Erectile dysfunction

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) 

Erectile dysfunction, or male impotence, is defined as the persistent inability to maintain or to achieve an erection of sufficient rigidity to have satisfying sex. It is one of the most commonly untreated medical disorders in the world, and the frequency of ED increases with age.

Fact

Only one in twenty of these men seek treatment. Men are often embarrassed about being impotent, and prefer to avoid sex rather than seek help. This is unfortunate, because consistent loss of erection is not normal at any age. In addition, loss of erection can be a symptom of a serious medical illness, such as coronary disease or advanced vascular disease. Finally, there are many effective treatments available for this difficult condition. 

What causes erectile dysfunction?

More than 90 percent of all ED can be traced to a physical (organic) cause. This cause is usually due to slow and steady decrease of blood flow to the penis, which eventually leads to inadequate and inefficient blood storage in the penis after it becomes erect.

Other factors that can affect your erection include:

• Cigarette smoking
• High cholesterol
• Excessive alcohol
• Diabetes (as many as 60 percent of diabetic men have erection problems at some point)
• Certain prescription drugs, particularly blood pressure and cardiovascular medications, as well as some tranquilizers and antidepressants
• Radiation therapy to treat prostate or rectal cancer
• Pelvic surgery (bladder, colon)
• Radical prostate cancer surgery (60 percent of men, after all types of radical prostatectomy, have impotence)
• Stroke or neurological disease, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis
• Trauma to the pelvic area from car or motorcycle accident

Seek treatment – the options are good!

An occasional loss of erection is nothing to worry about. But if it happens consistently, you should see a urologist. Only an urologist can treat all forms of ED severity, but the good news is; all forms of ED are treatable.

Oral therapy is extremely effective in augmenting the quality of man’s erection such that he is able to have satisfactory intercourse.   Indeed medications referred to as phospho-diesterase inhibitors such as Cialis, Viagra and Levitra work in 65% of men suffering from erectile dysfunction.

Other treatment options such as penile self-injection therapy, external vacuum pumps and the medicated urethral system for erection are in rare occasions an effective long-term treatment

Men who do not respond or tolerate oral medications are best treated with and internal penile pump (IPP) commonly known as an inflatable implant.