Penis pumps make penises bigger. But can they help treat erectile dysfunction, and how effective are they?
Has it ever happened to you, our fellow connoisseur of penetrative sex? You tried to have intercourse, only to find that your erectile function is…non-existent? Of course, you might just have an issue getting it up, which could be fixed with some medication. Alternatively, you can try to fix it the fun way — using penis pumps.
You may have doubts. After all, how can a plastic tube sex toy with a constriction ring, a hand pump, and a release valve possibly help cure erectile dysfunction? Isn’t there a less intrusive way of dealing with ED? Well, that’s what we’re here to help you find out.
What Is Erectile Dysfunction?
But before we get into the nitty-gritty of soft willies and vacuum erection sex toys, we need to define our terms. In other words, we need to have a little talk about erectile dysfunction, also known as impotence and ED. Not to be confused with Encyclopedia Dramatica, though that place also has a plethora of penises).
According to the American Urological Association or AUA, ED is the inability to get an erection (or maintain one) for satisfactory sexual intercourse. And though it’s more prevalent in older men, ED can affect anyone’s life.
If you feel isolated or embarrassed because you suffer from this condition, you can breathe a sigh of relief. On average, as the AUA states, at least 20‒30 million American men struggle with ED. So it’s far more common than people think, though that doesn’t make it any less embarrassing or emasculating.
What Causes Erectile Dysfunction?
To know the main causes of ED, we first need to understand what causes erections. So buckle up; you’re about to learn what makes a penis hard.
An erection is just an increase in blood flow in our groin area. When we feel sexual excitement (‘we’ being men here), a muscle within our penis’ blood vessels relaxes, letting more blood run through the penile arteries. As a result, the blood fills two chambers within the penis, making it rigid. Once the muscle contracts again, all of the blood we’ve accumulated flows down the penile veins.
That process seems simple enough, but what causes it to fail? Well, depending on our situation, we can have ED due to one or more of the following conditions:
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Hormone imbalances
- Low testosterone levels
- Obesity
- High cholesterol
- Blood clots
- Stress
- Aging
- Kidney disease
- Blood disorders (like sickle cell anemia)
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Relationship problems
- Certain prescription meds
- Tobacco
- Alcohol
- Drug use
- Sleep disorders
- Prostate cancer
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Damage to the pelvic area (e.g., due to an injury or surgery)
- Peyronie’s disease
Why yes, that is a hefty list of potential causes for ED! And suppose we want to narrow down what causes our member to remain flaccid during sexy time. In that case, we should consult our doctor as soon as possible.
Negative Effects of Erectile Dysfunction
ED will have a profound effect on our sex life. Men who can’t get erections tend to avoid trying to get sex and lose interest in sex altogether in some extreme cases. However, the negative impact of ED on men is far worse than just a lack of hump-time.
Most men who underwent ED treatment often confessed that they felt inadequate because they couldn’t perform. This lack of self-esteem usually leads to anxiety, depression, and other mental issues. Socialization also takes a nosedive. Men tend to shut themselves from their friends and family. Sometimes, they can even act aggressively towards their friends and loved ones.
The Cleveland Clinic cited the Massachusetts Male Aging Study which conducted research uncovering ED is most prevelant in aging men as 52% experience some ED symptoms.
Erectile Dysfunction Statistics [Infographic]
How Can We Treat Erectile Dysfunction?
Treating ED the right way has been a major talking point for decades. Fortunately, we have plenty of treatment options available, with some working better than others. But, unfortunately, healthcare professionals will often recommend any of these treatments over using a penis pump, especially since pumps tend to work most of the time.
So, without further ado, here are some methods by which we can achieve proper penile rehabilitation.
Medication
ED medications are a dime a dozen, and most good ones are FDA-approved and have a proven track record. Most of them are oral medications, including:
- Vardenafil (Staxyn or Levitra)
- Tadalafil (Cialis)
- Sildenafil (Viagra)
- Avanafil (Stendra)
If oral meds don’t help, our doctor can always prescribe other treatments, such as testosterone replacement therapy. By getting higher testosterone levels, we increase the likelihood of getting hard during a sexual encounter.
However, meds can be a double-edged sword. People who use blood thinners, for example, risk getting ED since these meds reduce the force of blood flow to their penises. And if we happen to use blood-thinning medication, we can’t exactly stop just because we want to get laid. Moreover, there can be severe side effects in stopping abruptly with regular med use or mixing existing drugs with ED meds.
Talk Therapy
No, not all health conditions that affect our penis have to be physical. Sometimes, psychological or mental issues can be devastating for us sexually. Therefore, it’s crucial to talk our ED over with a medical expert.
A licensed therapist will be able to tell us what might be causing us not to get erect. It could be due to childhood trauma, for example, or an unexplored sexual desire that we’re not satisfying. Alternatively, we might be under a lot of stress or suffer from an underlying mental condition that prevents us from getting it up.
Our current relationship might also have problems that manifest in the form of a limp penis. If that’s the case, we might have to consult a relationship counselor. And yes, we know how difficult it is to talk to your partner about your inability to keep it up, but if it helps you in the long term, get that counseling session.
What’s more, talking to your partner about the issue more often might help you get back on the proverbial track.
Injections
In terms of treatments for ED, this one is a bit on the painful side. It involves stuffing a long, pointy item into a specific part of your Johnson. That long item can either be a needle or a prefilled urethral applicator. Based on where this item is going in, the injections can either be intracavernosal or intraurethral.
With intracavernosal injections, you take a syringe, fill it with a particular medication, and then insert the needle into the cavernous bodies of your penis. This action will directly relax the muscles and allow for more blood flow. However, there are some side effects, such as permanent erection (priapism) or corporal tissue scarring. That latter side effect can lead to Peyronie’s disease.
Intraurethral injections involve penile suppositories that men must insert into their urethra to administer a pellet of ED medication roughly an inch inside.
The erection that follows can last up to 60 minutes. Still, there are some side effects, such as a burning urethral sensation, penile pain, and excessive redness due to massive blood flow. Sometimes, these suppositories can draw blood, though it’s usually not that much, and it heals fast.
Nowadays, people use gels with a mix of medication instead of suppositories. Unfortunately, however, there haven’t been enough peer-reviewed studies to tell us how effective this gel method is.
Surgery
When we mention surgery and ED, most people think of either penis enlargement or inserting penile implants to keep our willy up when we need it the most. And while those are options, we can use, other surgical procedures might benefit people who suffer from ED.
For example, let’s say that you have prostate cancer. One solution is to undergo radiation therapy. A more direct option is to have prostate surgery, specifically radical prostatectomy.
A surgeon can remove the prostate gland and seminal vesicles from your body using this procedure. There are various methods to do that. Each of them has a solid success rate; however, we should remember that this procedure involves removing a tumor.
Exercise
Some minor lifestyle changes can also help us maintain a sturdy Johnson. For instance, as girly as they might seem, yoga and aerobics can significantly benefit a man down under. The same goes for kegel exercises for strengthening pelvic floor muscles. In addition, some regular physical activity such as jogging, running, or power-walking can help since it increases the blood flow and promotes movement and activity.
Food
A healthy diet will benefit in keeping that fella hard and eager. In addition to your regular plant-based meals, you can add some supplementary ingredients like Yohimbe, l-carnitine, l-arginine, ginseng, DHEA, and Shatavari. You’ll also benefit from enriching your food with zinc and horny goat weed (no, that last one is not a joke, and no, we intend to keep the full name as is).
Acupuncture
Yes, we all realize that putting needles and other pointy objects in and up our winky is extremely painful and uncomfortable. So we can understand if you’re not sold on acupuncture as a viable ED treatment.
Few medically reviewed papers concluded that acupuncture can help treat ED as effectively as medication or even exercise. Also, if the acupuncture professional makes a single mistake, we might require surgery for a lot more than ED.
