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How to Maintain Penis Health: Here's What You Need to Know

Medically reviewed by Elfred Landas, MD · General Practitioner · Maxicare Primary Care Center


Written by Jan Alwyn Batara · Updated Jun 24, 2021

    How to Maintain Penis Health: Here's What You Need to Know

    Knowing how to maintain penis health is very important knowledge that all men should know about. Having a healthy penis can help prevent various illnesses, and can also improves a person’s sex life and overall wellbeing.

    Despite this, not a lot of men are aware of how they can take care of their penis. For the most part, men often assume that so long as they feel healthy and fine, their penis will be okay too. But this is not always the case, as not all penis problems have obvious symptoms.

    So how exactly can men learn how to maintain penis health?

    How to Maintain Penis Health: What Do Men Need to Know?

    Keeping the penis healthy is important for a man’s health. Not only is it necessary for pleasure, reproduction, and urination, it is also an important marker of a man’s state of health.

    Problems with your penis can be a sign of another underlying condition. Health problems such as heart disease, nerve damage, and even mental health problems such as anxiety can affect the penis and how it functions.

    What are some common conditions that affect the penis?

    One aspect of knowing how to keep your penis healthy would be to be aware of common conditions that affect the penis.

    Here are some common problems that men experience:

    How to maintain penis health: Erectile dysfunction

    Erectile dysfunction is the inability of a man to get an erection, or maintain an erection. This can be caused by a number of things such as nerve damage, high blood pressure, clogged blood vessels, high cholesterol, and psychological causes such as anxiety or even depression.

    Erectile dysfunction is one of the more common problems that affect the penis, and a lot of men worldwide suffer from this condition.

    Older men usually suffer from erectile dysfunction, but it’s not unheard of for younger men to suffer from erectile dysfunction as well.

    How to maintain penis health: Lack of sex drive

    Simply put, lack of sex drive means that a man who used to have a normal, healthy sex drive suddenly loses it.

    It could be due to having a low level of testosterone, a side effect of certain medications, lack of exercise, stress, or simply old age.

    Suddenly losing your sex drive is a big problem, especially for those in long-term relationships. Aside from causing relationship problems, it can also cause mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

    How to maintain penis health: Priapism

    Priapism is a condition wherein a man has a persistent and painful erection, even if he is not aroused. For the most part, a person is said to have priapism if their erection lasts for more than 4 hours.

    It can be caused by cancer, spinal injury, gout, nerve problems, or even syphilis.

    Priapism is a serious health condition that can cause permanent damage to the penis if not treated immediately.

    How to maintain penis health: Phimosis

    Phimosis is a condition most commonly found among men with uncircumcised penises. It is characterized by the inability to retract the foreskin from the head of the penis.

    This is usually the result of chronic skin infections and lack of penile hygiene. It can be very painful, and can cause difficulty urinating.

    How to maintain penis health: Yeast infection

    Most people associate yeast infections with women, but men can also develop yeast infections, especially if they have poor hygiene.

    Yeast infections are characterized by inflammation of the head of the penis, as well an itching or burning sensation. White discharge can also sometimes come from the penis.

    Yeast infections can also lead to phimosis if left untreated.

    How to maintain penis health: Sexually transmitted infections

    Sexually transmitted infections include HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HPV.

    As the name suggests, these infections are mainly the result of unprotected sex with someone infected with the disease. Which is why it is important for men to practice safe sex and use a condom, especially if they are having sex with multiple partners.

    How to maintain penis health: Penile cancer

    Penile cancer is relatively uncommon, but just like other cancers, it can quickly lead to more serious health problems.

    The key to treating penile cancer is early detection. It is believed that penile cancer is caused by body fluids that get trapped in the foreskin. If these body fluids build up, it can have cancer-causing effects.

    Smokers and older men are more prone to having penile cancer. People with AIDS are also at risk of developing penile cancer.

    Having good genital hygiene and getting circumcised can possibly lower a person’s risk having this condition.

    What are the risk factors for these conditions?

    Here are some possible risk factors for health problems that affect a man’s penis:

    • Health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, etc.
    • Smoking is another risk factor for disease that can affect the penis
    • Lack of exercise, or being unhealthy.
    • Being obese or overweight
    • Hormone imbalance, testosterone in particular
    • Nerve problems
    • Having unsafe or unprotected sex, especially with multiple partners
    • Lack of proper hygiene
    • Age also increases your risk of penis problems

    Tips on how to maintain penis health

    Here are some useful tips on how to maintain penis health:

    • Eat a proper diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, and low in fatty and processed foods.
    • Be sure to engage in at least 30 minutes of exercise daily.
    • If you are obese or overweight, try to lose some weight to get closer to your ideal weight.
    • Be sure to clean your penis with soap and water. If you have foreskin, pull it back to clean your penis thoroughly.
    • When engaging in sexual intercourse, be sure to use protection.
    • Check your penis and testicles for any lumps or growths that could be a sign of cancer.
    • If you have any rashes or if you think your penis has an infection, visit your doctor immediately.
    • If you notice any peculiar symptoms, such as a sudden loss of libido or sudden erectile dysfunction, be sure to consult a doctor about it.

    By following these tips you should be able to maintain your penis health and avoid any serious problems.

    Key takeaway

    Among the common conditions that affect the penis are erectile dysfunction, lack of sex drive, priapism, phimosis, yeast infection, STIs, and cancer. You can maintain penis health by eating a proper diet, exercising, cleaning your penis with soap and water, using protection during intercourse, and monitoring your penis for any lumps, growths, or rashes.

    Learn more about Penis Health here.

    Disclaimer

    Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

    Medically reviewed by

    Elfred Landas, MD

    General Practitioner · Maxicare Primary Care Center


    Written by Jan Alwyn Batara · Updated Jun 24, 2021

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