HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, May 13, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Men now have a more compelling reason to get a COVID-19 vaccine – Doctors suspect the recent coronavirus it can make it difficult to act in the bedroom.
How? Coronavirus infection is known to damage blood vessels and blood vessels. penis they do not seem to be an exception.
Researchers armed with an electron microscope found coronavirus particles in penile tissue samples extracted from two former patients with COVID-19 impotent after his infection, which had occurred six and eight months before.
A later study revealed evidence of damage to blood vessels in the penises of patients with COVID-19, compared with two other men with erectile dysfunction Investigators reported that on May 7 who had never been infected World Journal of Men’s Health.
“We found that the virus affects the blood vessels that supply the penis, causing erectile dysfunction,” said lead researcher Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, director of the reproductive urology program at Miller University School of Medicine. “The blood vessels themselves work poorly and are not able to provide enough blood to enter the penis during an erection.”
Ramasamy compared it to organ damage to the lungs, kidneys and brain that has been found in patients with COVID-19.
“We believe the penis could also be affected in a similar way,” Ramasamy said. “We don’t think this is a temporary effect. We believe this could be permanent.”
The new report focused on two patients recovered from COVID-19 undergoing penile prosthesis surgery for their erectile dysfunction. Both men had normal erectile function before their infections.
One of the men had been seriously ill with COVID-19 and had spent two weeks in hospital before recovering, but on the other hand was free of chronic health problems.
The other man had a relatively mild case of COVID-19, but suffered from clogged arteries and high blood pressure before becoming infected.
Both men still had COVID-19 particles in their penis tissue, as well as evidence of endothelial dysfunction, a condition in which the linings of small blood vessels do not function properly and do not provide an adequate blood supply to different parts of the body.
Continued
In comparison, two COVID-free men also undergoing surgery for erectile dysfunction had no evidence of the same type of damage to small blood vessels in the penis.
“I think that’s probably not something men are discussing right now with all the things that are going on,” Ramasamy said. “I’m pretty sure in the next six months to a year we’ll probably have a better idea of the true prevalence of erectile dysfunction among men with positive COVID.”
It is logical that COVID-19 can affect men in this way, given the virus’s ability to cause inflammation and damage blood vessels, said Dr. Ash Tewari, president of urology at the Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai. , in New York City. .
Still, Tewari warned that men should not be frightened until further investigation has been done.
“One or two patients don’t, but it’s worth investigating from our point of view,” Tewari said. “COVID is an endothelial dysfunction. The small arteries in the heart can be affected in the same way that the blood vessels in the penis can be affected.”
Ramasamy urged former COVID-19 patients who now suffer from erectile dysfunction to seek medical help.
“I don’t think this is something that will go away on its own. We believe this could be a lasting, non-temporary effect,” Ramasamy said.
There is another piece of advice he has for men concerned about this.
“Don’t have COVID. Get vaccinated, so you don’t have COVID,” Ramasamy said.
More information
The Cleveland Clinic has more information COVID-19 and erectile dysfunction.
SOURCES: Ranjith Ramasamy, director of the reproductive urology program at Miller University School of Medicine, University of Miami; Ash Tewari, MD, president, urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York; World Journal of Men’s Health, May 7, 2021, online
