Overview
Priapism is a long-lasting painful erection. It can cause permanent damage to your penis if not treated quickly.
Things you can try yourself to reduce a painful erection
Priapism may get better on its own within 2 hours.
There are things you can try to reduce your erection.
Do:
- try to go for a pee
- have a warm bath or shower
- drink lots of water
- go for a gentle walk
- try exercises, such as squats or running on the spot
- take painkillers like paracetamol if you need to
Don't:
- do not apply ice packs or cold water to your penis – this can make things worse, particularly if you have sickle cell disease
- do not have sex or masturbate - it will not make your erection go away
- do not drink alcohol
- do not smoke
Call 999 or go to A&E if:
- you have an erection that lasts more than 2 hours
- you have sickle cell disease and a painful erection that lasts for more than 1 hour
An erection that lasts this long needs to be treated in hospital as soon as possible to help avoid permanent damage to the penis.
Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
Bring any medicines you take with you.
Find your nearest A&E
Hospital treatment for priapism
Treatments to help reduce your erection include:
- using a needle to drain blood from your penis, which is done while the area is numbed under local anaesthetic
- tablets or injections directly into your penis
- surgery to drain the blood through a tiny cut, done while you're asleep under general anaesthetic
Causes of priapism
Priapism most commonly affects people with sickle cell disease.
Other causes include: