The Truth About Erections: Splitting Facts From Fantasy

Blog Outline

An erection is a natural male body procedure. In this particular process the male reproductive organ enlarges when the blood flows toward it due to sexual arousal and morning wood. If you want to learn more about what erection is, the causes, signs, how to stop an erection that is unnatural, why do men get erections, why do I get random erections, how to get rid of erection, how to prevent erections, do adults get erections, what does erection look like, and what is the cause of an erection, and how adding nutritional supplements in the diet can help, then continue reading this blog.

What Is An Erection?

Erection is when the male reproductive organ enlarges in size and is stiff due to increase in the blood flow. This sudden blood flow makes the penis stand up and it grows a bit away from the body, which in layman terms means erect. There are several reasons leading to this erection. However, the widely experienced one is sexual stimulation, or excitement. Moreover, people can experience random and unforced erections. The most common way to get rid of erection is to ejaculate. While in some cases it can go away without ejaculating.

Analysis Of A Penis

In order to get a good grip on the concept, it is important to first understand the anatomy of a penis and how it erects. A penis typically consists of:

  • Two main chambers known as corpora cavernosa, are responsible for the length of penis and are made up of clusters of blood vessels in the shape of a sponge. There are sponge-like spaces that have a space to fill up with blood.
  • The next part is the urethra, it is a tube that comprises a pee and semen (fluidal sperm). This runs alongside the lower side of corpora cavernosa.
  • Next comes the erectile tissues, some important nerves and veins.
  • Here comes the most important part of the penis, the shaft. It is the longest part of the penis.
  • The head of the shaft is made up of glans.
  • Pee and semen comes out from the body through the meatus.

Read More: Do You Think You Need Erectile Dysfunction Treatment?

The Process Of Erection

Erection usually occurs due to the sensory and mental stimulation of the brain. Here, your brain plays a part by sending the messages to your penis via nerves. Once the penis receives messages from the brain it signals the muscles of corpora cavernosa to relax and fill up with blood. When the blood vessels of the corpora cavernosa relax and open up, blood rushes in it and fills it. The blood is then trapped under
high pressure with a series of valves, leading to an erection.

Another penis part known as tunica albuginea that is a thin membrane around the corpora cavernosa aids in trapping the blood so that you stay hard. The way an erection reverses is when the muscles of the penis contract and stop the blood flow leading to a decrease in the pressure and opening of valves, and pushing the blood out. This results in erection loss and becoming soft.

What Is The Normal Size Of An Erect Penis?

The average length of a penis when in the phase of erection is almost 5.1 inches that is around 13 centimeters. Now, one thing to understand is that the size of your penis when erect does not have any link with the size it has when it is soft. In some cases, where people with smaller penis can have a longer than average size penis when erect and the other way around.

Categories Of Erection

Usually people experience erections whenever they are involved in some sort of sexual activity or at the time of morning wood. Sometimes it can be due to unnatural reasons too. Erections can happen due to several reasons that are natural, even when you are sleeping. Here is the breakdown of three types of erection:

  • Psychogenic erections:

This type of erection usually occurs when you think something sexual or have some sexual fantasies. Moreover, these can happen without any physical touch.

  • Nocturnal erections:

Such types of erections happen when a person is sleeping. But, this occurs when a person is deeply sleeping.

  • Reflexogenic erections:

This is the arousal state when your genitals are touched by something. This is the common type you may have heard about oftenly such as masturbation erection or sexual foreplay.

Read More: Male Genital Diseases: Everything to Know

What Is The Reason A Person Can’t Get An Erection?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) occurs when a person is unable to stay erect during a sexual intercourse. This is usually treated with the help of erectile dysfunction treatment, testosterone replacement therapy, and growth hormone optimization. It is a widely experienced condition that impacts at least 10 percent of the general population.

Some of the common factors that can lead to erectile dysfunction are:

  • Blood supplying to the penis is blocked or narrowed that leads to vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis because of the high blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol, and diabetes.
  • Nerves responsible for the sending of impulses to the penis can be a bit damaged from issues such as a stroke, diabetes, or any other cause.
  • Sometimes, when a person is in depression or stress, it can be a major cause of erectile dysfunction.
  • Even an injury can lead to trauma and thus issues in getting hard.
  • There are some medicinal formulas that can make changes in the procedures of erection.
  • Any surgery on the prostate, bladder, or any other major organ in the reproductive system can be the leading reason for ED.
  • Sometimes more weight can also be a leading cause of ED. Therefore, experts apply weight-loss solutions first to overcome the issue.

