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Masturbation Effects On Kidney: Busting Myths & Misconceptions About Masturbation

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Medically reviewed by - Dr Lara Mokhtar, MD Written by - Dr Qudsiya Raiees, MD

Introduction

What is Masturbation?

Masturbation is the act of sexually engaging oneself by touching, rubbing, or moving one’s own genitalia or other erogenous parts of the body to get sexual pleasure and, often, orgasm. It’s a normal and common thing that many people do for different reasons, like exploring their own bodies, getting rid of sexual stress, or having sexual pleasure without a partner. Masturbation is normal. It is a healthy part of being sexual. It’s a private thing to do, and it’s not usually dangerous or bad for your health. Both mentally and physically, masturbation can be good for your health. And it’s pretty much the best way to engage in physical activity because you can’t get pregnant or an STD. When you have an orgasm, your body lets out endorphins, which are hormones that make you feel good and stop pain.

Masturbation is the act of sexually engaging oneself by touching, rubbing, or moving one's own genitalia or other erogenous parts of the body to get sexual pleasure and, often, orgasm.

Warning Signs

Warning signs for Masturbation

How often is too much to do?

  • How much masturbation is “too much” can mean very different things to different people.
  • What one person might think is too much, another might think is perfectly normal.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

Effects on Everyday Life:

  • Masturbation could be a problem if it starts to get in the way of a person’s daily life, tasks, relationships, or general health. 1 Warning Signs | Researched based study from National Institutes of Health

Discomfort:

  • When a person masturbates too often or too hard, it can sometimes cause physical pain, like soreness, burning, or itching.
  • If you have regular physical pain, you would wish to change your habits.

Emotional health:

  • If you find that your masturbation habits make you feel bad about your mood or mental health, you might want to think about whether your masturbation regularity is making you feel this way.

Isolation from others:

  • If you prefer masturbating rather than spending time with friends, family, or doing other things you used to enjoy, that could be a sign that it’s getting out of hand.

Getting worse:

  • If you feel like you always have to increase the number of times you masturbate, how hard you do it, or how different it is to get the same amount of pleasure, that could be a sign of too much arousal.

Remember that masturbation is a personal and private act, and there is no “normal” or “abnormal” amount as long as it doesn’t hurt you or anyone else. It’s about finding a balance that works for you and doesn’t hurt your well-being or life as a whole.

Benefits

Benefits of Masturbation.

Benefits of Masturbation

Masturbation can be good for people in several aspects, both physically and mentally. Here are some benefits of masturbation:

Getting rid of stress:

  • Masturbation can cause endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that make you feel good and less stressed, to be released.

Better mood:

  • When you masturbate, endorphins are released, which can make you feel better and give you a sense of well-being.

Better Sleep:

  • Because masturbation relaxes you and relieves stress, it can sometimes help you get a better night’s sleep.

Sexual experimentation:

  • Masturbation allows individuals to discover their own bodies and what makes them feel wonderful.
  • This self-discovery 2Benefits | Researched based study from National Institutes of Health may increase physical self-assurance and improve interpersonal communication.

Getting rid of pain:

  • When you orgasm, your body releases endorphins, which can have mild pain-relieving benefits.
  • This may help with headaches, menstrual cramps, and other types of pain for a short time.

Pelvic floor muscles:

  • Masturbation can help strengthen and tone the muscles in your pelvic floor, which can be good for your sexual health and ability to control your urine.

Sexual satisfaction:

  • Regular masturbation can help people understand their sexual tastes and wants better, which could lead to more satisfying sexual encounters with partners.

Being aware of your body:

  • People can learn more about their bodies, how they react to stimulation, and the changes that happen during their sexual excitement cycle by masturbating.

Sexual Purpose:

  • Regular masturbation can help keep your sexual health in good shape by getting more blood to your genitalia and stopping problems like erectile dysfunction.

Safe Place to Have Fun:

  • Masturbation is a safe and private way for people who are not in a sexual relationship or who are abstaining from sexual activity to enjoy sexual pleasure.

Balance of hormones:

  • Some studies show that masturbation can have a good effect on the balance of hormones, possibly changing the amounts of cortisol and testosterone.

It is necessary to have a healthy and clear view of masturbation. Even though it can be helpful, you should avoid doing it too much or making it a habit because it could hurt other parts of your life.

Negative Effects

Negative effects of Masturbation

Excessive masturbation will cause negative issues like:

Anxiety:

  • The act of masturbation puts people in a very comfortable position, but when there is a partner involved, there are anxiety worries about size, endurance, and ways to please the other.
  • Over-masturbators may have extremely high levels of the common condition known as performance anxiety.
  • Sexual tiredness and recurring genital infections are potential side effects for both genders who engage in this activity.

