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A men’s mountain bike trip raises the level of adrenaline, but also increases the risk of urethral damage. As a consequence, the cyclist may have potency problems.
Riding on a stone while descending a steep slope or falling onto the bicycle frame can damage the urethra. As a result of this trauma to the perineum, the urethra is crushed against the pubic symphysis and is damaged. Unfortunately, constrictions are formed in the urethra during healing. This process reduces its circumference, thereby reducing the cross-sectional area. This can cause many problems because the narrowed coil is no longer as clear as it was before the injury.
Consequences of urethral trauma
The effects of a bicycle accident can be felt immediately or show up even many years after the incident. After urethral trauma, depending on its location and extent, it may also lead to potency disorders, ejaculation disorders, and urinary incontinence. However, it should be remembered that erectile dysfunction can occur not only after an injury, but also after cycling a long distance. This is probably related to the prolonged compression of the saddle on the perineal vessels and nerves.
Structure of the urethra in men
The male urethra is a long tube that runs from the bladder to the end of the penis. It is an important tube because it is used to expel urine from the body and it is a tunnel through which sperm come out. The length of the coil in an adult male ranges from 15 to 20 cm. Under proper conditions, it has a diameter of about 10 mm. If the diameter of the coil is halved, the coil lumen will be reduced by approximately 25%. In practice, this causes a visible impairment of urine outflow.
Urethral stricture may be congenital or caused by other factors, including a bruise on a bicycle.
Symptoms of narrowing of the urethra
The primary symptom of urethral stricture is a slower or weaker urine stream. It is not uncommon that the urine may be completely retained. Other symptoms include intermittent flow of urine, constriction and spattering of the urine stream. All these symptoms indicate an increase in resistance to urine flow at the urethral level.
Very often, there are also symptoms related to the irritation of the lower urinary tract, such as pollakiuria, urgency to urinate and painful urination.
Visit to the urologist
If you experience such symptoms, it’s best to go to the urologist straight away, where your doctor may do an X-ray or endoscopy and check the coil. Doctor Jacek Judycki, a urologist from the Mazovia urology hospital in Warsaw, explains that the treatment of urethral stricture can be difficult. – It is most often treated endoscopically. The doctor inserts a camera into the coil and a surgical tool which removes the narrowing. Surgery, sometimes a mucosa transplant, may be necessary in the event of relapses. Remember the adrenaline rush is pleasant, but not at all costs.
Text: Halina Pilonis