How Do Penile Injections Work?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) occurs when a man is unable to achieve and/or maintain an erection long enough for sexual intercourse. Every man has it occasionally, but when it happens regularly, it can cause feelings of embarrassment or shame.

It shouldn’t, though, since ED is a relatively common condition, affecting some 30 million-50 million men in the United States. It becomes more prevalent as you age, too. While about 40% of men live with ED at age 40, about 70% report having it by age 70.

At Revive Health Clinic, our expert team of men’s health specialists regularly diagnoses and treats men for erectile dysfunction in our Lady Lake, Florida, office. One of the treatment options we offer is penile injections. Read on to learn about ED and how penile injections might help you.

Causes of ED

ED is often caused by low testosterone levels (low T), especially as you age and your body doesn’t produce as much of the hormone as when you were young. ED can also develop for other reasons, including:

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Atherosclerosis (“hardening of the arteries”)
• Depression
• Nerve or spinal cord damage
• Medication side effects
• Substance use disorder
• Heart disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Overweight or obesity
• Stress and anxiety
• Peyronie’s disease (curved penis)

The good news, whatever the cause: For most men, ED is treatable. And you can always rely on the staff at Revive Health Clinic to be discreet and compassionate when you’re ready to share the information with us.

Treating ED

Revive Health Clinic offers a number of options to successfully treat your ED.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

HRT increases the levels of testosterone in your system, helping you achieve firmer and longer erections.

Oral drug therapy

Viagra®, Levitra®, and Cialis® belong to a group of oral medicines called PDE5 inhibitors. You take them before sex to ensure you achieve an erection. 

Storz Medical shockwave therapy

This is a noninvasive treatment that uses high-energy acoustic waves to improve blood flow to the penis. It works by promoting natural tissue regeneration and may enhance erectile function without the need for medications.

Talk therapy

Psychological issues can affect your ability to have an erection. Talk therapy can help you resolve these issues, which can lessen or eliminate erectile dysfunction.

Penile injections

You give yourself penile injections, so you’ll need training from us before using them at home. They’re like any other injectable medication in that you use a syringe filled with the medication, and you depress a plunger to push the liquid into the penile tissue.

The medication is injected directly into the penis — into a spongy area of tissue called the corpora cavernosa, where the vessels that fill with blood during an erection are located.

First, draw the medication from a vial into a syringe; it’s usually an insulin-type syringe that has a short, very fine needle.

Next, swab the injection site on your penis with an alcohol wipe, push the needle through the skin, then depress the plunger. Then press firmly on the injection site, using gauze or an alcohol pad, for at least 5 minutes.

The medication generally works better if you stand, since that allows more blood to flow into your penis. External stimulation of the penis also increases blood flow and allows the medication to take effect faster.

If you’re interested in learning more about penile injections or other treatments for ED, Revive Health Clinic can help. Call our office at 352-290-0896 or book online with us today.