Erectile Dysfunction and reasons of ED

Erectile Dysfunction, also known as Impotence, is a condition which effects many men worldwide with recent figures indicating that the condition can effect as many as 1 out of every 10 men at any given time throughout the course of their lives. As with most medical conditions or ailments, there is not one conclusive underlying cause of the condition but many possible reasons why sexual dysfunction amongst men can occur. The more common of these reasons, which can be both physical and psychological, will be explained below in this article and may be able to provide some much needed explanation of why this condition can occur.

Vascular Disease:

This condition, which is scientifically known as Arteriosclerosis, is a process defined by the hardening of a person’s arteries which can often lead to erectile dysfunction. There are many attributing factors to the developing of this condition such as diet, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and lifestyle choices like smoking, which over a number of years can cause this hardening to take place. Vascular disease is often associated with age and can account for as many as 65% of all erectile dysfunction cases in men over the age of 60.

Prescription Medication:

At present there are well over 200 prescription treatments which are known to cause or at least contribute to the development of erectile dysfunction. These commonly prescribed medications (viagra, cialis, levitra) can include treatments for depression, hypertension, cardiovascular conditions as well as sedatives and tranquilizers. In addition to these treatments there are a number of other substances, such as prohibited recreational drugs which are also known to be responsible for the development of this condition.

Diabetes:

Diabetes is a condition which is caused by high levels of sugar within the blood, which over a number of years can cause substantial damage to both the nerves and blood vessels found throughout the body. This condition is one of if not the single highest physical cause of erectile dysfunction cases with as many as 60% of men with ED as a direct result of Diabetes.

Peryonie’s Disease:

This condition is extremely rare and is more frequent in men who are advancing in age. It is an inflammatory condition, which causes considerable scarring of the tissue found within the penis which causes abnormal curvature of a man’s penis. This condition can often interfere with the sexual function of its sufferers as well as causing erections to be considerably painful.

Venous Leak:

Venous Leak is a condition where by the veins found within the penis are unable to prevent blood from flowing out, causing an erection to be lost. This condition can be occur for a number of different including disease, injury or other general damage to the veins which are located within the penis.

Hormone Disorders:

It is possible for erectile dysfunction to be caused by a deficiency in the amount of sex hormones, such as testosterone, found within the body. This physical accounts for less than 5% of all impotence cases and can not only make achieving an erection difficult but these disorders may also cause a decrease in sex drive and libido amongst men. This may two causes for the development of a hormone disorder such as this are an excess amount of a hormone called prolactin, often caused by a tumor of the pituitary gland, or from liver or kidney disease which can cause an imbalance of these hormones within the body.

Neurologic Conditions:

Another cause of impotence can be neurologic conditions, including brain or spinal cord injuries such as stroke, paraplegia, etc. These can also be accompanied by a number of nerve disorders including the likes of parkinson’s disease, alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis commonly known as MS.

Psychological Conditions:

In addition to the numerous physical causes of this condition there are also a number of psychological reasons why erectile dysfunction can occur. These reasons, which usually bring about the condition temporarily, include depression, stress, anxiety, guilt and a whole host of different forms of psychiatric ailments. These conditions often also lower a patients want or desire for sex as well as directly inhibiting the erection process.

Erectile Dysfunction [ED], this term scares most people off their bones. To be honest it is not a condition anyone would wish to be into. We know how men are egoistic and this is among the things that can kill their egos. To those who do not know what ED is I would just give a brief description to make everyone be at par.

Some people call it impotence. Is that a little familiar? Well, the term describes the inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. Sometimes the other problems that would normally interfere with intercourse or reproduction like lack of sexual urge or even ejaculation and orgasm problems are entailed here.

That having been said, we now have some knowledge of what is involved. This should not make us fear or rather seclude those whom we loved before. You need to keep in mind that this problem is not self inflicted. No one would wish to have ED. The other thing is that those who have ED can improve if they are encouraged. You need to keep encouraging those who are in this problem.

All is not lost for those with ED. There are efforts being made to try and ensure that things are working for them. For instance, there are treatments like the vacuum devices and some injectables that are now being used to try and curb the problem. There has also been Viagra that is also used since 1998. These things work! You need not die of psychological trauma yet there’s help somewhere. If you are suffering from ED, you need to get one of these cures to help you.

