Erectile dysfunction

What is erectile dysfunction:

Erectile dysfunction or impotence, is where a man is unable to either get an erection or keep an erection that stays hard enough to have sex. If it’s rare to have issues getting an erection, then there is no need for concern, but if it becomes a regular problem it can bring on stress, affect confidence, and cause issues in your relationship. Problems getting or keeping an erection can also be caused by an underlying health condition, such as heart disease. If your erectile dysfunction is causing you concern, then you should consult your doctor, even if you feel some embarrassment.

Symptoms:

: Problems getting an erection
: Problems keeping an erection
: Lack of sexual desire

Causes:

When a man gets sexually aroused, it is quite complex. It involves the brain, nerves, hormones, muscles, and blood vessels. Any of these can cause a problem, which can result in erectile dysfunction. Also, stress and mental health can play a huge factor or even make things worse. Sometimes both physical and psychological issues can contribute to erectile dysfunction.

Physical causes:

In a lot of cases, erectile dysfunction is caused by something physical.

These include:

: Heart disease
: High cholesterol
: High blood pressure
: Overweight
: Certain prescribed medication
: Smoking
: Problems sleeping
: Alcohol
: Low testosterone

Psychological causes:

The brain is what sets off a trigger of events, which leads to an erection. All this starts with sexual desire and excitement. Some things can interfere with sexual desire and bring on erectile dysfunction. These include:

: Stress
: Depression
: Anxiety
: Mental health conditions
: Problems in a relationship
: Other life concerns

Erectile dysfunction can cause an unsatisfactory sex life, bring on stress, lower a man’s self-esteem, he can feel embarrassed and it can cause relationship problems.

Prevention:

Best ways to try and prevent erectile dysfunction:

: Try and maintain a healthy lifestyle
: Manage existing health conditions
: Regular health checkups
: Avoid smoking
: Less alcohol intake
; Reduce stress and anxiety
: Exercise regularly.

Erectile dysfunction diagnosis:

A variety of steps will be taken to diagnose erectile dysfunction. They will examine you physically as well as your sexual and mental health. You may have additional tests to see if there is an underlying health condition that’s causing the issue.

Physical exam:

Your doctor will:
: Listen to your heart and lungs
: Check your blood pressure
: Examine your penis and testicles
: Check nerve function around the pelvic area
: A rectal exam to check the prostate

Psychological history:

Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms, your sexual and your health history. This way they can evaluate the severity of your ED.

Additional tests:

: Ultrasound: This will examine the blood vessels of the penis to determine blood flow.

: Nocturnal penile tumescence test: This battery-powered device is used to evaluate the quality of nocturnal erections.

: Injection test: During this test, a medication is injected into the penis to stimulate an erection. This allows the doctor to see firmness of the erection and to see how long it lasts.

: Urine tests and blood tests: This can check for any underlying health conditions such as diabetes.

Erectile dysfunction treatment:

Treatment will depend on the cause. There might be a combination of treatments, such as medication and talk therapy.

You will probably be prescribed medication to help manage and treat your erectile dysfunction. Oral medication to help improve blood flow to the penis.

Medication such as:

avanafil (Stendra)
sildenafil (Viagra)
tadalafil (Cialis)
vardenafil ( Levitra, Staxyn)

There is another medication, known as Alprostadil which can be used to treat erectile dysfunction. This can be given in 2 different ways, either as a suppository or injected into the base or side of the penis.
You may be recommended testosterone replacement therapy, to boost testosterone levels.

Talk therapy:

There can be a few psychological reasons to explain erectile dysfunction which include:

: Stress
: Anxiety
: Depression
: Post-traumatic disorder

All this can affect your relationship and sex life, so talking to a therapist should be considered as well.

The P-shot (Priapus shot):

As men get older erectile dysfunction can become an issue, especially from the age of 60 years. It can be caused by smoking, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. The Priapus shot, or what is known as The P-shot was introduced by Dr. Charles Runels. It was developed as a growth factor and stem cell treatment for penile rejuvenation, erectile dysfunction, and to strengthen erections using platelet-rich plasma. It is supposed to increase the quality of an erection, heighten sensation, increase blood flow in the penis and improve the appearance. Just remember this procedure is quite costly.

What happens during treatment:

: A numbing cream is applied to the penis
: An anesthetic penile block can be given to make it completely painless
: Blood is taken as well as highly rich platelet plasma. It is then prepared using the Angel Arthrex system.
: Once ready the PRP is injected into the shaft, foreskin, and head of the penis.

It is a noninvasive treatment and takes only around an hour to perform. There is hardly any bruising after the procedure, or complications. You can go back to your normal everyday routine straight after, such as work, exercise, and even sex.