Beware the curse of Priapus. It is the eternal joke of all things related to erectile dysfunction: That infamous side effect that is mumbled quickly at the end of every ED medication commercial. An erection lasting more than four hours. Painful, humiliating, maybe even deadly; the one thing a man suffering from erectile dysfunction could never imagine himself worrying about, the priapism. For some men suffering from erectile dysfunction, or indeed, for most men in general, a priapism might not seem that bad, maybe even a blessing at first. After all, what could be better to the ED sufferer than a seemingly endless erection? How better to please your partner than to have your erectile dysfunction overcome, and replaced by something that suggests infinite sexual stamina. To some this might seem like the holy grail, a prize hidden inside the bottom of their ED medication bottle, a happy accident labeled as a side effect.

Once you learn more about priapism, however, it ceases to be the butt of every ED joke. It is, in fact, a serious condition that could lead to damaged blood vessels in the penis resulting from clotting blood. This may result in increased symptoms of erectile dysfunction, loss of

erectile function or even gangrene and amputation of the penis. As you can see, this is no laughing matter!

So why does a priapism actually happen? How could something so beautiful as enhanced erections and a cure for ED turn so terribly ugly? Well, there are several different causes for priapism, most of which are not even related to erectile dysfunction! Essentially what happens is

the extreme opposite of ED, where the blood flow to the penis is over stimulated, with the blood vessels widening to the point where regulation is impossible. The constant pooling of blood will eventually lead to internal clotting, which, after your 4 hour marathon, will eventually lead to a mess of other problems. Unpleasant problems. Priapism is caused by a raised level of biochemical adenosine, which may be brought on by a wide range of different factors, such as sickle-cell disease, leukemia, thalassemia, and Fabrys disease. Spinal cord injury or damage may also lead to priapism; anything from lesions to physical trauma. In the old days, back in the wild west, people executed by hanging would suffer from ?death erections,? which was just a

priapism brought on by the damage to the spine done by hanging. Still, if that is the cause, you probably have bigger problems than a persistent erection.

Of course, priapism may also be caused by erectile dysfunction medications. Since most of them work by stimulating the blood flow to the penis in order to cure ED, a simple chemical imbalance could lead to one of these dreaded four hour abominations. Then you might find

yourself feeling like the Greek God Priapus, cursed by Zeus with a set of humongous, but ultimately useless ?wooden? erection. As any man who has been kept awake by a night time erection that just will not go away knows, even erectile dysfunction might seem preferable to a priapism after the fourth sleepless, sore, turgid hour.

But what can you do? Are you doomed to suffer, eternally, carrying a powerfully sized, but cumbersome wooden erection? No, of course not. Without Zeus checking in to make sure your torment is going on as planned, there are a variety of ways to treat, or avoid priapism. An ounce of

prevention is worth a pound of cure, after all, so if you find yourself suffering from erectile dysfunction, talk to you doctor, or do your homework on your own medical condition and on the risks and rewards of ED medication. Online pharmacies, such as http://prescription-online.com/,

have extensive amounts of valuable ED related information within easy access, through helpful links, summaries of medications and online consultation. Most men can simply avoid priapism by taking the right medication for their erectile dysfunction, or pursuing alternative means of treatment. If priapism does occur, however, all is not lost. Stay calm, you will not be losing your most precious male component! Call your doctor right away. If you are feeling

embarrassed, just remember what is at stake; if you could get your ED treated, this should be a walk in the park. If caught early enough, a priapism can be treated in the emergency room by aspirating the excess blood (do not worry, you will be anesthetized). If that fails, the next step in treating the priapism is in surgically shunting the blood out from the penis. This can be anything from a quick, localized procedure to lengthy surgery. No man wants to have his unit cut open, so be sure to call your doctor immediately so it does not become necessary!

Still, this should not deter you from treating your erectile dysfunction. Even if medication does become necessary, the risk of priapism is extremely low, and even then it is rare that invasive surgery is required. If you do the proper research, and pick the ED medication that is right for you, you need not suffer the curse of Priapus while treating your erectile dysfunction. Like any medical side effect, you must judge the risks with the reward, and, for almost all men, a healthy sex life is well worth the minor gamble.

Useful Links:

http://prescription-online.com