Fatigue:

  • Masturbation causes the steroid hormone cortisol to be produced, which contributes to chronic lethargy.
  • Due to the increased metabolic rate, this causes a sensation of exhaustion and tiredness.

Back pain or discomfort:

  • Excessive masturbation lowers DHEA, testosterone, oxytocin, and DHT production.
  • Lower-back pain is due to the synthesis of the inflammatory hormone prostaglandin E2. There will be depletion of these neurochemicals.

Groin discomfort:

  • The pituitary-adrenal-testicular gland loop, which produces oxytocin and testosterone, may cause groin and/or testicular discomfort and agony.
  • Over masturbation has a tendency to decrease this production, and these have anti-inflammatory properties. This causes groin discomfort that may radiate into the testicles and last for a long time.

Hair loss:

  • The body develops high amounts of prolactin and DHEA as a result of the hormone and neurotransmitter response.

Gender specific effects:

The following are some anecdotal reports of gender-specific side effects, although it’s crucial to bear in mind that individual experiences may vary:

In Males:

Penis shrinkage:

  • Excessive masturbation causes the body’s level of growth hormones to drop when it begins early in life.
  • As a result, the penis receives insufficient hormones to develop to its maximum size, resulting in a smaller organ.

Premature ejaculation:

  • Once again, a weak parasympathetic nervous system is caused by a drop in hormones like testosterone and neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.
  • A lesser erection, early ejaculation and sperm leaking are the consequences.

Erectile dysfunction (ED): 3 Negative Effects | Researched based study from National Institutes of Health

  • In certain situations, excessive or violent masturbating may make it harder to get or keep an erection for a short period of time.
  • This could take place as a result of the body’s capacity to react to sexual cues being briefly hampered by frequent ejaculation and stimulation.
  • However, once masturbation patterns are modified, this impact is often reversible.

Reduced Sensitivity:

  • After engaging in regular and vigorous masturbation, some men claim that their penis is no longer as sensitive.
  • This might result in a diminished capacity to feel pleasure during sexual interactions with a partner.

Delaying the ejaculation:

  • During sexual encounters with a partner, some compulsive masturbating males may have trouble ejaculating.
  • This can be as a result of mental connections created during solitary activities or a desensitization to non-self-stimulus.

In Females:

Vaginal Discomfort:

  • During masturbation, aggressive or repeated stimulation may result in vaginal annoyance or soreness.
  • If the lubrication is inadequate or the procedures are harsh, this is more likely to happen.

Clitoral desensitization:

  • Some women may momentarily suffer decreased clitoral sensitivity if they engage in frequent and vigorous clitoral stimulation during masturbation.
  • This could have an impact on how much enjoyment they receive from having sex with a partner.

Loss of interest:

  • A person’s interest in or contentment with partnered sexual activities may decline as a result of an excessive dependence on masturbation for sexual fulfillment.

It is advised to speak with a medical expert or mental health practitioner if you have concerns about your masturbation patterns and how they could affect your health or if you have ongoing sexual problems.

Does masturbation cause back pain?

Some people have had back discomfort after masturbating. It’s crucial to keep in mind that correlation does not imply causation in all cases.

Back discomfort 6 Negative Effects | Researched based study from National Institutes of Health during or during masturbation might have a variety of possible reasons, including the following:

Stress in the muscles:

  • Performing sexual acts like masturbation may cause stress in a number of muscles, including the back muscles.
  • During masturbation, intense or sustained muscular contractions may cause muscle strain and consequent discomfort.

Poor posture:

  • Back discomfort and muscular strain may result from maintaining poor posture when masturbating, such as hunching over or slouching.

Pressure:

  • As with any physical exercise, excessive or repeated masturbation may put undue pressure on the muscles and tissues, which might lead to discomfort.

Typical features of back pain after masturbation include:

  • Lower back ache that is dull or acute
  • Restricted range of motion or stiffness
  • Muscles cramping
  • Pain radiating to legs or buttocks

There are a variety of treatments available if your back discomfort is caused by masturbation:

  • Rest and self-care: Avoiding masturbation for a while, as well as adopting excellent posture, may assist with moderate back discomfort.
  • Stretching and exercise: Strengthening the back muscles and doing regular stretching exercises helps relieve discomfort and stop it from returning.
  • Applying heat or cold treatment to the affected region might help to decrease discomfort and reduce the swelling that caused it.
  • Pain medication: Over-the-counter painkillers may be suggested to treat pain, but you must speak with a doctor or other qualified healthcare provider before taking any pills.

Effects On Kidney

Effects of Masturbation on Kidney

There is a widespread misconception that masturbating harms the kidneys, however there is no solid scientific evidence to back this up.

