It sounds like every man’s worst nightmare – your penis can shrink.
While every fella will claim they’re getting bigger, the cold hard facts are difficult to swallow.
Some men can lose up to an inch off their manhood for a variety of reasons.
There is no normal size or shape for a penis, everyone is different.
On average an erect penis measures about 5.2 inches long with a girth of 4.6 inches, according to research from BJU International.
A flaccid penis measures about 3.6 inches long on average, with a girth of 3.7 inches.
Ageing is a sad enough fact of life but we’ve got some upsetting news, boys.
As you age your penis is likely to lose some of his length.
But it’s not just your old fellow that shrinks, your testicles are also likely to get slightly smaller.
One of the reasons for this is a build up of fatty deposits in your arteries which can reduce your blood flow down there.
You know it causes cancer, heart disease and increases your risk of stroke among other deadly conditions.
But this might just be the reason that gets all men to stub out the fags once and for all.
Smoking causes your manhood to shrink.
There are certain toxins in a cigarette that damage the blood vessels in your penis, according to Medical News Today.
Unfortunately, not only does that mean the muscle cells in your member will waste away, it also means that no matter how turned on you are you will struggle to get an erection.
And before you think this is some kind of sick joke, there are scientific studies to back it up.
All medication comes with unwanted side effects, but some measure up worse than others.
Drugs like Adderall, often prescribed for attention deficit disorders, and some antidepressants and antipsychotics.
Some drugs used to treat prostate problems can also cause your penis to shrink.
A 2012 study into the drug finasteride, used to treat an enlarged prostate, found that men suffered from shrinkage and reduced sensation down there.
Another study, published in the journal Urology, found that 41 per cent of men taking the drug dutasteride, also used to treat an enlarged prostate, suffered sexual dysfunction.
As your stomach gets bigger everything else starts to look smaller – you get the drift.
Weight gain is a concern for most men, not just because it can cause an array of worrying health concerns, but because it also makes their member look a lot less impressive.
But the good news is, your penis doesn’t actually shrink when you gain weight.
It simply looks like it has, more like an optical illusion.
The reason it looks a little on the shorter side is because the erectile muscles are attached to your abdominal wall.
On the subject of prostates, men who have had surgery to remove the gland due to cancer may experience a loss of size.
In fact, it happens in about 70 per cent of men who have had this surgery.
Experts don’t know exactly what causes this to happen, but one theory is that a man may experience muscle contraction after the surgery that pull their member farther into their body.
Another theory is that sexual dysfunction after surgery prevents blood from flowing easily to the penis.
Some men experience a condition called Peyronie’s disease, which causes the penis to become curved when it is erect.
It is perfectly normal for a penis to have a slight curve when it is standing to attention, but men with Peyronie’s disease will have a prominent curve that causes pain.
It can also lead to difficulty have sex and erectile dysfunction.
The condition can also cause a build up of scar tissue which, as mentioned above, can block blood flow to the penis and cause a loss of size.
Peyronie’s disease mostly affects men over 40, according to the NHS, but it can affect anyone at any age.
Penis shrinkage is reversible, but in some cases it may be harder than others.
The quick fixes are smoking and weight gain.
All you have to do is stub out the fags and lose some weight and your old fellow will be back to normal in no time.
If it is your medication that has caused a loss in size you need to speak to your GP who can help adjust your dosage to make sure you are not aesthetically impacted down there.
more at thesun.co.uk