Penis Pumps 101
As you might have guessed, modern external penile rigidity devices might be a decent way to treat ED. But before you decide to mount one to the base of your penis and adjust the vacuum limiter, you need to know what it is first. Luckily, we are here to help (teaching you what penis pumps are, not mounting anything onto your Johnson).
A penis pump is a vacuum erection device that uses air pressure changes to pump more blood into the penis, making it bigger. A typical penis pump consists of a long tube, a rubber ring that goes around your penis (similar to constriction rings mentioned earlier in the article), and a battery-operated vacuum device that removes air.
So, to any interested party out there, let’s answer a straightforward question: how exactly do penis pumps work? Should we use a vacuum pump before having sex or a little earlier? Do penis pumps require any special instructions? And no, we will not tire of saying ‘penis pumps’ repeatedly; they are our bread and butter, and we love each and every one of them.
In fact, we have more than a few for our shoppers to choose from, including:
- Battery-powered pumps (rechargeable, of course)
- Wireless quick-draw pumps with snug latex sleeves
- Waterproof vacuum pressure pumps
- Edible enhancement pumps with a flexible tension ring
- Vibrating stimulation hydro pumps
Anyway, back to answering that simple question: each penis pump works differently than the others based on its design. The most common method is described in the paragraph below.
How to Use a Penis Pump
- Optionally, place a penis ring around the base of the pump. We are going to leave the penis ring there for now.
- Apply lube to your penis before placing it into the pump
- Insert your penis into the vacuum tube
- Turn the pump on (if electric) or start pumping (if analog).
- Pump slowly.
- Listen to your body. Stop if you experience discomfort.
- Once you reach an erection, slide the ring from the pump’s base and place it around the bottom of the penis, behind the balls to constrict blood flow.
- Remove the pump.
- The penis is now hard.
- Remove the ring after 30 minutes.
How Can a Penis Pump Help Treat ED?
Men who can’t get an erection tend to suffer from severe psychological issues that cut directly into their self-esteem. So, seeing an erection for the first time after so many months (if not years) is what they need. A penis pump can help any man achieve an erection, and a constriction ring can help them maintain one.
Penis pumps can also significantly improve both a man’s masturbation and his sex life. Some people can’t use them because they don’t feel natural. And really, few women (or men, if you swing that way) are turned on by unnatural-feeling erections. However, suppose we use the pump sparingly and increase the penis size by just the right amount. In that case, it can both look natural and feel amazing for our partner and us.
Getting an erection once again after so long can also help boost a man’s overall confidence. Men who can’t perform in the bedroom or don’t have sexual satisfaction tend to be less productive and more prone to outbursts of anger. By getting hard regularly, we can feel safe and secure with our bodies, which will, in turn, help us succeed in our everyday lives.
Other Benefits of Penis Pumps
As enhancement tools, penis pumps provide quick results. Of course, our penis will not stay the same size after the vacuum effect wears off. But it will give enough of a boost to our sexual performance to give us that much-needed release.
In addition, wellness professionals recommend using penis pumps if we suffer from Peyronie’s disease. A pump with an airtight seal can help straighten the penis and reduce pain during intercourse. It’s possibly the least invasive method of treating this condition.
And speaking of invasiveness, if we want to make our penis longer, using a pump is the safest method. Using injections and surgery will get us results. Still, those can be painful, and a botched surgery will have catastrophic consequences. On the other hand, a pump is as safe as it gets.
The Long and Short of Penis Pumps and ED
Penis pumps are effective, easy to use, and even fun if you know what you’re doing. But, of course, we have to stress that safety is our #1 concern. So, make sure that you treat your penis pump the same way you would treat a sexual act. Don’t rush into anything; slide it in carefully, and if it feels painful or uncomfortable, pull it out and rest.
Oh, and always consult a doctor before giving the pump a try; ED is a significant issue. You need to approach it in the best, safest way that fits you precisely…much like one of our patented penis pumps fits a penis in need of growth.
