#penis function

Who doesn’t enjoy knocking back a cold one? For many guys this is a ritual for weekends with the buddies, and it can certainly get a bit out of hand on holidays and celebrations. And many a man has faced the consequences of having too much to drink, then trying to get things going with a lovely partner, only to discover that penis function is decidedly affected by his alcohol intake. But just how bad can that penis function issue be?

Alcohol and Penis Function

Everyone knows the feeling of having one too many and just wanting to romp with a partner. The alcohol lowers inhibitions and makes a man want to do things he normally wouldn’t – which is why so many men might wake up the next morning with some regrets! But no matter how hot a man is feeling after having a few, he might be disappointed to see that his penis won’t respond at all to any sexual fun. This lack of penis function can be quite embarrassing, especially if he was hoping to impress a new partner.

But why does this happen? It’s because of how alcohol acts in the body. It can dull or shut down several systems in the body – for instance, before medical advancements, a hefty dose of alcohol was used for pain relief when a man had an injury. It dulled the nerves and helped ease the pain by affecting the central nervous system.

But the nervous system isn’t the only area affected. When a man is trying to get it up but he’s under the influence of copious amounts of alcohol, the physiological responses of his body can make it impossible for him to respond as he should.

Alcohol and Libido

Often, a man will have a few drinks and be raring to go. But at other times, men might be ready to simply take a nap. This can also be a matter of the mind is willing, but the body is lacking. He might think he wants to get it on, but his body says otherwise, and that can lead to a decreased drive over time.

On the other hand, as inhibitions drop and libido goes up, some men might make very poor decisions. A guy who has awakened after a night of debauchery not remembering what he did the night before can testify to this! That’s especially true if the person in bed with him, one that he was obviously intimate with, is a complete stranger. To avoid issues like this, it’s always best for a guy to reconsider that last shot or beer.

Alcohol and Penis Health

Penis health can suffer when the body is subjected to anything that causes a problem for it, such as smoking, eating too many fatty foods, or drinking to excess. Drinking too much alcohol can damage the circulatory system, which can lead to problems with penis function. It can also lead to problems with the tissue in the penis, especially over a long period of time, and can actually wind up shortening a man’s favorite tool. This is something a man definitely wants to avoid!

Avoiding Penis Function Problems

So how can a guy have a good time but still preserve his penis function so he can enjoy it when the time is right? There are some ways to do this:

- Set the ground rules. A guy will quickly learn how much alcohol he can handle. If he starts to feel problems with penis function after a fourth drink, then he should set a rule to have only three drinks that night.

- Figure out the alcohol situation. For some guys, having beer all night won’t affect their penis function. For others, beer is a killer for the libido. And still others can’t handle hard liquor, while some guys find it enhances their sexual fun. A guy can figure out which types of alcohol he can handle and stick with those.

- Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water in between each alcoholic beverage, which will both help with penis function and with filling a guy up a bit, so he won’t drink as much.

Maintaining Good Penis Function

Penis function is a valuable and important subset of penis health and one which, when in the midst of sexual situations, is of primary importance to a man. After all, when with a partner in bed, the last thing a man wants to be concerned about is whether his penis will operate in the manner that is expected. Often, penis function matters revolve around erectile issues or around premature ejaculation, but there can be other penis function concerns – such as anejaculation.

About anejaculation

Because it is not something that occurs commonly, few men are even aware that anejaculation exists. Simply put, anejaculation refers to a situation in which a man is unable to ejaculate semen. This is not the same thing as impotence, as most men with anejaculation have a penis that still responds to stimulation and can become aroused and erect; many men with anejaculation are even able to experience an orgasm. It is simply not accompanied by the traditional expulsion of semen from the penis.

There are several forms of anejaculation.

- When a man has total anejaculation, it means that a man does not ejaculate at all – no matter what he may do, or a partner may do. Total anejaculation is something that may have been an issue for a man his entire life, or it could be something that develops later in life, even though he at one time was able to ejaculate.

