Which diseases can be recognized on the penis

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Men often come too late – to the doctor. Frank Sommer knows that only too well. The urologist, andrologist and sports physician is a university professor for men’s health in Hamburg. Most of his patients complain of sexual dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is too often a taboo subject for them, the expert tells FOCUS online. Various diseases can be detected early on the penis. This is due to the special nature of its vessels. Because, as delicate as they are, they perform better than many other blood vessels in terms of volume flow. If deposits form in the body, it quickly becomes noticeable there.

“They are high-performance wires. The penis vessels are only one to two millimeters in diameter, while the main supply tracts in the heart are three to four millimeters,” explains the President of the German Society for Men and Health, explaining the medical background. When stimulated, however, the tiny vessels then pump 40 to 80 times as much as when they are not stimulated. “If there are small deposits and constrictions in this small vessel, then of course you will notice it in your ability to have an erection, the erection may not come about, it may not last long enough,” explains Sommer. Therefore, erectile dysfunction serves as an early warning system years in advance. Because the penis vessels reflect the cardiovascular and hormonal health of the man very well.

The expert sums it up in concrete terms: “If a man has arterial erectile dysfunction, i.e. in the vessels that lead to the penis, he has a high risk of having a heart attack or stroke four to eight years later. The risk of a heart attack can therefore be read off from the penis in advance.”

These diseases can be recognized on the penis

Cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis diabetes testosterone deficiency thyroid disorders nervous disorders

Depending on the cause, erectile dysfunction manifests itself in different parts of the body at the same time:

Nerves: Disorders in the nerve tracts can indicate changes in the thyroid gland, for example. Vessels / blood circulation: damage here serves as a harbinger of heart attack and stroke. Tissue changes in the penis: They are often caused by diabetes. Diabetes, in turn, can also change the nerves or blood vessels. Hormones: Testosterone deficiency leads, among other things, to mood swings, listlessness, less muscle and more abdominal fat.

If erectile dysfunction is caused by a lack of the “king hormone testosterone”, men are often no longer able to perform as well, especially in the afternoon, and feel tired and exhausted. In addition, neurological changes can be a cause of sexual symptoms. “We have already discovered people with multiple sclerosis or polyneuropathies, i.e. generalized nerve disorders, due to erectile dysfunction,” explains Sommer. 90 percent of all erectile dysfunctions are organic – psychological components are then usually added.

If detected early, many health problems can be treated well – or in the even better case, through appropriate dietary and lifestyle changes, such as physical activity, can be improved so that no medication is necessary.

Nowadays, experts therefore mainly treat the physical cause in order to stop the organic degradation (such as the composition of the erectile tissue, pelvic floor muscles) – instead of prescribing a pill for a targeted erection. However, this is preceded by the fact that Mann takes a critical look at his “performance organ”.

The organ stands for performance

According to the expert, before a man has a heart attack, almost everyone has erectile dysfunction. But most are silent about it – even in the circle of friends. “Because they often only get stupid comments when they come out,” reports the urologist of his experiences. He recently had a patient of 58 who was embarrassed because he only got laughter and getting old jokes for his outspokenness.

However, Sommer sees that a change is underway and that younger men over 40 in particular have more affinity for pensions in general and are better able to talk to their age group without getting derogatory comments.

So far, however, the following has been the case: “I reach men primarily through their sexuality or the idea of ​​doing something for their health.” The sexual organ stands for performance – and Germany is still often shaped by the meritocracy. In addition to the aspect of early detection, it would be good to exchange ideas with other affected people and learn from their experiences.

Men are thinking more and more about prevention

“Men still practice remedial medicine far too often,” explains Sommer. They are often not interested in prevention, a complete waste of time, they think they are invulnerable. “But I can see that things are slowly changing here,” says the men’s health expert. The annual number of men seeking preventive care has increased slowly, albeit only minimally.

Now it is just over 20 percent who regularly take preventive examinations. 20 years ago it was only 12.8 percent of men. For comparison: Before the Corona period, it was almost 60 percent for women. The pandemic may have contributed to a change in awareness here. That cannot yet be conclusively assessed. But Sommer can well imagine that men now pay more attention to themselves.

Which of his values ​​should every man know?

According to the urologist, every man should know three central health values:

“It would be nice if every man had his blood pressure would know,” says Sommer. “Besides that sugar levelto assess what the diabetes risk is and the lipid levels in the blood.“

Regardless of the laboratory parameters, the abdominal circumference plays a central role. The visceral abdominal fat is particularly dangerous because it promotes inflammatory processes. “94 centimeters is the limit from which it becomes critical and at the latest from 102 centimeters the alarm bells should ring loudly,” warns the sports doctor. There is a risk of cardiovascular problems, metabolic syndrome, falling testosterone levels, so that those affected also develop more difficult muscles.

From what values ​​do you need to take a closer look?

Ideal values:

LDL cholesterol: below 100 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter of blood), below 55 mg/dl if coronary artery disease is already present
blood pressure: below 140 (systolic) and below 90 (diastolic)
Diabetes: Fasting blood glucose less than 100 mg/dl (5.6 mmol/l). Fasting values ​​between 100 and 125 mg/dl indicate prediabetes, a precursor to diabetes.

Sommer recommends an Italian study for those who still need motivation to reduce their risk of heart attack and improve their sexuality. Lifestyle-changing measures such as a balanced diet and plenty of exercise over two years helped the group of obese participants: 32 percent of the men were then able to experience good sexuality spontaneously and without medication.