- The body is truly a remarkable organism; it knows exactly how to heal itself in response to an injury.
- When the body suffers a tissue damaging trauma, such as a cut or other injury, it heals itself by creating fibrous tissue called scar tissue. Scar tissue is the body’s way of doing its own repair.
Scar tissue can form on damaged skin or within the body, around damaged organs. This scar tissue is the cause of Peyronie’s disease, a condition which impacts the shape and function of the penis. Men working to navigate life with Peyronie’s disease need as much information as they can get at their fingertips.
What Is Peyronie’s Disease?
Peyronie’s disease is a condition where scar tissue is formed in the penis. As you would expect, scar tissue is developed because of injury to the tissues of the penis, although many men can’t identify an injury they sustained which led to the diagnosis. Injuries to the penis can occur during sex, and repeated injuries are also responsible for tissue damage that causes Peyronie’s disease. But these injuries can also be caused by other types of accidents, including sport’s injuries.
While the injury is what causes Peyronie’s disease, it is the healing of the injury which leads to the diagnosis. The scar tissue which forms around the injury is what causes the deformity, as the scar tissue does not fill with blood, as the undamaged tissue does during an erection.
Recognizing Peyronie’s Disease
No matter the accident which caused the scar tissue to develop, you’ll want to know what to look for so you can identify Peyronie’s disease early. Early intervention can help keep the condition from worsening. It also has the potential to improve the pain, shape, and even help correct the shortening of the penis. The symptoms you may notice which may indicate Peyronie’s disease are:
- The scar tissue which forms with Peyronie’s disease will be felt underneath the skin of the penis. You may notice flat lumps or even a strip of hard tissue.
- You may also notice that your penis is shorter, is misshapen, or exhibits a significant curve, either up or down, or to one side or the other.
- Some men experience pain in their penis, which may occur with an erection, but it can also occur without an erection, as well.
- Erectile dysfunction is also a symptom of Peyronie’s disease. This symptom may even present itself before the visible symptoms of the disease become apparent.
While injury to the penis is generally the cause of Peyronie’s disease, an injury doesn’t always lead to the diagnosis. A family history of Peyronie’s disease is a hereditary marker which may make an individual more susceptible to such a diagnosis. Additionally, there are a variety of connective tissue disorders which play a role in the diagnosis, and while Peyronie’s can affect men at any age, men in their fifties and sixties are more at risk for developing the scar tissue which may lead to the diagnosis.
What Are The Treatment Options?
Many of the changes to the penis due to Peyronie’s disease can progress over time, but generally begin to stabilize over the course of the first year. However the pain associated with Peyronie’s disease can take up to two years to subside. While there are some men whose condition does improve on its own, the condition generally does not correct itself.
If left unaddressed Peyronie’s can worsen, but there are options to help men reclaim their body’s natural shape. It should be noted, however, that intervention for Peyronie’s disease is best addressed sooner than later. Early intervention can keep the condition from worsening and has the potential to even improve the pain, shape, and even the shortening of the penis.
The internet is chock full of treatments touting their efficacy in treating Peyronie’s disease. There are a variety of treatments from injections to surgery to remove the scar tissue which may be effective. Collagenase is an FDA approved injection which helps to treat the scar tissue which causes Peyronie’s disease. Beyond that, men are able to explore a variety of injections which may help to reduce the scar tissue.
While there are no medications to treat Peyronie’s disease, men have the option of exploring traction and a variety of stretching techniques which may be effective in treating Peyronie’s. In more extreme cases, men can explore complex surgeries which include removing the scar tissue and grafting to help correct more difficult symptoms of Peyronie’s condition.
Exploring the Options
It’s important to remember that Peyronie’s disease is best treated when treated early. Sometimes a symptom of Peyronie’s disease is erectile dysfunction, so if you are experiencing erectile dysfunction and suspect that you might have sustained an injury to your penis which may result in a scar tissue condition, it is best to begin the less invasive treatments as soon as possible.
Information is an asset when it comes to your physical wellbeing. Pay attention to the cues your body is giving you. Early intervention is the best treatment available.
