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Erectile Dysfunction - RCJ
For centuries, male impotence (Erectile
Dysfunction) has been the topic of hushed whispers. It can
cause a lot of frustrating shame not only for the sufferer,
but also his spouse. This is a common problem affecting as
many as 30 million men in the United States.
Erectile dysfunction is not by itself a
disease, rather a condition brought on by another disease
process such as Diabetes or Multiple Sclerosis. Very often
an erectile problem will have more than one cause. The
causes may be psychological or physical or a combination of
both. The treatment may differ depending upon the cause.
Distinguishing between psychological and physical causes is
helpful, because treatments may differ depending on the
cause.
Psychological causes of impotence
include any type of stress or anxiety in a man’s life. For
example, a sexually active man may suddenly find himself
unable to have an erection shortly after losing his job.
"Performance anxiety" is also a common cause of erectile
dysfunction. Because of anxiety about his ability to
"perform," a man finds he cannot perform - which causes more
anxiety, thus completing a vicious cycle.
The most frequent physical causes of
erectile dysfunction are vascular (blood vessel) diseases.
Vascular diseases may cause problems involving blood flow
into the penis to make it erect. Thus, hardening of the
arteries and other diseases that affect the vascular system
are risk factors for erectile dysfunction.
Diseases that affect the nervous
system, such as multiple sclerosis and alcoholism, can also
cause erectile dysfunction. Some diseases, such as Diabetes
Mellitus, can affect both the vascular and the nervous
systems resulting in the inability to obtain or maintain an
erection.
Erectile dysfunction often has multiple
causes. A man with diabetes, for instance, may be a heavy
smoker and a heavy drinker. He may have high blood pressure
and a high level of blood cholesterol. Each of these
conditions can damage the vascular system and/or nervous
system. Each is a risk factor for erectile dysfunction. When
any of these conditions occur together, the risk increases.
A wide range of drugs —including
antidepressants, antihistamines and medications to treat
high blood pressure, pain and prostate cancer — can cause
impotence.
Impotence may result from an injury to
your pelvic area or spine. Surgery, such as that done for
cancer of the prostate, bladder or rectum, can also result
in impotence.
Although the rate of erectile
dysfunction in the male population increases with age, aging
itself does not appear to be the cause. The causes are
illness, such as vascular diseases and diabetes that may
develop as a man ages, with possible contributing effects
from medications taken to treat such illnesses.
There are a number of treatments for
impotence. Which one your doctor recommends may depend on
the cause and severity of your impotence. If your impotence
has physical causes, treating an underlying condition may
help. If you have a testosterone deficiency, testosterone
replacement therapy may be recommended. And if your
impotence is due to stress or anxiety, your doctor may
suggest visiting a psychologist or psychiatrist with
experience in treating sexual problems.
The FDA has approved several new drugs
for the treatment of impotence or erectile dysfunction. The
drug alprostadil (CAVERJECT) is injected into the base of
the penis with a fine needle. This helps relax smooth
muscle tissue in the penis, which enhances blood flow and
causes an erection. Alprostadil can be an effective
treatment for many men and because the needle used is so
fine, pain from the injection is usually minor
Sildenafil (VIAGRA) was recently
approved as the first oral medication for the treatment of
impotence.
Viagra was designed to be a treatment
of angina ( heart-related chest pains). When the drug was
tested it was relatively ineffective in treating angina. But
many of the men receiving the drug reported an unusual side
effect — unexpected erections.
The FDA recommends a thorough medical
history and physical examination to determine the cause of
your erectile dysfunction before you use the drug.
Other treatments include vacuum devices
to pull blood into the penis to create an erection. Doctors
can also recommend surgery to correct the obstruction of
blood flow to the penis
If other treatments fail, penile
implants made of silicone or polyurethane can be surgically
placed inside the penis at a cost of 10K to 20K.
Anxiety, shame, embarrassment and guilt
associated with erectile dysfunction are powerful enough to
make a man or women avoid sex for a lifetime or destroy a
loving relationship. This is a quality of life issue that
physicians are beginning to recognize and are able to
treat. Don't hesitate to see your physician if you're
concerned about impotence. With such a wide range of
treatment options, most men and their partners can find
something that works for them.
Content
of articles can only be used with writer attribution to Dr.
Kevin Weiland.
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