- With situational anejaculation, a man finds that there are times when he ejaculates and times when he doesn’t. In some cases, there seem to be clear-cut boundaries that can define when he does or does not. For example, it may be that a man finds it easy (or relatively so) to ejaculate when he masturbates. But when he is engaged in partner sex, he may find that he is incapable of ejaculation. There also are times when defining exactly when a man will experience ejaculation, and when he will not, can be unclear and imprecise.

- If a man has orgasmic anejaculation, it means (as might be supposed) that he does achieve an orgasm having sex, even without the release of any semen.

- And if he is stricken with anorgasmic anejaculation, it likewise means that an orgasm eludes him along with a release of semen.

A man may have a combination of these forms (such as being both situational and anorgasmic, for example).

Treatment

Treating anejaculation is challenging, not least because the causes are poorly understood. Sometimes there is a psychological component, but there also are several other factors that can come into play. These include spinal cord injuries, pelvic injury, reactions to medications, and nervous system disorders. If a doctor is able to pinpoint with fair certainty the cause, then treatment is easier to recommend.

When the cause is known, a doctor can take steps, such as altering medication or treating an underlying disorder. A doctor may also check to see if there is any physical blockage that can be responsible for the lack of semen release. In other cases, vibrational therapy may be employed as a means of encouraging ejaculation. Electro-stimulation may also be tried.

In many cases, it may take some “trial and error” to determine the best course of treatment for an individual patient.

Got good penis health? Men who follow these articles know how important maintaining proper penis health can be and, thankfully, many take steps to ensure that health. One of the benefits of good penis health is that it helps to maintain proper penis function as well. Just as overall penis health should be checked regularly, it doesn’t hurt to have an assessment of penis function now and then. This gives a good idea of any current or potential issues that might need treating or watching.

Penis function

What exactly is meant by penis function, though? That’s a good question, and one for which there is not necessarily a clear answer.

In many cases, penis function is thought of as the same as erectile function. In other words, when discussing penis function, the focus is on whether or not a man can attain and/or maintain an erection; how often he attains an erection (both while awake and while asleep); how easily he attains that erection; how “firm” the erection is; what is the level of sensation or sensitivity in the penis that allows arousal; how easily and for what length of time the erection is maintained; if the erection accompanies sexual activity, whether it results in ejaculation and/or orgasm; and the level of pleasure associated with the orgasm.

However, some would argue that this is too narrow a definition, that the penis is not designed solely for sexual pleasure, and that an assessment should include issues such as how forcefully one urinates; the strength of flow of the urine stream; ability to control beginning, interrupting, and ceasing urine flow; and matters related to urinary incontinence.

Assessment

An official assessment of penis function needs to take place under the supervision of a doctor, typically a urologist. However, a man may wish to conduct a self-assessment regularly; this will alert him to possible issues and may then lead him to request a penis function assessment from his doctor.

When performing the assessment himself, here are some of the things he may want to include:

- Keeping track of erections. It’s not unusual for men to get multiple erections while awake, and while often they are very noticeable to a man, some do slip “under the radar.” A man might want to spend a week and keep a journal of whenever he notices he has an erection – at what time he notices it, whether it is due to sexual arousal or simple physical reaction, how long it lasts, etc. Men don’t really know how many erections they have while sleeping, but keeping track at least of “morning wood” – erections that are present upon waking for the day – is a good idea.

Men can get SOME clue as to whether they are having erections at night by taking a strip of paper about 1” wide and wrapping it all around the penis while soft, and securing the paper with a small piece of tape. The paper should snugly fit around the soft penis. Plan to sleep on the back. If the paper is torn or broken in the morning, it suggests at least one erection occurred overnight.

- Detailing sexual activity. Whether masturbating or engaging in partner sex, a man should make notes during the week he is doing a self-assessment of any issues that may have come up (such as losing firmness, etc.), as well as degree of satisfaction with orgasm, etc.

- Noticing urinary patterns. Again, for a week keep track of how often one urinates, how long urination lasts, whether it’s a strong flow or a dribble, etc.

A penis function test performed under a doctor’s supervision, especially the overnight erection test, will be more involved and have more accurate and measurable results.