Is Erection Painful?

Naturally, it shouldn’t be. However, there are some reasons that can lead to painful erections. A common example of it is the pee boners. This occurs due to the natural fact that your penis is not made to let you wet yourself. Surprised? If you ever try to pee while being hard it will surely give that extreme burn sensation.

Another reason can be excessive or harsh masturbation can be a reason of discomfort and pain for some people. So, if you feel pain in your penis after a rough masturbation then take some time and let it rest.

Sometimes, an underlying medical condition or injury can be the primary cause of painful erections. In such a case, it is best to get in touch with a healthcare professional.

Read More: Can Diabetes Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

Why Does Stuff Start Coming Out? Am I Normal?

Imagine, you are erect and you see something coming out of your penis. You may panic at first. However, the stuff is very normal and natural. You may also think that the stuff is not either bloody, green, or even yellow. However, what you see is either ejaculation or pre-ejaculation, which in simpler terms, is a fluid that comes before ejaculation of semen.

Ejaculation occurs during orgasm. This is the state when your arousal builds up and leads to release of semen from your penis. That thin and slippery fluid released during orgasm leads to softening of your penis afterwards.

A quick information about ejaculation: It comprises a small amount of sperm which can lead to pregnancy as well.

How Can You Make It Go Away?

This penis is naturally designed to lose an erection once semen is released from it. Other than ejaculating, some common ways can be:

  • Shifting positions or adjusting your boner, so your jeans or thighs are not touching it and arousing.
  • Diverting your mind from the sexual thoughts into something nonsexual.
  • Distracting yourself by reading something interesting and counting backward.

Other than this what you can do is hide it with something by holding it in front of it until it is softened again such as a jacket or bag. Moreover, if you are wearing a long length shirt, you can untuck it and use it as a cover.

What Is The Average Number Of Occurrences?

Well, there is no hard and fast rule as it is a natural process and can occur anytime and many times. However, a normal male usually experiences 11 erections per day and 3-5 additional at night, but all these erections fall in different types of erections.

Now, there can be several factors that can be the reason for the number of erections you experience such as age, hormone, and lifestyle. However, the best approach is to consult with a healthcare expert if you think that it is becoming serious and a cause of concern.

How Can You Make It Hard?

Two things hold a great importance when you are trying your level best to get hard, one is relaxed mind and body, and secondly, patience. Consider the following details if you have a desire to get hard:

  • Imagining things that make you aroused sexually.
  • Reading seductive stories or books.
  • To make it happen, watch porn.
  • You can look at pictures that are sexual and arousing.
  • Trying a sex toy can work wonders.
  • You can try touching yourself in a pleasing way.

Read More: Testosterone Replacement Therapy And Fertility: A Complex Relationship

Bottom Line!

Erection is a normal and human process. However, many men with erections are not aware of the process, and reasons for erection. In some cases, anti-aging services can also be beneficial in overcoming erection related issues. Therefore, they may struggle with several issues afterwards. If you have experienced or are currently experiencing issues linked with erection, then do not worry, as Revive Men’s Health is here to rescue you and provide you with the necessary details you need to know.

Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely not, as this is a natural human process that can be a sign of good physical health. 

The normal number of erections a male can experience is 11 and additional 2-3 erections in night.

There can be several reasons that can lead to absence of erection. One of the major and widely experienced reasons is erectile dysfunction. 

Reference and Footnotes
  1. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10036-erection
  2. https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sex/what-is-an-erection#takeaway
  3. https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sex/what-is-an-erection#takeaway
  4. https://www.webmd.com/erectile-dysfunction/how-an-erection-occurs
  5. Hsu, G. (2017). Erection Abnormality. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 382–390). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-801238-3.64374-x
  6. Sachs, B. D. (2007). A contextual definition of male sexual arousal. Hormones and Behavior, 51(5), 569–578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.03.011
  7. Waller, D. G., & Sampson, A. P. (2017). Erectile dysfunction. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 239–244). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-7020-7167-6.00016-6
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