I'm on medicines for my heart & blood pressure,last Sept (2011) I had a couple of TIA strokes (I'm 45 years old) so my meds have been chopped & changed over the years. I have noticed over the past few months although I can obtain an erection it doesn't stay 'up' very long.. I am also concerned about my testes,as a child I had a undecended one & had to have an operation before I could join the forces to correct this.So it's never developed properly & is about the size of a grape compared to the other one.Over the past few months it sometimes gets sore & sort of warm. I realise I should go & see the quack but I'm wondering if anyone has experieced this as well. Thanks. BV
The answer lies largely in whether this has been a gradual or sudden change. Erections are a combination of two opposing forces- some blood vessels that dilate to let blood into the penis and other blood vessels that constrict to keep blood in the penis. This combination is what makes the penis go from shriveled and limp into long and stiff. Aging does affect this process, so it is normal for erections to take longer, become less firm and be more difficult to maintain for long periods of time. However, this is a gradual process- it happens over decades. If this change in maintaining an erection has been relatively sudden, then it is probably the medications. Because many blood pressure medicines work by dilating the blood vessels, it also has the effect on the blood vessels in the penis. This interferes with the process that keeps blood in the penis, so many guys on blood pressure medication complain that they can get hard but they have trouble staying hard. Sometimes changing blood pressure medication can make a difference. Exercise helps quite a bit. Keeping your weight down will also help both your blood pressure and your sexual health. Often, men find that if they exercise and get into better cardiovascular shape, they can take lower doses of their blood pressure medication which will improve their sexual performance, too. The human body comes with a lot of redundancy. Even though we can produce enough testosterone and sperm with one testicle, we have two. Low testosterone and low sperm counts seldom result solely from the loss of function in one of the testes. However, if you are having persistent pain and sensitivity in either testicle, you should see your doctor for an exam.
Thanks, The pains like a hot dull ache in the affected nut,so I've just got off the phone with the doctors surgery & have an appointment for two weeks Wednesday,so it'll be about another 2 months before I see a specalist at the hospital knowing the health service we have here.