There’s nothing to make a guy feel like a whole new man than a really good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, there can be numerous conditions which get in the way of achieving that good night’s sleep, such as restless legs syndrome. But in some cases, not only can restless legs syndrome interfere with sleep, it can become a penis health issue as well by potentially affecting good penis function.

About this syndrome

Although restless legs syndrome has likely been around for thousands of years – and perhaps even much, much longer than that – it is only relatively recently that the condition has been given a name and begun to be studied and taken seriously.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, restless legs syndrome is defined as “a condition that causes an uncontrollable urge to move your legs, usually because of an uncomfortable sensation.” Although in recent years restless legs syndrome has become identified with activity happening at night while a person is sleeping or trying to sleep, in fact restless legs can occur during daytime hours as well, although this happens somewhat less often.

Also called Willis-Ekborn disease, the syndrome can begin at any stage of life and usually gets worse as a person gets older. Most often, the restless feeling begins after a person has been seated or lying down for a period of time. It may occur while at a movie theatre, for example, or while out to dinner, as well as while simply resting at home or lying down to sleep.

What does it feel like?

As the name implies, a person feels a need to move their legs or feet when the syndrome strikes. This is typically in response to an unpleasant feeling which develops, which some describe as a numbness happening in the leg or foot (not on the skin but in the body part itself). More often, it’s described with a more active verb, such as a throbbing or aching, or as if it something were pulling at the limb or causing it to itch.

This is uncomfortable and inconvenient when it occurs while awake, but it can be even more disruptive while sleeping. The legs can twitch and kick about, sometimes violently, often throughout the whole night. It may cause a person to awaken repeatedly, disrupting their sleep, or it may prevent them from having a “deep sleep,” thus awakening from several hours of sleep without feeling rested.

The penis function angle

And what does this have to do with penis function? Well, for one thing, adequate and appropriate sleep is essential for proper penis function. Without it, testosterone production can be impaired, lowering one’s sex drive. Lack of sleep and rest also makes it more difficult to achieve and maintain a full erection, resulting in bouts of erectile dysfunction during sex.

Clearly, a man wants to avoid restless legs syndrome, if for no other reason than to preserve penis function. Identifying the cause of restless legs syndrome can be challenging, as there is much that is not known. In some people, it seems related to iron deficiency, so upping iron intake is often a line of first treatment. In other instances, medications may be employed to increase dopamine production or to affect calcium channels. Muscle relaxants may improve a person’s sleep patterns, though without actually addressing the problem of restless legs syndrome.

Although there are some men who, at least on occasion, are up to the task of performing sexually 2 or more times in a row without a real break, they are by far the exception and not the rule. No matter what excellent penis care a man may take, it’s hard to perform “serially” like that because the penis simply isn’t made that way. Regular penis function, in terms of how much time needs to elapse between ejaculations, is generally known as the refractory period, and every man has one – even if that time between ejaculations may vary.

Penis function

The body is a wonderful piece of work, including everything that makes up the reproductive system. On the surface, penis function seems pretty simple: a man spots someone who pleases him, the penis responds by becoming erect. In many situations, this leads to sexual experiences (either by the man alone or by the man with a partner or partners), which hopefully ends with the release of semen through ejaculation and the concomitant orgasm.

In reality, it’s a little more complicated than that. There are all sorts of sensory signals that get passed back and forth, as well as neurological impulses, physical stimulants, et cetera. And part of the process calls for the refractory period, in both men and women. However, in women the refractory period often can be very short; in men, it tends to be longer.

The refractory period

For men, the refractory period is defined as the amount of time after a man ejaculates before he is capable of attaining another erection. It doesn’t matter if a man orgasms or not (although clearly most men would prefer to orgasm when they ejaculate), as man simply has to finish releasing semen to mark the beginning of a new refractory period.

How long is that refractory period? That depends. Sometimes and in some men, it may only be a few minutes, although usually it is longer than that. Most studies state that the average for all men of all ages is about half an hour. However, it varies widely. For example, the average for 18-year-old men is about 15 minutes. For a 70-year-old man, the refractory period is apt to be about 20 hours on average. (Now you know why older men tend to bemoan their lost youth!)

There are some men who seem to experience no refractory period at all, but they are quite rare.

It should be noted that the refractory period tends to lengthen the more times in a row one attempts sexual activity. So a man might have a half-hour refractory period between sex acts one and two, but perhaps it takes 45 minutes or an hour before two and three, and perhaps even longer between three and four.

How it happens

When a man is sexually excited, his body produces a lot of the hormone known as dopamine, which makes a person feel good. This encourages him to move forward with his inclination toward sexual activity. But after he ejaculates, the dopamine stops being produced at the same exalted level, and a hormone called prolactin increases. Prolactin dampens the ability to become erect, so the more prolactin in the body, the longer a man’s refractory period is likely to be.

This is something that many men have been told countless times but which still bears repeating: Penis health can be impacted by issues that don’t originate in the penis – and that applies to penis function as well. While some penis function issues have a clear link to the penis, such as a line drive baseball smacking solidly against the penis, other penis function issues may have origins that are less clear. In some cases, anemia may be a big contributing factor to some penis function issues.

A blood issue

When a person has anemia, they lack a lot of energy. Just engaging in simple physical tasks may make them feel tired – sometimes a little tired, sometimes a lot, depending upon both the severity of the anemia and the physical demands of the task. But what is anemia, and why does it make a person feel tired and/or listless?

Basically, when a person has anemia, it means that their blood isn’t able to take enough oxygen around the body. There’s a protein in blood, called hemoglobin, which is largely responsible for transporting the oxygen. If there is a problem with the hemoglobin, or if there are not enough red blood cells (and therefore not enough hemoglobin), anemia results.

In addition to fatigue, anemia can have other symptoms as well, such as pale or yellowish skin, cold hands and feet, dizziness, headaches, or an irregular heartbeat. There can be several causes of anemia, but the most common is caused by a lack of iron.

Penis function

So anemia is not a good thing – but how does it affect penis function? Basically it causes or contributes to erectile dysfunction.

When the penis gets erect, the blood vessels in the penis open up so that more oxygen-rich blood can come into the penis and fill up the spongy tissue there. Blood volume is essential, but the more oxygenated the blood is, the stronger the erection can be.

Second, when there’s less oxygen in the blood, it means that more pressure is put on the heart. It’s forced to pump faster, and when this goes on for too long a period of time, the heart gets weaker. And when the heart gets weaker, it has a harder time pumping blood forcefully around – which in turn means there’s less blood volume to flow into the penis to create or sustain the erection.

Even when a man has a successful erection, anemia can still cause some performance issues. Less available oxygen means a man tires more quickly, reducing the stamina that he may need for engaging in sex. This can translate into either a weakening of the erection itself or the body becoming too tired to perform sexual maneuvers at its best.

What to do

A doctor should be consulted in order to determine the cause of the anemia. As mentioned, very often the cause is lack of iron, and the treatment then may largely consist of adding more iron, both in the diet itself and through dietary supplements.  When the reason for the anemia goes beyond a simple iron deficiency, the doctor will need to determine the appropriate way to treat it.

Almost 10% of U.S. citizens have it, although many are unaware of it. That comes to over 30 million adult Americans, of which more than 7 million don’t know their status. We’re speaking here of diabetes, a serious medical condition which for men can have serious penis health implications. While there are plenty of other reasons to be concerned about diabetes, the fact that it can impede penis function should add to every man’s efforts to avoid this condition and to see it if properly treated if it cannot be avoided.

The problem

Diabetes, as most people are aware, is a medical condition in which the body has difficulty regulating blood sugar levels. In a normal situation, a person eats food and the majority of that food gets broken down into glucose (sugar), which travels through the bloodstream so that cells can use it for energy. When blood sugar levels reach a certain level, the body reacts by putting insulin into the blood, which serves to open the doorway for sugar to enter the cells.

If a person has diabetes, his body either doesn’t make enough insulin or else can’t use insulin effectively. Thus too much sugar remains in the bloodstream, which over time can cause damage to the body, resulting in heart disease, kidney disease and loss of sight.

