The Very Real Penis Health Risks of Smoking

It’s the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, causing about 20% of all deaths in the country. And although current cigarette use has declined from about 21% to about 15.5%, smoking is still too common. While many articles focus on issues like lung cancer when discussing the dangers of smoking, it’s important to realize that smoking can have far-reaching consequences – including effects in the realm of penis health.

The ways in which smoking can potentially affect penis health are numerous:

- Size. It’s absolutely no secret that many – perhaps most – men are very concerned about their penis size. Society’s idea of a sexy man includes the requirement that he be larger than average in the manhood department, despite the fact that skill is far more important than size when it comes to performance and satisfaction. Yet some studies have indicated that smoking can in time actually cause the penis shrink. This is due to an effect that smoking has on elastin, which aids the penis in stretching when it becomes erect.

- Sperm. Men who are interested in becoming fathers want to be sure that their sperm is protected, which is another reason to give up smoking. A 2016 study looked at sperm functional tests in a group of 20 men who smoked and in a group of 20 men who did not smoke. Among the group of men who smoked, there was a significant reduction in the sperm quality in three key areas which could negatively impact a man’s ability to conceive a child.

- Sensitivity. The reason why sex feels so good is because the nerves in the penis are so wonderfully sensitive. If something happens to impact that sensitivity, then sex doesn’t feel as good as it could. Smoking is thought to have an impact on penis sensation as well. It’s a bit complicated, but basically the body reacts to toxins in smoke by sending out white blood cells. An overabundance of these cells can block the accessibility of the nerve endings in the penis, dampening the sensations that are desired.

- Smooth muscle. Those who are familiar with the anatomy of the penis know that the so-called smooth muscle in the penis plays a big role. Basically, when the smooth muscle fiber relaxes, there’s an increase in blood pressure and blood flow, which fills up the soft tissue in the penis so that it can become erect. But too much smoking can cause damage to the smooth muscle, so that it doesn’t relax properly – and that can have an impact on a man’s erection. One study indicates that men who smoke are more likely to have “looser” erections, for example.

- Erectile function in general. Men who smoke have a greater chance of erectile dysfunction in general. There are several reasons for this, one of them being that the chemicals released from smoking can damage the linings of blood vessels, making them less capable of performing their importance task of increasing blood flow for an erection. Smoking-related damage to the heart also affects the body’s ability to pump blood at the desired rate, and a decrease in stamina also plays a role in decreasing erectile function.

Men who smoke are encouraged to take steps to break the habit, which can be very difficult. Working with a doctor or other professional may be required. It can be challenging, but it is well worth the effort.

Stopping smoking can be a boon to penis health, as can daily use of a first class penis health creme (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin). The best cremes contain both L-arginine and L-carnitine. L-arginine helps boost nitric oxide production, thereby better enabling penile blood vessels to expand. Penis sensitivity can be better maintained with L-carnitine, which has neuroprotective properties to benefit the penis.