When a hard lump or plaque is formed men's penis causing it pain, curvature and distortion in the ? they are suffering from Peyronie's disease. It is a condition that occurs in about 1% of men, most commonly in men aged 40 to 60 years, also with young and elderly men. The incidence is so high because men are so reluctant to ask for medical help.

The disease causes very uneven degrees of deformity and inconvenience. Some men are having difficulty. Worst thing is some find sexual intercourse physically impossible. Men should consult medical advice even though some men don't mind having it treated.

Here are the symptoms of Peyronie's:

? A lump within the shaft of the penis: this can slowly develop over several months and frequently takes 12 to 18 months to reach its full extent.

? Pain in the shaft of the penis: two-thirds of men with Peyronie's disease will experience pain in the penis. In most cases, it will gradually settle down and disappear without treatment in a few months.

? Abnormal angulations of the erect penis ('bent' penis): during the 12 to 18 months that the plaque or lump is developing, the deformity of the erect penis can change - 30 to 40 per cent get worse, 10 to 20 per cent get better and 50 per cent remain the same.

As a consequence, some men develop varying degrees of erectile dysfunction (impotence). This can vary from a complete inability to attain and/or maintain an erection adequate for satisfactory sexual experience to a slight reduction in penile rigidity.

When the penis becomes erect, the inner tubes (corpora cavernosa) inflate, filling the space within the tunica albuginea, making it more rigid. In Peyronie's disease, tough, fibrous plaques spontaneously appear within the tunica albuginea, and are felt as tender lumps. When the penis becomes erect, it inflates unevenly and tends to bend around the plaque, causing the characteristic deformed appearance of Peyronie's disease.

One in three men with Peyronie's have pain or penile bending when erect as their principal symptom. Experts are not certain why some men get Peyronie's disease and others do not. Several factors might be involved, including:

1. Genetics

2. Injury

3. Circulatory Disorders

4. Diabetes

The good news is that correction for Peyronie's disease is available and only in very few cases involves surgery. Most of the times the body will cure itself (to some extent at least), so doctors recommend a period of 8 to 12 month before surgery.

Here's the treatment of Peyronie's disease:

? Drug Therapy

It is very controversial because it can have numerous side effects and has not yet been proven very effective.

? Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy

Shockwaves are directed at penile plaques and can significantly reduce deformities in established, stable disease;

? Surgery

It is the last resort because of extreme risk of scars, injuries, infections etc.

? Penis Stretchers

It may be used to reduce the curvature of the penis. Penis traction devices will not damage your penis further more, but in some cases they may have only limited effect on correcting penile curvature.