Penis function

As mentioned, diabetes can also have an impact on penis function. Improper blood sugar levels can impact the nerves, hormones, blood vessels and even one’s emotional health, all of which can play a role in penis function.  There are several penis health issues that may be caused or may be worsened by diabetes. These include:

- Erectile dysfunction. This is one of the more distressing penis health issues a man can face. As the name implies, when a man suffers from erectile dysfunction, his penis either cannot become properly erect or cannot maintain its erection. This does not necessarily mean a total lack of an erection, but it does often mean that a man’s penis becomes only partially erect – not to the degree that he is able to perform satisfactorily sexually. Men with diabetes are about 3 times as likely to have erectile dysfunction than men without, and more than half of men with diabetes develop the issue at some point. This is usually due to damages to penile nerves and to penile blood vessels due to diabetes.

- A bent penis. Although some curvature of the organ is normal, when a man has a severely bent penis that impedes sex and/or causes penis pain, he is said to have Peyronie’s disease – and men with diabetes are more likely to develop Peyronie’s disease than are men in the general population.

- Retrograde ejaculation. This is a fairly rare complication, but men with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing it. In this condition, men have an orgasm, but some or all of their semen is diverted into the bladder rather than ejaculated through the penis.

- Lower libido. Testosterone production is also impacted by diabetes, and lower testosterone levels (in addition to being associated with erectile dysfunction) can diminish a man’s sex drive.

Proper diabetes management is crucial to continued health, including penis health. Men who suspect they may have diabetes should see a doctor and get a diagnosis. If they do have diabetes, the sooner treatment is begun, the better.

That social media has become a ubiquitous part of our lives is news to exactly no one. It is likely that every person reading this tweets or reads tweets, likes or dislikes posts, and shares pictures using one social media platform or another. Social media does not, per se, have a direct link to penis health; however, as arguably the main medium for self-expression and public communication in contemporary times, social media is a rich field for exploring attitudes toward everything, including sexuality and sexual health. In fact, a new scientific study is one of the first to take a look at social media tweets and penis function.

The study

Entitled “The Sentiment Analysis of Tweets as a New Tool to Measure Public Perception of Male Erectile and Ejaculatory Dysfunctions,” the study was conducted by a team of Italian doctors and psychiatrists. It has been published in the medical journal Sexual Medicine.

Sentiment analysis refers to a kind of analysis that aims to summarize the opinion toward a topic. For this study, the researchers wanted to see what kind of opinion tweets revealed about erectile dysfunction and about premature ejaculation, two common penis function issues.

Initially, 11,000 tweets on premature ejaculation and more than 30,000 on erectile dysfunction were gathered. (These were unique tweets, not including retweets.) Further purging of duplicates left scientists with 7,020 premature ejaculation tweets and 22,648 tweets on erectile dysfunction. (This broke down to an average of 51 tweets daily on premature ejaculation and 164 daily on erectile dysfunction.)

Results

The scientists stated that they conducted this study “to assess the need to share personal opinions on these sexual health problems and to measure the perception by the general population on two important aspects of sexual dysfunction.” Surprisingly, in spite of the fact that premature ejaculation is significantly more common than is erectile dysfunction (about 20% to 30% of men for the former versus 15% to 20% for the latter), the number of tweets on erectile dysfunction outnumbered those on premature ejaculation by about 3 to 1.

In both cases, however, the words in the tweets were most often about treatments for each of these penis function issues. One interesting finding is that, judging by tweets, the availability of pharmacological treatment for premature ejaculation is far less known than that for erectile dysfunction. In other words, among tweeters at least, many know about “little blue pills” but don’t seem to realize that some other medications have been shown to help lengthen ejaculation times in some patients.

The study was not able to provide a quantifiable sentimental analysis, largely because many of the words used in the tweets could be classified as either depicting a sexual act or of a common expletive; this dual meaning impacts the study’s interpretive ability to a significant degree.

Interestingly, there did seem to be a connection between number of tweets and events during the news cycle, suggesting an increase in activity on social media corresponding to stories available in or on other media. In other words, when a news outlet or TV program featured penis function challenges, it bumped their tweet status online.