Coping with Erectile Dysfunction
Facts you should know about erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction, also commonly known as impotence, is the inability to get or keep an erection firm enough
for sexual intercourse. Erectile dysfunction can either signal a total inability to achieve erection or an
inconsistent ability to do so. This dysfunction usually has a physical cause in older men such as disease, injury,
or side effects of drugs.
Erectile Dysfunction Causes
ED can occur when any of the events in the sequence leading up to an erection is interrupted. The sequence includes
nerve impulses in the brain, spinal column, and area around the penis, and response in muscles, fibrous tissues,
veins, and arteries in and near the area around the penis.
Erectile dysfunction is most commonly caused by damage to nerves, arteries, smooth muscles, and fibrous tissues.
This damage is often the result of a disease such as diabetes, kidney disease, chronic alcoholism, multiple
sclerosis, atherosclerosis, vascular disease, and neurologic disease. These diseases account for seventy percent of
erectile dysfunction cases.
Risk of erectile dysfunction can also be raised through lifestyle choices that contribute to heart disease and
vascular problems. For example, smoking, carrying excessive weight, and avoiding exercise are possible causes of
ED.
Surgery can also injure nerves and arteries near the penis, causing ED. In addition, many common medicines such as
blood pressure drugs, antihistamines, antidepressants, tranquilizers, appetite suppressants, and cimetidine (an
ulcer drug) can produce ED as a side effect. Psychological factors also play a major role as well.
Erectile Dysfunction Treatments
Treatments vary according to what your physician prescribes and your own personal needs. For many men, making a few
healthy lifestyle changes may solve the problem. Losing weight, exercising, and quitting smoking could help many
men recover from ED.
Next, quitting any drugs with harmful side effects is considered. For example, ask your doctor if you can switch
your blood pressure medication if you believe it’s causing you erectile dysfunction.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy can also help many men get over ED by using techniques that decrease the pressures and anxieties
associated with intercourse.
Drug Therapy
You can choose from a variety of drugs available on the market to treat erectile dysfunction. For instance, there
are many oral drugs that help treat ED. Viagra is the most notorious, but there are other drugs available, such as
verdenafil hydrochloride or tadalafil.
Also, many men achieve stronger erections by injecting drugs into the penis, causing it to become engorged with
blood. Drugs injected into the penis include papaverine hydrochloride, phentolamine, and alprostadil (marketed as
Caverject). However, be warned that these drugs may create unwanted side effects such as persistent erection and
scarring.
Vacuum Devices
These devices can cause erection through creating a vacuum and engorging the penis with blood.
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