Erectile dysfunction is a very common male condition and affects millions of men every year. If a man is suffering from erectile dysfunction then he finds it difficult to achieve or maintain an erection to complete sexual intercourse. Almost all men suffer from this condition once in their lifetime. This condition can happen at any age but for different reasons at different ages. For instance, a young man suffers from erectile dysfunction due to anxiety caused by various factors namely fear of pregnancy, using a condom or being caught. At middle age, men suffer from erectile dysfunction due to fatigue, stress, relationship issues and sometimes diabetes. Erectile dysfunction becomes more common with age; however, this does not mean that only old people suffer from it. Only a third of elderly people suffer from erectile dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction effects
The factors that often cause erectile dysfunction are also the effects of it. This becomes a vicious cycle and men suffer from stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and other psychological issues due to their condition.
– Erectile dysfunction can disrupt other spheres of a man’s life as well and upset his personal relationships, career and his social behaviour.
– Erectile dysfunction can cause people in a relationship to drift apart and is known to break many a relationship.
– Erectile dysfunction can also be a sign that something is wrong with your health.
Erectile dysfunction causes
Erectile dysfunction can be caused due to physical as well as psychological factors. Sometimes it is even caused due to lifestyle habits such as drug abuse, smoking and drinking excessively. The most common physical causes of erectile dysfunction are reduced blood flow to the penis, nerve damage, ageing, vascular diseases, systemic diseases, neurological conditions, penile conditions, hormone disorders, prostate or bladder surgery, spinal cord injuries amongst many others.
Even though only 20% of erectile dysfunction cases can be attributed to psychological cases, the factors such as anxiety, guilt and depression can severely impact a man’s erection abilities. Some medications are also known to cause erectile dysfunction; they are blood pressure medications, tranquilizers, antidepressants and sedatives.
Erectile dysfunction treatments and solutions
From ancient Chinese drugs to vacuum devices, lots of solutions for erectile dysfunction are resorted to by men. Some of the age-old therapies and herbs are nothing but snake oils and a random concoction sold under glorious names. Another option available is urethral injections. These injections reported a success rate of 60%. They are inserted directly in the urethra of the penis and help by stimulating the blood flow in the penis. However, this method is very painful and dangerous.
The first ever clinically tested, solidly proven and FDA-approved treatment for erectile dysfunction is Viagra. This easy-to-take oral drug changed the way erectile dysfunction was regarded and treated and this simplified the lives of men suffering from it. After 5 years after the introduction of Viagra, it was joined by other drugs namely Cialis and Levitra. All 3 of these drugs work in the same way i.e. by inhibiting an enzyme called PDE-5 and increasing the levels of a chemical called cGMP. In simple terms, they help by increasing the flow of blood to the penis and help in achieving erections.