More than 500 men ended up in hospital with painful erections last year — and the NHS prescribed Viagra a record 4.7 million times. Of 518 cases in the year to March, 410 were emergency admissions for priapism, according to The Sun.
The painful condition occurs when a man experiences a prolonged erection lasting for more than four hours. It requires urgent treatment to prevent permanent damage and erectile dysfunction.
Other patient seeking hospital treatment had longer term problems and attended for planned treatment.
The average age of patients was 41, but one was aged over 90.
Dr Deborah Lee, of online pharmacy Dr Fox, said: “After four hours, an erection is a medical emergency. Without urgent treatment this can even result in gangrene.
“If you notice prolonged, painful erections, consult your GP.”
The NHS recommends trying to urinate, having a warm bath and drinking lots of water to ease an erection.
Other possible remedies include going for a gentle walk, exercises such as squats, and taking painkillers.
Hospital treatments include using a needle to drain blood from the penis, tablets or injections, and surgery to drain blood.
Priapism can be caused by drugs such as Viagra, blood-thinning medicines and antidepressants.
