A swollenpeniscan occur due to many causes other than a normalerection.
Injuries can also lead to swelling, including a penile fracture or an abnormal curve calledPeyronie’s disease.
This article looks at nine possible causes of a swollen penis.
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Other symptoms include a rash, skin dryness, itching, cracking, burning, or flaking.
Here are some allergensand irritantsthat can cause a swollen penis.
The dilation, in turn, causes tissues to swell.
Severe injuries can sometimes cause apenile fracture.
This is when the membrane surrounding the inner shaft of the penis (called thetunica albuginea) ruptures.
This can occur during aggressive sex or a sex accident (such as falling onto your erection).
While PD does not cause overt swelling, it can cause a lump at the site of the bend.
People over 40 are most commonly affected.
Other symptoms includepainful urination, painful erections, and dribbling.
Balanitis
Balanitisis inflammation of the head of the penis.
It affects around 11% of adults and 4% of children with penises, primarily those with foreskins.
It can occur at any age but is most common after age 40.
Poor hygiene plays a central role.
When the glans and foreskin are both affected, it is calledbalanoposthitis.
The swelling of the foreskin alone is referred to asposthitis.
With treatment and proper skin care, balanitis can clear in five days.
If left untreated, balanitis can lead to complications like phimosis and paraphimosis (to be discussed).
Priapism
Priapismis an erection that lasts more than four hours in the absence of sexual stimulation.
In such cases, the penis shaft will remain swollen but the glans will be soft.
If left untreated, priapism can lead toerectile dysfunction.
Phimosis is usually a painless condition brought on by the failure of the foreskin to loosen during sexual development.
Even so, the tightness can sometimes cause painful erections and interfere with urination.
In such cases, a person may experience pain, swelling, and redness of the glans and foreskin.
It is considered a medical emergency as the trapped foreskin can cut off the blood supply.
Paraphimosis typically causes pain and swelling along with the dark purplish discoloration of the glans.
However, some people may experience little pain until the condition turns severe.
Paraphimosis is always treated as a medical emergency regardless of whether the pain is severe or not.
Urethritis
Urethritisis the inflammation of the urethra.
In males, the urethra runs from the bladder to the end of the penis.
Urethritis typically causes urination problems such asfrequent urination,pain with urination, andfrequent nighttime urination.
It can also cause redness and swelling of the meatus.
Penile cancer is closely linked to thehuman papillomavirus (HPV).
Early symptoms include penile lesions, scaling, redness, and bumps.
Certain at-home treatments can help ease symptoms and even deal with the condition without medical treatment.
This may involve the use of over-the-counter or pharmaceutical drugs as well as specialist procedures, including surgery.
But there are times when an erection can occur abnormally and be unwanted, generating significant distress and anxiety.
People with HFS have a lack of penile sensitivity and need excessive sexual stimulation to achieve an erection.
When ejaculation occurs, it is often painful.
Most people with HFS report that symptoms started after a sexual injury at the base of the penis.
Commonly cited causes include the aggressive use ofvacuum pumps,jelqing, or rough sex.
What to Do
Neither PGAD nor HFS is well understood, and no standard treatments exist.
These symptoms can often be triggered by a co-occurringacute(sudden, severe) infection.
A swollen penis can be resulting from an injury, infection, allergy, or irritant.
A rare but serious cause of a swollen penis is advanced penile cancer.
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