  • The kidneys, which are located on each side of the spine, are responsible for conversion of excess water and waste into urine.
  • The kidneys are important organs that filter waste and extra fluid from the blood, keep the electrolyte balance in check, and produce hormones that control blood pressure.
  • The urethra is the anatomical organ through which urine is eventually expelled.
  • The internal sex system turns off the bladder when a man engages in sexual activity or masturbates and develops an erection.
  • The sphincter at the bladder’s base contracts. This makes sure that no pee leaks, contaminates, or destroys the person’s sperm cells. Together, the urethra, bladder, uterus, and kidneys all function.
  • Therefore, masturbation has nil impact on the kidneys. They continue to operate as normal.

Here are some things to think about:

Fluid balance:

  • Repeated ejaculation when masturbating may cause dehydration and stress on the kidneys. However, the volume of fluid lost during ejaculation is little and insignificant enough for a healthy person to avoid dehydration or renal strain.
  • Masturbation is not a key component in fluid balance, but being well hydrated by drinking water is crucial for general health.

Kidney Performance:

  • The kidneys are well-suited to manage waste products produced by the body and maintain a healthy electrolyte balance.
  • The act of masturbating does not overtax the kidneys or disrupt their normal function.

Does masturbation cause Renal stones?

  • According to 2020 research,4 Effects on Kidney| Researched based study from Springer Link masturbating three to four times per week may reduce 5-to-10-millimeter kidney stones. Although this study made several intriguing discoveries, more convincing evidence is needed to understand how they are related.

What Could Cause Kidney Pain After Masturbation?

  • If you have discomfort around your kidneys after masturbating, it can be caused by urinary tract infections, Kidney stones, and various kidney-related disorders.
  • If you have chronic or severe kidney pain, it’s crucial to consult with a healthcare professional as soon as possible since the underlying cause of the pain is often complicated and requires immediate medical treatment.

Can Infection Be Caused by Masturbation?

  • Men who don’t maintain adequate personal hygiene when masturbating are more likely to have a urinary tract infection.
  • Abdominal discomfort, a need to pee often, and urine that smells bad are some of the signs of UTI. UTIs may spread to the kidneys if they are not treated.
  • When people don’t clean up after masturbating, Smegma, a thick, white material, may build up around the head of the penis. A build-up might result in foreskin tightness or penile diseases such as phimosis. It could also result in balanitis, a penis infection that causes inflammation of the foreskin and head.

Is It True That Prolonged Masturbation Can Affect the Testicles?

  • In certain circumstances, excessive masturbation might cause testicular discomfort. The epididymis may be the source of these cramps.
  • Epididymis is a coil-like tube found near the testicle. This region may get inflamed from excessive masturbation, resulting in testicular discomfort.
  • Additionally, delaying your orgasm while masturbating might lead to epididymal hypertension. Easy-to-stimulate males are also potential patients for this problem. Your blood pressure may rise as a result of excessive masturbation, and the color of your testicles may even start to change.
  • Additionally, soreness in the pelvic floor muscles is a sign of excessive masturbation.

Precautions

How to avoid infections after Masturbation?

To avoid the entry of hazardous germs that might possibly cause diseases, it is crucial to practice excellent hygiene while masturbating. Following are some recommendations for both men and women to help prevent infections:

  • Wash Your Hands: Make sure your hands are clean before you touch your genital region. To lessen the chance of introducing germs, properly wash them with soap and water.
  • Genital hygiene: Wash your genital region often with water and mild soap. As harsh soaps and douches might disturb the normal balance of germs in the vaginal region, avoid using them.
  • Make use of pure lubricants: If you wish to use lubricants, choose ones with silicone or water bases. Before using, make sure your hands and the application container are both clean.
  • Change into fresh clothes: To avoid moisture accumulation and the development of germs, replace any clothes or fabric used for masturbation afterward, including tissues and underwear.
  • Urinate Right After: Urinating right after masturbation might assist clear the urethra of any possible germs that may have been introduced.

For males:

  • Maintain Proper Penis Hygiene: Use gentle soap and water to wash the penis on a regular basis. Observe the foreskin if you are not circumcised.
  • Thoroughly Dry: After cleaning, be careful to completely dry the genital region. Bacteria flourish in moist conditions.

For females:

  • Clean Front to Back: To avoid transferring germs from the anal region to the urethra while masturbating, be sure to clean your genital area from front to back after using the restroom.
  • Stay away from intravaginal objects: If you’re utilizing things for vaginal stimulation, before placing anything into the vagina ensure they are clean and that your hands are clean. Keep out any foreign things that may not have been thoroughly sterilized.
  • Urinate: Urinating after masturbation may help remove possible germs from the urethra, just as it does for males.

