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In today’s world, millions of men suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED). Among this subset of men, a venous leak or venogenic erectile dysfunction may occur, although it’s rare.
A venous leak is a type of sexual dysfunction where men experience venous leaks in their penile tissue, causing soft erections.
This type of condition, unlike the majority of cases of erectile dysfunction, doesn’t acutely develop over a man’s later years.
Rather, young men who suffer from venogenic erectile dysfunction are born with the condition or develop it during their younger years—carrying it throughout their life.
As a whole, venous leak is still a medically mysterious condition for medical experts. Nonetheless, it can be debilitating to live with and adversely affect a man’s sex life.
Let’s learn more about what having a venous leak entails, as well as this diseases’ corresponding symptoms, causes, and treatments available for this disease.
What is Venous Leak?
Venous leak is a type of erectile dysfunction where the cavernosal arteries in the penis don’t bring enough blood to the penis during sexual arousal.
Normally, when a man is sexually aroused, blood vessels and arteries in the penis expand and fill up with blood, causing an erection. Once a man reaches a climax and orgasms, the blood that’s been pooled in the penis chamber during arousal gets released back into the body and circulates into the bloodstream.
However, problems in the holding or draining aspect of this process can lead to sexual dysfunction.
According to a study published in the National Institutes of Medicine, 80% of men with vasculogenic impotence report failure to store blood in their corpora cavernosa—or the chamber where blood normally gets stored to achieve erections.
Upon further research, it’s been found that symptoms of venous leakage are more often than not the cause of this impotence.
If you suspect that you’re suffering from this condition, consider talking to a doctor to undergo an erectile dysfunction diagnosis and treatment evaluation.
Signs and Symptoms of Venous Leakage
A venous leak can affect men regardless of age and ethnicity.
The common venous leak symptoms include the following:
- Inability to maintain or achieve an erection
- Soft erection unsuitable for sexual penetration
- Position-dependent erectile rigidity
- Shortening of penis length (Peyronie’s disease)
- Narrowing of penis length
- Soft glans in the penis during erection, or cold glans syndrome
Caution When Undergoing a Diagnosis of Venous Leak
One study involving 292 patients has reported that there’s a significantly high chance of younger adults to be wrongly diagnosed with venous leak when checked through a penile ultrasound (DUS).
Penile ultrasound replaced dynamic infusion cavernosometry (DIC) as a more popular way to test to identify a vascular etiology of ED, so this shift to a new medical tool may consequently give rise to false positives in younger men with erectile problems.
Younger men with no prior history of vascular disease should therefore urge their doctor to take clinically-approved ED tests to prevent a misdiagnosis.
Causes of Venous Leak
Men can experience an increased risk of developing venous leaks if they already have health defects or conditions.
Here are some potential causes of a venous leak:
- Psychological stress
- Neuro deficiencies
- Adverse effect of certain drugs
- Chronic diseases like diabetes
- Lower urinary tract symptoms
- Testosterone deficiency
Lifestyle Improvements to Ease Venous Leak Symptoms
Lifestyle modifications can help manage and control symptoms of venous leak, including those caused by chronic diseases like diabetes.
Here are some lifestyle changes you can follow to reverse ED naturally.
- Eating more fruits and vegetables.
- Including protein and fiber at each meal.
- Ingesting the right supplements to get the recommended amount of nutrients.
- Eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day.
- Reducing your intake of refined carbohydrates and sugary foods that can affect your blood sugar levels.
- Getting enough exercise to boost testosterone levels, like weightlifting and cardio.
- Switching from caffeine-based drinks like coffee to water.
- Quitting smoking, illegal drugs, and other vices.
- Losing weight on your own or by a weight management program.
- Drinking alcohol in moderation (CDC recommends under two glasses a day), or not at all.
- Watching your medication, as some may inadvertently contribute to the worsening of symptoms.
If you’re looking for a more personal direction on your physical health, talk to a health specialist to help you develop a health and wellness regimen that works for your body.
Treatments for Venous Leak and ED
Many of the treatment strategies for erectile dysfunction (ED) also work for a venous leak. These include the following three options.
1. Psychosexual Therapy
Psychosexual therapy is a combination of counseling and education to help you overcome psychological barriers like anxiety and depression in relation to one’s sexual problems.
Sex therapy typically consists of five sessions each week aimed to address sexual problems by the patient. The goal of this procedure is to improve the patient’s sexual communication and attitude towards lovemaking, especially if they’re undergoing psychological ED.
2. Testosterone Therapy
Testosterone deficiencies are one of several known causes of venous leak.
Testosterone therapy utilizes a wide range of topical treatments like gels and creams to help patients improve testosterone deficiency, which may be an underlying cause of ED.
Administered clinically by a trained medical professional, many patients have expressed satisfactory results of their erectile dysfunction struggles following treatment.
3. Penile Implants
A penile implant is used for moderate to severe cases of erectile dysfunction.
Penile implants are often deemed as the last resort if other treatment options are ineffective for the patient, but it usually is met with high levels of success.
Consult Tampa’s Leading Erectile Dysfunction Clinic for a Sexual Health Diagnosis and Treatment Options
Venous leak is a type of erectile dysfunction that can be debilitating to people who wish to experience an active sex life.
While doctors haven’t fully explored the ins and outs of the disease, there are several viable treatment options available to help curb the disease’s symptoms.
If you’re having issues with erectile dysfunction, call the team at Prestige Men’s Medical Center now to schedule an appointment to have a consultation with an experienced and specially trained medical staff about diagnosing the underlying causes of erectile issues. We are Tampa’s leading men’s clinic providing ED therapy, PE therapy, acoustic wave therapy, testosterone therapy, and much more.
