may undergo surgeries to remove lumps.
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Priapism
Patients suffering from priapism get an erection lasting over four hours.
Thus, a more prolonged erection may[18]cause severe problems like permanent erectile dysfunction or damage to penile tissues.
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Penis Skin Problems
Some people get diagnosed with penis skin conditions like balanitis, lichen sclerosis, etc.
Such conditions primarily occur due to negligence in keeping the penis hygienic and clean. Sometimes, these conditions may arise due to some allergic reactions.
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STDs
Generally, STDs occur due to negligence during sexual activities.
People having sexual relationships with multiple partners or doing unprotected intercourse may experience such diseases.
STDs are primarily caused by germs that[19]love to grow in warm and moist places. Some commonly observed STDs are syphilis, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, C, etc.
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Penile Cancer
Penile cancer is a rare medical condition in which some cancer cells grow in the penile tissues.
Generally, people suffering from human papillomavirus infections are prone to developing cancer.
But, penile cancer could[20]be treated surgically, with chemotherapy, or by radiation.
Warning Sign Of Disease
It won’t be easy to identify the penis-related disease if you aren’t aware of certain warning signs. Hence, you must follow the signs to get the earliest hint of penile conditions.
- You may observe bumps or warts on your penis that may be caused due to certain types of HPV.
- Soreness of penis muscles could be another warning for certain penis disorders. The soreness could be painful or not, depending upon the disease.
- A few penile diseases may cause deposition underneath the penis skin. The lumps could be problematic due to the testimony of scar tissues.
- Poor hygiene may cause a burning sensation and release of a foul odor from the penis and groin.
- If you experience a certain discharge along with pee, it could be a sign of some disease. Moreover, you may experience pain while discharging urine.
Conclusion
Penis health is essential for every man to consider to keep his sexual life healthy and active.
But, you should get a brief knowledge of factors affecting penis health.
Later, you could comfortably maintain your penis health by following the tips mentioned above.
If you get diagnosed with penile disorders, you should immediately consult any healthcare specialist for the best advice.
References/Sources
- Robert C. Dean,and Tom F. Lue Physiology of Penile Erection and Pathophysiology of Erectile Dysfunction Urol Clin North Am. 2005 Nov; 32(4): 379–v.doi: 10.1016/j.ucl.2005.08.007
- Faysal A. Yafi,Lawrence Jenkins,Maarten Albersen,et al. Erectile dysfunction Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016; 2: 16003.Published online 2016 Feb 4. doi: 10.1038/nrdp.2016.3
- Valter Javaroni and Mario Fritsch Neves Erectile Dysfunction and Hypertension: Impact on Cardiovascular Risk and Treatment Int J Hypertens. 2012; 2012: 627278.Published online 2012 May 9. doi: 10.1155/2012/627278
- Roger D Stanworth and T Hugh Jones Testosterone for the aging male; current evidence and recommended practice Clin Interv Aging. 2008 Mar; 3(1): 25–44.Published online 2008 Mar. doi: 10.2147/cia.s190
- Elizabeth M. Farrington, David C. Bell, and Aron E. DiBacco Reasons People Give for Using (or not Using) Condoms AIDS Behav. 2016 Dec; 20(12): 2850–2862.doi: 10.1007/s10461-016-1352-7
- Anton A. Wray; James Velasquez; Shailesh Khetarpal. Balanitis Last Update: July 4, 2022. Available from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537143/
- Some drugs may cause your erectile dysfunction February 15, 2021 Available from:https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/some-drugs-may-cause-your-erectile-dysfunction
- Vitamins and Minerals Available from:https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamins/
- Jenna N. Bates,Alexander W. Pastuszak,and Mohit Khera Effect of Body Weight on Sexual Function in Men and Women Curr Sex Health Rep. 2019 Mar; 11(1): 52–59.Published online 2019 Jan 19.
- Jae Wook Cho and Jeanne F. Duffy Sleep, Sleep Disorders, and Sexual Dysfunction World J Mens Health. 2019 Sep; 37(3): 261–275.Published online 2018 Aug 14. doi: 10.5534/wjmh.180045
- Sung Tae Cho and Khae Hawn Kim Pelvic floor muscle exercise and training for coping with urinary incontinence J Exerc Rehabil. 2021 Dec; 17(6): 379–387.Published online 2021 Dec 27. doi: 10.12965/jer.2142666.333
- J.R. Kovac,C. Labbate,R. Ramasamy,et al. Effects of cigarette smoking on erectile dysfunction Andrologia. 2015 Dec; 47(10): 1087–1092.Published online 2014 Dec 29. doi: 10.1111/and.12393
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases Content last reviewed on August 6, 2015 Available from:https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/sexually-transmitted-diseases
- Angela J. Grippo and Alan Kim Johnson Stress, depression, and cardiovascular dysregulation: A review of neurobiological mechanisms and the integration of research from preclinical disease models Stress. 2009; 12(1): 1–21.doi: 10.1080/10253890802046281
- Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Available from:https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/erectile-dysfunction
- Arthur S. McPhee; Gavin Stormont; Alastair C. McKay. Phimosis Last Update: May 8, 2022. Available from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525972/
- Darren P. Sandean; Saran Lotfollahzadeh. Peyronie Disease Last Update: June 3, 2022. Available from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560628/
- Michael Silberman; Gavin Stormont; Stephen W. Leslie,et al. Priapism Last Update: July 17, 2022. Available from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459178/
- HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Last Reviewed: August 26, 2021 Available from:https://hivinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv/fact-sheets/hiv-and-sexually-transmitted-diseases-stds
- Oliver Walther Hakenberg,Desiree Louise Dräger,Andreas Erbersdobler,et al. The Diagnosis and Treatment of Penile Cancer Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2018 Sep 28;115(39):646-652. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2018.0646. Available from:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30375327/
- About the Author
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Michael has been in the male wellness industry for 25+ years. Before joining Working For Health as a full-time male wellness journalist, he contributed to multiple online portals in the male wellness field. Before that, he has been an assistant to several sexologists.