A RING worn around the penis could help men figure out what’s causing their erectile dysfunction, and could even signal a deadly disease.
It’s the first ever modern wearable “erection tracker” that gives clues into a man’s health.
Erections - or lack of them - can indicate a number of physical and mental health problems.
More often than not men who suffer with erectile dysfunction struggle to work out why, further causing emotional or relationship stress.
But while it’s easy to assume erections are a signal of libido or bedroom performance, they in fact reveal a lot more about men’s health, especially as they get older.
The Adam Sensor, made by Adam Health, is attached to the base of the penis with a band and worn overnight. It is comfortable to wear under pajamas and is almost unnoticeable, the creators say.
It counts how many erections a man has during his sleep.
Night time erections indicate the erection mechanism is in check - even if it does not work once they are between the sheets.
Healthy men have an average of three to five erections per night, lasting up to three hours in total, the NHS says.
It’s not clear entirely why this happens, but some experts say this is the body’s way to keep the erection mechanism healthy, by keeping blood pumping into the erectile tissue.
The NHS says: “Whatever their cause, most doctors agree that night-time erections are a sign that everything is in working order.”
The Adam Sensor can help reveal why a man is struggling with ED - which has dozens of causes.
If data show he is still getting night time erections, despite struggling to “get it up” in the bedroom, it suggests the causes are psychological, such as anxiety or stress.
But should there be a lack of night time erections, it may suggest something biologically wrong.
International Andrology London is the only clinic you can currently get an Adam Sensor, given to those who are concerned about ED.
Director Christos Vasilakos, who is also founder of Adam Health, told The Sun: “If night time erections are impacted, the most common reason is ageing.
“It might also be nerve damage if you are diabetic, caused by low testosterone or signal cardiovascular problems.”
Mr Vasilakos said the gadget is a useful diagnostic tool and used in clinic to help direct men to the right route of treatment.
It can help them know if their treatment - such as pills to help them with erections - are actually working.
“If you are taking something like Viagra, you might be able to perform, but you won’t know if the problem is getting worse”, Mr Vasilakos said.
“Or you might be using lifestyle interventions, like losing weight, controlling diabetes or exercising, and want to check the natural erections are improving, and you’re not just seeing the effect of Viagra.”
For now, the Adam Sensor is only available to men who have come for specialist erectile dysfunction investigations with a doctor.
But it’s hoped the device will be available to buy for home use by mid 2022.
Mr Vasilakos said: “People count their steps, monitor the glucose, their sleep or fitness - it might be part of the quantitative health men are interested in.
“For the healthy population, you might want to monitor how things are going down there. As we age, things deteriorate.
“You might not feel as good as you felt before and want to try some lifestyle interventions and check they are working.
“Or you might not have problems that prevent you from performing, but want to make you do the right things to prevent deterioration.”
Depression and anxiety can both cause erectile dysfunction as a sufferer's libido is hampered by feelings of sadness or worry.
Relationship issues, lack of sexual knowledge, and past sexual abuse can also be responsible.
Sometimes entering a new relationship is the problem and feelings of guilt are also a known cause.
It's been revealed that men addicted to porn are at risk of erectile dysfunction because their "sexual tolerance is higher".
Erectile dysfunction can become more common with ageing, and sometimes healthy lifestyle changes - such as losing weight, quitting smoking or exercising - can help.
But there are four main types of physical condition that can cause impotence in men:
Do you have a story for The Sun news desk?
Email us at exclusive@the-sun.co.uk or call 02077824104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours
Click here to get The Sun newspaper delivered for FREE for the next six weeks.
The very first symptoms of Omicron you should NEVER ignore
Outbreak of rare drug-resistant 'superbug' hits hospital
You must seek emergency help if you're suffering with shock Covid symptom
I’m an expert and these are the 8 things you should NEVER put in your vagina
© 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP