Erectile Dysfunction and Permanent Penile Shrinkage

Most men – in the United States – are familiar with the television show Seinfeld. In their 85th episode, entitled “The Hamptons” that aired on May 24, 1994, the term Shrinkage, came into the American-English lexicon.

The scene (in brief): George Castanza goes swimming in the cold waters of the Atlantic. He returns to his room and while changing out of his swimming attire, Jerry’s girlfriend accidentally walks in on him and sees him in Full Monte. George is embarrassed by his state of contraction and claims he is a victim of “shrinkage,” which, as every guy has experienced, happens in cold water regardless of your normal hang.

A penis is composed of a spongy material fed by arteries, emptied by veins, and wrapped in skin. When the arteries open up to let blood in and the veins close capturing that blood inside, an erection occurs. When resting, the artery that allows blood in is pretty much closed. Only a little blood gets through the valve to keep your penis alive. The process is described in more detail in other postings of this blog and in my book linked at the bottom of this page.

The amount of ambient pressure in your penis determines your normal hang and varies from guy to guy, and often from one thought to the next. However, when bathed in cold water, the artery that allows blood into your penis contracts and less blood flows in. Your penis gets temporarily smaller, until it warms up again. Shrinkage is not just a cutesy name for the phenomenon, it’s a valid descriptor. And that’s where the joke ends.

Prolonged impotence – lack of an erection due to erectile dysfunction – allows your penis to atrophy.

The spongy tissue that swells so nicely in a healthy man will shrink permanently.

A man who enjoyed an average 6-inch erection (measured from above the penis as a gauge of the depth of vaginal penetration) may lose an inch or more of this tissue. Those with longer organs will lose more – it’s a percentage thing – and once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. Even if you regain erectile health, your dick will be forever shorter.

If you have the type of erectile dysfunction that still allows you to get even transitory erections – perhaps only through masturbation, alone or with help – then DO IT! Keep your organ in the game. Several times a week, get that erection and keep it going for a few minutes if you can.

And here’s where I advice you against your best interest. Those of you that have read my writings, in my book or elsewhere on this blog, know that I discourage use of the ED drugs – Viagra®, Cialis®, and the others. Their side effects are unacceptable and they don’t address other important health issues that lead to a vibrant sex life.

With that in mind, even if you don’t have an available partner at the moment, a case can be made for the use of a very small dose – 5 mg or less – of one of the ED medications solely for the purpose of promoting regular erections sufficient to keep your penis at its normal length.

Better than this, of course, is to follow the guidelines I’ve set forth in my book, HARD!, that will put you on a course to healthy sexual function, normal erections, and a longer – double entendre intended – happier life.

2nd Edition updated May 2012 is "NOT just for those with Erectile Dysfunction"

HARD! Maintaining Potency, Eliminating Erectile Dysfunction, and Enjoying Healthy Sex for Life is for all men who want to keep functioning well  throughout their life. This concise and powerful men’s health guide provides a protocol for how to do everything right.

Available at BN.com/Nook, Apple, and Amazon/Kindle.

Also available in iBooks, Kobo, Sony and all eBook formats for immediate download:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/65109.