THE number of blokes going to hospital with painful, long-lasting erections is on the up.
Sufferers include fellas in their 70s, 80s and 90s.
GettyThe number of blokes going to hospital with painful, long-lasting erections is on the up[/caption]
Data from England’s hospitals obtained by The Sun on Sunday show 393 admissions for the problem last year — a rise of 21 per cent.
The surge in NHS cases of priapism, caused when blood gets trapped in the penis and sometimes lasting for hours, has been blamed on men abusing legal drugs like Viagra.
But illegal drugs such as cocaine and crystal meth can sometimes spark similar side-effects.
TV shows like Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies are also thought to have encouraged more men to seek medical help.
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The average age of a patient suffering from the condition is 41.
The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said: “If the condition is not treated, it can lead to scarring and permanent erectile dysfunction.”
Medicine, ice packs and surgery can be used to try to treat the condition.
Nuno Albuquerque, of the UK Addiction Treatment Group, said: “Using substances like cocaine can lead to increased sex drive and lowered inhibitions, which in turn leads to risky behaviour and poor decision making.
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“Hence why for some sufferers of priapism, abusing viagra with substances can trigger the disorder into action.”