Erectile Dysfunction also known as ED, is the most frequent sexual problem men bring to their doctors. It is an issue that affects up to 30 million males.
ED is the term used to describe difficulty finding or maintaining an erection strong enough to allow sexual activity.
While it’s not unusual for men to experience issues with erections occasionally, ED that is progressive or is a regular happening with sex isn’t typical and should to address.
Erectile Dysfunction can occur:
- Most of the time, penis blood flow is restricted, or nerves are damaged.
- Due to emotional or physical stress
- As a warning sign of more severe diseases such as atherosclerosis (hardening or blocking arterial) and heart disease, high blood pressure, or high blood sugar due to Diabetes.
Finding out the reason the cause of your Erectile Dysfunction will allow you to address the issue and assist in your general well-being. The best thing for your health and heart is beneficial for your sexual health.
How Erections Work
During sexual arousal, nerves release chemical substances that boost blood flow to the penis. Blood flows through two erection chambers within the penis, spongy muscles (the corpus cavernosum). Corpus cavernosum’s sections aren’t hollow.
During the process of erection, the spongy tissues relax and keep blood. The pressure that blood flows through the chambers of the penis makes it stiff, which results in a sexual erection. If a man experiences an orgasm, another set of nerve signals are sent to the penis, causing the muscles in the penis to relax, blood flow back into the circulation of a man and the erection is lower.
If you’re not sexually stimulating, the penis can be fragile and limp. Men might observe how large the penis changes in response to cold, warmth, or stress. It is normal and shows the proportion of blood that flows into and goes out of the penis.
Symptoms
When you have Erectile Dysfunction (ED) In the case of ED, achieving or maintaining an erection that is sufficiently firm for sexual sex can be difficult. If Erectile Dysfunction is a common and annoying issue, your primary healthcare doctor or Urologist may aid you.
E.D. can be a severe indicator of heart disease, indicating that blocks form in a man’s vascular system. Certain studies have shown that men who suffer from ED are at a higher risk of having a stroke, heart attack, or circulatory problems in their legs. Erectile Dysfunction is also a cause of:
- Self-esteem is low.
- Depression
- The man is in a state of distress, as is his companion
If ED affects a man’s health or relationships with others, it is essential to treat it. Treatments aim to correct or improve erectile dysfunction, aid in the maintenance of circulatory health, and improve men’s live a better life.
Causes
Erectile Dysfunction may result from emotional problems, health problems, or both. Certain risk elements that are known to cause ED to include:
- Being over age 50
- High levels of blood sugar (Diabetes)
- High blood pressure
- Being a victim of cardiovascular disease
- A high level of cholesterol
- Smoking
- Drinking excessively alcohol
- Being obese
- The lack of exercise
Although ED is more prevalent as men get older, getting old doesn’t necessarily mean it’s likely to trigger ED Many men are sexually functional until their 80s. The onset of ED may indicate a more significant health issue. Recognizing and treating the root cause of ED is the first step.
Physical Causes of Erectile Dysfunction
ED Scours when:
- The penis isn’t supplying enough blood flow into the penis.
- Numerous health conditions can decrease penis blood flow, like hardening arteries, heart disease, Diabetes (Diabetes), and smoking.
- The penis cannot trap the blood that is emitted during an erection.
- If blood cannot remain in the penis, men cannot keep an erection. This can occur at any time.
- Signals from the brain or spinal cord cannot get to the penis.
- Specific ailments, injuries, or surgical procedures in the pelvic region can damage the penis’ nerves.
- Diabetes can lead to small vessel disease or damage to the penis’ nerves.
- Treatments for cancer near the pelvis could change the function of the penis.
- The procedure of surgery and radiation therapy for cancers of the pelvis or lower abdomen may cause ED Treatment of the prostate, colon-rectal, or bladder cancer usually results in men suffering from ED Cancer patients should visit a Urologist for any sexual health concerns.
- Treatments for other health conditions can negatively impact erections.
- Patients should discuss the side effects of medications with their primary care physicians.
Emotional Causes of Erectile Dysfunction
Regular sexual sex requires the body and mind to work together. Troubles with relationships or emotions could cause or exacerbate ED.
