More men in England are being hospitalised with painful erections lasting for hours, the NHS Digital figures showed, according to The Sun.
Last year, there were 326 admissions in England, up 16% from a decade ago.
The average age of a patient was 40, although some of the men hospitalised with the condition were in their 80s and even 90s, medics said.
According to experts, the increasing number of cases of long-lasting painful erection, known as priapism, is linked to misuse of Viagra as well as cocaine. The condition can also be found in men suffering from sickle-cell disease and leukaemia, as well as COVID-19.
If priapism is not treated promptly, this may result in scarring or impotence, medics have emphasised.