Why You Can’t Always Feel Blood Flow Decline (But It’s Happening)

Over time, it happens to every man. Your blood circulation starts to decline. It’s happening behind the scenes, and you don’t feel it—at least at first.

It’s a problem that can start as early as your 20s and get progressively worse over time, especially if you do nothing to fix it. 

Although poor blood flow affects your whole body, it often starts in penile blood vessels without your even realizing it’s happening, The result? Over time, this decreased blood circulation in the penis leads to softer erections that are more difficult to maintain. Eventually, it can lead to full-blown erectile dysfunction.

Even if you have symptoms, you might not even realize they’re caused by low blood flow. 

In this blog post, we’ll dive into:

• Risk factors for poor blood flow

• Surprising symptoms of poor blood flow

• How you can boost circulation for stronger erections—before it’s too late. 

Poor Blood Flow—Are You At Risk?

If you have one or more of the factors listed below, chances are good your blood circulation is declining:

• You’re over 40 — Blood flow starts to decline in your 20s, but gradually gets worse as you age. Your vessels become less flexible and can’t move the blood to where it’s needed—including the penis.(1) Decreased blood circulation with aging is why cases of erectile dysfunction dramatically increase in older men.(1)

• You have diabetes — Diabetes and prediabetes are linked to reduced blood flow and erectile dysfunction. High blood sugar levels cause fatty deposits to build up in blood vessels, which eventually lead to narrowing and hardening of the vessels, causing sluggish blood flow.(2)(3) 

• You’re overweight — Overweight and obesity cause poor blood flow. Packing on the pounds interferes with the health of blood vessels throughout your body, including your penis.(4)  

Surprising Symptoms of Poor Penile Blood Flow

Most of the time, you can’t feel your decline in blood flow until it gets worse and causes real problems like soft erections and erectile dysfunction. However, some men can see the following visible signs of poor penile blood circulation:

• Your penis looks smaller — Poor circulation combined with lower testosterone levels with age can cause penile shrinkage.(5) 

• Your penis head is a lighter shade — Blood is what causes your penis head to look pink. If the penis isn’t getting enough blood, the color of the penile head can look lighter.(5)

Symptoms Your Blood Flow Is Declining Overall

As your blood flow gets worse over time, you’ll start to feel more symptoms. Unfortunately, many men don’t realize the following symptoms are due to low blood flow:(6)

• Cramps in the calves, thighs, or hips — The pain usually gets better after you rest. 

• Numbness, weakness, and swelling — Weakness and numbness happen when your legs and feet aren’t getting enough blood flow. Swelling in the feet happen when your kidneys aren’t getting enough blood supply. 

• Varicose veins —  Blue or purple veins just below the surface of the skin on the feet and ankles are a sign of poor blood circulation. 

• Feeling cold — If you’re feeling chilled, especially when others are warm, it’s a sign of poor circulation. 

• Tiredness — Feeling tired is another sign of poor circulation, since your body needs enough blood flow to provide oxygen to your tissues. 

• Poor memory — Reduced blood flow to the brain can lead to poor concentration and memory problems. 

• Problems with hair and nails — Hair loss and brittle nails that break easily are both signs of reduced blood supply. 

• Intestinal problems — Poor blood flow can mess with your digestive tract, causing constipation, diarrhea, or abdominal pain.  

Canary in the Cardiovascular Coal Mine

Soft erections and erectile dysfunction are red flags that your blood circulation has tanked. Erectile dysfunction is an early warning sign of cardiovascular disease and is present in more than half of men with a history of cardiovascular disease.(7) 

Reduced blood circulation is an underlying risk factor for both ED and cardiovascular disease. ED usually happens on average three years before cardiovascular disease and related symptoms.(7) That’s because the vessels in the penis are smaller and first to feel the effects of poor blood flow compared to larger arteries. Improving blood flow throughout your body can improve both ED and cardiovascular health. 

How to Improve Penile Blood Flow

First, you can ask your doctor to order tests to measure blood flow in your penis. If your blood flow is sluggish, you can improve your circulation and your sexual function at the same time. Some of the solutions are only temporary, while others can have more long-lasting effects. 

ED Medications

ED pills improve penile blood flow—but only temporarily. ED medications relax blood vessel walls in the penis, which increases blood circulation to penile tissue over the short term.(8) Depending on the medication, the blood flow boost lasts only from a few hours to a day.(9) 

Injections

Like ED medications, penile injections also increase blood flow for a short time, usually over 30 minutes to two hours.(10) However, they’re painful, and you have to interrupt those romantic moments to do the injection. 

Lifestyle Changes

Losing weight can improve blood flow in people who are overweight or obese or who have diabetes. 

Mild to moderate aerobic exercise is a great way to get the blood flowing while helping to shed pounds. 

Aim for 30 minutes daily of aerobic exercise like walking, running, or swimming. If you’re not used to exercising, start with 10 minutes per day and work your way up from there. 

Acoustic Soundwave Therapy 

Also known as low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (Li-ESWT), this is one of the most effective ways to boost blood flow to the penis, especially over time. Gentle shockwaves penetrate penile tissue to support healthy blood circulation. To discover more about the science behind acoustic wave therapy, read our recent blog post.

You can have treatments done in a clinic, but they’re costly—up to $500 per session. A doctor-recommended at-home device is available at a fraction of the cost.

The Bottom Line on Healthy Blood Flow 

Good blood circulation in penile vessels is key to having strong erections.  As you grow older, your blood flow declines, even if you can’t feel it’s happening. It can actually start in your 20s, but by your 40s and beyond, you may not have enough blood flow to power up your penis when it needs it the most.

One of the ways to boost blood flow over the long-term is with acoustic shockwave therapy. 

Starting the therapy when your blood flow first starts to decline can keep your erections strong and healthy well into your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond. 

Sources:

1. https://medicine.tufts.edu/news-events/news/what-happens-our-cardiovascular-system-we-age

2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38219334/

3. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/how-to-improve-blood-circulation-if-you-have-type-2-diabete

4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2593649/

5. https://www.webmd.com/men/ss/slideshow-ways-your-penis-changes-as-you-age

6. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21882-poor-circulation

7. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8161068/

8. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/erectile-dysfunction/treatment

9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1874251/

10. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/erectile-dysfunction/treatment