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How does a permanent erection occur?

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Priapism has been in the news, after a man gave his permanent erection as a reason for killing and eating the body of a woman, thinking it would cure him. The condition is named after the Greek god of Fertitlity, Priapus.

This is a very serious and painful condition, which causes a prolonged and painful erection that can last from a few hours to a couple of days. Contrary to popular belief, this condition has nothing to do with sexual thoughts or activity. The prolonged erection is caused by blood flowing into the penis, but not draining from it, as it normally would.

There is little room for blood to circulate in an erect penis, and eventually the blood becomes stagnant, acidifies and loses the little oxygen still present. When this happens, the red blood cells are even less able to get out of the erect penis.

This condition is usually the result of a particular medication or medical condition. Sometimes penile injections, used to treat impotence, can cause priapism. This usually happens when a man increases the dosage by his own decision. Certain psychiatric medications can also cause priapism.

People with sickle-cell anaemia and leukaemia also often suffer from this condition. Anticoagulants, cocaine, corticosteroids, marijuana, prazosin, tolbutamide and trazodone are all substances associated with priapism.

Pripaism can scar the penis, if left untreated for more than a few hours. As it is so painful, most people seek medical help fairly quickly. Two main treatments are used for this condition – the first involves draining the blood from the side of the penis with a needle, and the second medication that help to shrink the blood vessels and thus help the blood to flow from the penis.

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