When to Worry About Your Penis Going Numb, According to Doctors
THE PENIS IS an incredibly sensitive organ. It contains many different nerve endings that are necessary for stimulating arousal and getting an erection. But, sometimes, the penis can become numb, meaning you’ve lost sensation (or feel less sensitivity) there.
Having penile numbness is pretty rare, says Laurence Levine, M.D., a urology professor at RUSH University in Chicago. “It’s a very unusual presentation, particularly for an otherwise young, healthy man.”
Still, there are numerous reasons your penis might feel numb, including medication, some medical conditions, or an injury. It can also sometimes just be a perception of numbness without a physiological cause or a result of psychological distress, Dr. Levine says.
Whatever the cause, penile numbness is usually temporary and might cause tingling, a cold or burning sensation, or pins and needles. It can affect your ability to have an orgasm, according to research.
To help treat a numb penis, doctors try to get to the bottom of what’s causing it. Dr. Levine says this usually involves sensory testing with vibration to see if you’re actually perceiving sensation.
“In the penis, sexual sensation is best identified or best evaluated with vibratory sensation,” he explains. “We apply very light vibration, increase the amplitude of the vibration, and frequently we find that they have perfectly normal vibration sensitivity.”
Many guys discover that they don’t have the same level of sensation as they get older, Dr. Levine adds. However, a sudden loss of sensation is sure a sign of a problem. Here’s what could cause penile numbness and when to call the doctor.
What causes penile numbness?
A numb penis isn’t very common. Usually, it’s age-related, where you just don’t feel as much sensation as you used to. But there can be other causes.
Injury to the Penis
Trauma to the perineum, the area between the anus and scrotum, is one of the most common causes of penile numbness, Dr. Levine says.
“Men who ride bicycles a lot and don't have a properly fitted seat can have perineal numbness that can go up into the penis,” he explains.
Prolonged pressure on the pudendal nerve, which runs through the perineum and sends sensation information from your genital area, can cause neuropraxia, a compression injury to the nerve potentially causing numbness, says Larry Lipshultz, M.D., a Men’s Health advisor and a professor of urology at Baylor College of Medicine.
A long bike or horse ride can also result in a condition known as saddle anesthesia, a numbing of the butt, inner thighs, and groin. But the desensitivity shouldn’t last for more than a few hours, says New York City-based urologist Elizabeth Kavaler, M.D., a Men’s Health adviser.
“If your hips and butt start to feel better by the next morning, but your penis is still numb, that’s a sign of trauma,” she says.
Trauma to the penis can result from sex, too. Excessive masturbation, overzealous intercourse, or unconventional sexual positions can cause the tunica albuginea, the fibrous casing sheathing the corpora cavernosa (the spongy tissue running through the shaft of the penis), to tear, Dr. Kavaler says. The injury can be painful and may require surgery to repair.
Psychological Distress
Sometimes, penile numbness can be caused by psychological distress, such as anxiety or a somatic symptom disorder, where you experience physical symptoms without a medical explanation.
“I have a saying that, ‘I think a man is concerned about two things with respect to their body: their brain and their penis,’” Dr. Levine says. “If something goes wrong with the penis, everything falls apart.”
When men worry that they have less sensation there, it often increases psychological distress, which, in turn, might cause them to feel increased penile numbness, Dr. Levine says. “They’re sort of judging that there’s a change that makes them quite anxious.”
Diabetes
Even though it’s rare for the penis to go completely numb, a noticeable decrease in groin sensation could be a sign of diabetes.
Diabetes can cause neuropathy, or nerve damage, especially when you have the condition long term or don’t manage it well, Dr. Levine says. Diabetes typically causes pain and numbness in your hands and feet, but he says it could involve the penis.
It’s common for men not to recognize the early symptoms of diabetes, including intense thirst, hunger, or sugar cravings, says Adam Murphy, M.D., an associate professor of urology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Neurological Disorders and Other Medical Conditions
Multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder affecting the nervous system, could lead to numbness in different parts of the body, including the penis, Dr. Murphy says. MS (and diabetes) might also cause permanent nerve and blood vessel damage.
Peripheral neuropathy, which refers to several types of nerve diseases, could cause you to lose feeling in your penis or other areas of the body, Dr. Levine says. It also might make it difficult to get an erection and ejaculate.
Medications
Certain mental health medications, including antidepressants, can cause groin numbing as a side effect.
A study published in The International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine involving more than 300 men found that taking SSRI antidepressants overlapped with decreased genital sensitivity. In this case, an added wrinkle is that depression and anxiety—the very conditions SSRIs treat—can also lead to a reduced libido.
Dr. Murphy says that meds, whether for ED or mood disorders, are never one-size-fits-all. “People respond differently to different pills,” he says.
Certain types of chemotherapies are also associated with neuropathy, Dr. Levine says.
Smoking and Excessive Drinking
You’ve been saying for years that you’re going to quit smoking and cut back on drinking. If you haven’t gotten around to it yet and have noticed decreased responsiveness in your nether region, your penis is likely sending you a message.
“Tobacco and alcohol aren’t good for the junk,” says Dr. Kavaler.
Tobacco has been shown to decrease the amount of nitric oxide in your body, the neurotransmitter that causes arousal and erection. Long-term alcohol abuse can lead to blunted libido, erectile dysfunction, and permanent nerve damage. Sensation should return to normal within about three months of quitting these substances, Dr. Kavaler says.
Low Testosterone
Low testosterone affects almost 40 percent of men aged 45 and older, though Dr. Lipshultz says it’s rare for low T to cause genital numbness or lessened sensitivity.
Testosterone levels vary throughout the day and are affected by factors such as body mass index, nutrition, alcohol consumption, medication, and illness. Dr. Kavaler says neurological sensitivity changes as the body ages, and you can’t expect to feel as tingly as a 15-year-old when you’re pushing 50.
Low T is also linked with a lower libido and erectile dysfunction so that might cause you to perceive less sensitivity in your penis, Dr. Levine adds.
Men concerned about low testosterone should talk to their doctor. A variety of prescription treatments are available, ranging from skin patches to pills to injections. However, because moderate numbness is usually temporary, you might want to hold off on starting medication, Dr. Lipshultz says.
When to See a Doctor About Penile Numbness
If you don’t seem to have as much feeling in your penis as you used to or you’ve noticed sudden changes in sensation levels, see your doctor, Dr. Levine says. They'll rule out any severe medical problems and potentially refer you to a sexual medicine specialist, who can help evaluate the sensitivity levels of your penis.
“Oftentimes, these things are temporary, but sometimes it may be due to an unrecognized medical condition that needs to be evaluated sooner, rather than later,” he adds. Treating conditions like diabetes can improve numbness, for example.
Dr. Lipshultz recommends pelvic floor physical therapy, which works to relax the muscles surrounding the perineum. “If I were to have a patient with penile numbness or decreased sensitivity, I’d likely send them to a physical therapist,” he says.
For sensory problems, Dr. Levine says the Viberect handheld device, which uses vibratory stimulation to trigger erections, might help stimulate nerves and help re-establish the connection between the brain and penis.
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