Erectile Dysfunction
What is erectile dysfunction? Is it treatable? The inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance is called erectile dysfunction. It is also referred to as impotence and was once a taboo subject. It can be divided into two major categories which are physical and psychological.
Male sexual arousal is a complex process involving the brain, hormones, emotions, nerves, muscles and blood vessels. When they say that it is a physical impotence, this involves the nerves, muscles, blood vessels and the flow of blood into the penis. On the other hand, psychological impotence involves the brain and emotions that causes sexual arousal.
Older men are most likely to develop impotence because of the hardening of the blood vessel. However there are other things that cause erectile dysfunction like:
- Heart disease
- Clogged blood vessels (atherosclerosis)
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Metabolic syndrome
- Certain prescription medications
- Tobacco use
- Alcoholism and other forms of drug abuse
- Treatments for prostate cancer
- Parkinson's disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Hormonal disorders such as low testosterone (hypogonadism)
- Peyronie's disease
- Surgeries or injuries that affect the pelvic area or spinal cord
Men should never fear erectile dysfunction for there are a lot of treatments available both conventional and non-conventional. There are medications, surgery, remedies as well as herbal treatments available for improving erectile dysfunction.
The three most common erectile dysfunction drugs are Sildenafil (Viagra), Tadalafil (Cialis) and Vardenafil (Levitra). These drugs enhance the effects of nitric oxide, a chemical that relaxes muscles in the penis. This increases the amount of blood flow and allows an erection to occur in response to sexual stimulation.
Some of the herbal treatments are yohimbine, gingko biloba (to increase blood flow), ginseng, pygeum, ginger extracts, ripe fruits of the saw palmetto, fenugreek, maca and muira puama. Believe it or not simply changing one’s lifestyle is one way to treat erectile dysfunction. Some of the recommended lifestyle changes are quitting smoking, having a healthy diet, exercising and reducing alcohol beverages intake.
If all else fails, one may resort to surgery. Prosthetic implant is the most common procedure which involves the insertion of artificial rods into the penis. However, implants are irreversible and costly.
Any option you take, one thing is for sure there is a way to treat erectile dysfunction and it will only depend on the cause and the severity of your condition. Remember that these remedies or treatment options are available to you and it is only you who can decide if you are going to treat it or just silently suffer from it.