The most common emotional triggers that trigger ED include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Conflicts in relationships
- Stress at work or home
- Stress caused by cultural, social, or religious conflict
- Be worried about your sex’s performance
Diagnosis
Finding out the cause of your ED can help narrow the treatment options.
Diagnosing ED begins with your healthcare provider asking about your vascular and heart health and erection issues. Your doctor may also offer you a physical examination and lab tests or refer you to a Urologist.
Health and Erectile Dysfunction History
The doctor will ask questions regarding your health background and your lifestyle. It’s beneficial to discuss the facts regarding substances you are taking or smoking or how much alcohol you consume. The doctor will inquire about recent stressful events that have affected your life. Talk to your doctor about it openly so that they can assist you in making the right choices to treat your condition.
Treatment
Treatment for ED starts by maintaining your heart health and cardiovascular health. Your doctor might suggest risk factors that could be improved or changed.
You might be required to alter your eating habits, stop smoking, exercise more, or stop taking alcohol or drugs. There may be alternatives to the substances you currently take. (Never alter or stop taking prescription medications without discussing them with your health care professional.)
Your doctor might also recommend the treatment of emotional issues. They could result from conflict in relationships, life stresses, depression, anxiety, or previous matters associated with ED (performance anxiety).
The following treatments can be used to manage ED directly.
ED Treatments
The non-invasive treatment is often considered first. The majority of the most well-known therapies for ED are effective and secure. It is still advisable to inquire with your doctor about any side effects that might be a result of each treatment:
- Erectile Dysfunctions treatment medicines like Cenforce, Fildena, Vidalista, Kamagra, and related pills referred to as doctors commonly use phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors in the U.S. for ED.
- Testosterone Therapy (when low testosterone levels are detected in blood tests)
- Penile Injections (ICI, intracavernosal Alprostadil)
- Intraurethral medicine (I.U. Alprostadil, I.U.)
- Vacuum Erection Devices
- Penile Implants
- Surgery to relieve the artery that causes harm to the penile for older men with an extensive history of pelvic trauma. Penile vascular surgery isn’t recommended for older men with hardened arteries.
Oral Drugs (PDE5 inhibitors)
Drugs referred to in the field of PDE type-5 inhibitors boost blood flow to your penile. They are the only oral medications approved within the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration to be used in treatments for ED.
- Sildenafil citrate
- Vardenafil
- Tadalafil
- Avanafil
To get the best results, males with ED are advised to take these drugs for around an hour or so before having sexual relations. These drugs are required to maintain regular nerve function for the penis. PDE5 inhibitors boost normal erectile reactions, which aids in blood flow to the penis. Take these medications as directed. Seven out of 10 males do well and experience better erections. The rates of reaction are lower in cancer patients and diabetics.
If you take nitrates for your heart, you should not assume or accept any PDE5 inhibitors. Always talk to your physician before applying any PDE5 inhibitor to understand the effects it may have on your health.
Most of the time, adverse effects of PDE5 inhibitors are not severe and typically last only the time. The most often reported adverse effects to include:
- Headache
- Stuffy nose
- Facial flushing
- Muscles hurt
- Indigestion
In rare instances, the drug Viagra (r) may cause blue-green shades to the vision, which lasts for a brief period. In some cases, the drug Cialis (r) may cause or worsen back pain and aching muscles in your back. Most of the time, the adverse symptoms are attribute to PDE5 inhibitory impacts on other tissues within the body. This means that they’re affecting blood flow to the penis while simultaneously affecting the other vascular tissues of your body. These are not “allergic reactions.
After Treatment
The treatments used to treat ED (except for surgery to implant) are utilized for sex and then worn off. The treatments can help alleviate symptoms but don’t address the underlying issue in the penis.
If treatments for medical problems don’t take as long as you’d like them to:
- Altering the dosage (for PDE5i, IU, or ICI alprostadil) according to the doctor’s prescription can be beneficial.
- A second look at the instructions could identify a missing step from the treatment strategy.
- Considering a different path may be necessary: emotional/relationship counselling, a vacuum erection device, or a penile implant are all excellent alternatives when other methods fail. Don’t give up!