It’s a good idea to speak with a healthcare provider if you have any indicators of pain, itching, redness, or odd discharge after masturbating.

Complications

Complications of Masturbation

Diseases Caused due to Masturbation : Masturbation has the potential to spread even certain non-sexually transmitted illnesses.

Skin-to-Skin Contact and STIs:

  • The STIs (sexually transmitted infections) 5 Infections| Researched based study from National Institutes of Health that spread by skin-to-skin contact have the highest risk of spreading during masturbation.
  • Human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis, and oral and genital herpes are STIs that spread by skin-to-skin contact.
  • Even worse, a mechanism known as autoinoculation allows you to disseminate a STI from one area of your body to another.

Examples include

  • Ocular syphilis or ocular herpes may result from the autoinoculation of syphilis or herpes in the eyes, respectively.
  • Another example of autoinoculation is touching a cold sore on the lips and then the penis. This is known as autoinoculation of oral herpes to the genitals (cold sores)

A bacterial STI:

  • Bacterial STIs, such as syphilis, are far less likely than viral ones, such as HPV and herpes, to be transmitted via masturbation.
  • Infected bodily fluids must get to mucus-secreting tissues that are deep within the anus, vagina, throat, mouth or urethra for these STIs to be transmitted.
  • Additionally, there must be sufficient exposure to the germs, such as by semen ejaculation or contact with anal or vaginal secretions.

Hepatitis A:

  • The hepatitis A virus may easily be transmitted during oral intercourse that involves mouth-to-anus contact by being detected in feces (stool).

Yeast infections with Bacterial Vaginosis:

  • Masturbation may spread a number of non-sexually transmitted genital diseases; however, the risk is regarded as minimal.
  • These include bacterial vaginosis (BV) and some yeast infections.
  • The saliva-filled masturbation on a partner’s vagina might transmit vaginal yeast infections (vaginal candidiasis).

Tips

Tips to control the urge to Masturbate

How to Break the Habit of Unhealthy or Excessive Masturbation?

If you feel like masturbating, try these tips to stop doing it in a bad way. They will help you get your mind off of it so you can think about other things:

Use your time wisely:

  • It’s important to have a hobby that you enjoy. Some activities, like drawing, playing an instrument, writing, etc., not only keep you busy, but also help you concentrate. By doing this, the thought of masturbation is sure to go away.

Keep yourself engaged:

  • People often masturbate when they are lonely and want to connect with other people. So, the only way to stop sexual obsession is to spend time with other people.
  • Instead of masturbation, it makes more sense to join a dating site and talk to someone you might be interested in.

Don’t watch pornography:

  • Porn is the number one reason why people do it. Some ways to stay away from porn sites are to move the computer to a public place where it is less tempting to watch porn, or to stop getting porn sites, porn mags, etc., on a regular basis.

Urinate:

  • Often, the urge to masturbate goes away after a person goes to the bathroom. Urinating helps shrink the penis and bring down the body temperature.
  • This keeps the person from thinking about masturbation and also tells them to use the organ well.

Yoga:

  • Yoga is an old way to calm down that has many health benefits for the body. It makes the muscles loose, brings the breathing back to normal, and gets the body in shape.
  • Yoga is a great way to keep your mind busy and keep yourself from masturbating.

Take a shower:

  • Taking a shower can often help the body calm and cool down. A cold shower also wakes up the body and cools down the warmth of the scrotum. This, in turn, makes it much easier for a person to stop being addicted to masturbation.

Don’t buy sex toys:

  • To stop one from getting hooked on dangerous masturbation, it has been seen that people quickly get hooked on sex toys.
  • It makes sense to get rid of all sex toys because of this. Just thinking about sex toys can make someone want to masturbate.

Plan ahead:

  • There should always be a plan to deal with the times when people are most weak. When a person’s body and mind are about to give in to stimulation, they should have one last thought or action to stop them.

Listen to music:

  • Listening to music can often keep you from thinking about masturbating. Depending on the type of music a person likes, the music can be set to slow or fast.

Conclusion

Insights on Masturbation

Masturbation can’t give you a disease or infection unless you do it with something unclean or with hands that haven’t been washed, like a toy or an item that can’t be cleaned. But this “pleasure” can become addictive, and the person can start to rely on masturbation for their general well-being, which can affect their everyday life. Masturbation is a normal way for both men and women to get pleasure from their bodies. Doctors say that it is a safe way to have sexual pleasure and has many health benefits as well. It’s your sole wish as to you how often you would like to masturbate.

Disclaimer: The user acknowledges that this article's information is being offered for informational purposes only. Every attempt has been made to guarantee that the article is informational and correct. If they have any doubts or questions about their health, we firmly advise our readers to visit a doctor or other healthcare professional.

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