As already mentioned, no one wishes to have ED. Some aged men have ED because of an injury, disease or side effects of drugs. These people also never knew that they would end up with ED. You must not blame them. The secret with ED is that the people affected need a lot of encouragement and empathy. If it is your spouse or even a friend, genuine empathy will really help them in the healing process. Most ED problems are psychological. Psychology is more of what someone else perceives me to be. If I know that you don’t take me to be any less, I will be fine. That is what these people need from us.

I want to assure you that I know of people who have been able to successfully battle ED. Even the improved ED treatments and counseling has helped so many people regain their normal sexual activity. You may also need to see urologist just to be sure that your problem is not originating from the urinary tract. However, if it does, there is some help these specialists can offer you. What you need to ensure is that the person who has ED gets enough support and explores all the options there are in regaining sexual activity.

In summary, those who suspect they may be suffering ED must ensure that they undergo the following diagnostic checks:

* Patient History
* Physical Examination
* Laboratory Tests
* Psychosocial Examination

If any of the above proves positive, then any of these three options should be sought.

* Drug treatment
* Vacuum devices
* Psychotherapy

This means that ED should not be the end of the road. Together we can battle it and live normally again.

A brief overview

Previously known as impotence, erectile dysfunction is the inability of the male to attain or sustain erection of the penis sufficient for sexual intercourse. The intensity of this

disease can range from:

* Infrequent inability to achieve an erection.
* Inability to maintain erection during intercourse.
* Complete inability to get an erection at any time.

Erectile dysfunction is a very common disease. It has been estimated that one in every ten men has experienced or will experience this disease at some point in life. Recent surveys also show that around fifteen to thirty million men in the United States of America are currently facing this issue.

Causes

Before going into the causes, a sufficient understanding of how the male achieves erection is necessary. The first step is that of the sexual arousal. This can be induced either by physical contact to the penis shaft or by a psychological arousal by words or thoughts, feelings or even imagination. This is followed by a nerve impulse by which the brain sends a signal to the nervous system which results in increased blood flow.

Subsequently, the increased blood flow in the blood vessels of the penis results in erection. Any change or hampering effect to this process can result in erectile dysfunction. Thus the cause of this disease can be physiological or psychological. The psychological causes can be increased stress, depression and fatigue.

The physiological causes include a number of possibilities. A damaged nervous system with spinal cord and brain injuries can be one of the reasons. A hormonal imbalance may result in low levels of testosterone. Cardiovascular issues combined with arterial disorders may result in a poor flow of blood to the penile shaft. Patients, sufferings from diseases such as diabetes, kidney failure can suffer from erectile dysfunction.

The disease can also result as a ramification of medication such as anti-depressants, sleeping pills, tranquilizers. Medicine used to combat high blood pressure can result in an interference with the nervous system leading in a poor blood supply to the penis.

An unhealthy lifestyle can also lead to erectile dysfunction. Alcohol abusers, smokers, drug addicts have commonly complained about erectile dysfunction.

Diagnosis

There are a number of ways by which the disease can be diagnosed. The patient’s medical and sexual history can provide important information. A physical inspection of the penis can be done. Its responsiveness to the physical touch can be analysed.

Other tests include procedures to check the sensitivity (Penile biothesiometry), to check whether the nervous system is still intact (Penile nerves function) and to evaluate whether a proper blood flow is still being maintained in the penile shaft (Duplex ultrasound).

Treatment

The treatment is obviously related to the cause of the disease. A healthy lifestyle is always encouraged by the health experts. Quitting smoking, moderating alcohol intake, eating nutritious food is always a good start no matter what the problem may be.

For the psychological causes, psychotherapy is a good option. Well planned sessions are used to reduce anxiety levels; moderate use of anti- depressants is encouraged. The sex partner’s involvement is essential for intimacy and arousal.

The other treatments more often than not are temporary in nature. They help to carry out the intercourse session properly and the desired effect will last only that long. Oral drugs have been very popular since the introduction of Viagra since 1998. The oral tablets enhance the effect of nitric oxide which helps to relax the penile muscles increasing the blood flow. These drugs can also be used in the form of injections.

Vacuum constrictors can also be used to increase the blood flow in the penis. Creams, applied directly to the penis are also helpful. Surgery is another option. It can be used to plant rods inside the penis to keep it erect. Surgery can also be used to repairs the arteries for proper blood flow or to block veins to reduce blood outflow.

Research is being carried out at various levels to improve such treatments and to reduce their side-affects in the attempt to help men around the globe to retain their ‘masculinity’.