Pain in this place can spell trouble for your penis.
Your penis can serve as a harbinger of health events throughout the body. One that you might ignore? New research from Keele University, UK, indicates that erection problems can predict painful foot situations.
In the study, the researchers followed nearly 48,000 men for an average of 10 years, some with gout – a painful form of arthritis that usually affects the big toe – and others healthy. They found that men with gout were 31 percent more likely to report erectile dysfunction (ED) problems than healthy men.
Also, penile problems can appear before joint pain sets in: those with gout were 63 percent more likely to report erectile dysfunction problems in the year prior to their diagnosis.
And during the two years following the diagnosis of gout, the risk of ED was 77 percent higher than that of healthy individuals.
Gout, one of the most painful forms of arthritis, occurs when too much uric acid builds up in your body. This is known as hyperuricemia. Uric acid deposits clump together in your joints, often on your big toe, and it can be so painful it can even wake you up when you sleep. The affected joint may be red, swollen, and feel warm to the touch.
The link in the study persisted even after the researchers adjusted the study for factors that may contribute to erectile dysfunction and gout, including smoking, increased body mass index (BMI), and alcohol consumption.
Although the study cannot definitively demonstrate that one condition causes the other, the researchers believe that there are some physiological mechanisms that can link them. A posibility? Excess accumulation of uric acid in the blood can affect blood vessels, possibly causing proliferation of vascular smooth muscle, the researchers write. And this has been linked to plaque buildup.
Big problem for your penis: Plaque buildup in blood vessels can hinder blood flow, a necessary component to obtain and maintain an erection.
Although more research is needed to confirm a cause-effect link, the researchers believe the results here suggest that erectile problems may indicate gout disease before common pain symptoms emerge. So that’s one more reason to see your doctor if you start to notice problems with your penis.