15/10/2023
Erectile Dysfunction
What causes erectile dysfunction (ED)?
ED occurs when the man is unable to achieve or maintain his er****on of p***s to meet his or his partner's s*xual satisfaction. Contrary to common belief, in very few cases, ED is psychological (caused by anxiety, depression, stress, marital disharmony etc). Excess weight, use of alcohol and smoking will aggravate the problem. In most cases, ED occurs because of some physical problems in the body like hormonal imbalance (low testosterone, excess prolactin, diabetes), chronic diseases of liver or kidney, diseases of nerves and spines and sometimes infections or tumour in private parts (prostate, te**is etc). Apart from these, some surgeries (in abdomen, prostate, te**is) and some drugs (used to lower blood pressure, antidepressants, hormonal drugs etc) may also cause ED.
Why ED should not be ignored?
ED should be taken seriously because it increases the risk of cardiac disease, stroke and many other serious problems. In fact, men with ED can develop HEART ATTACK within the next 5 years. Therefore, it's important to control weight by diet and exercise, to quit smoking and to reduce alcohol intake. You should check your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, sugar and weight regularly.
In addition, ED can affect your relationship. It can lead to depression.
What tests are needed in case of ED?
Don't feel embarrassed to take medical help. Today's embarrassment may harm you in future. So, get cured and enjoy your personal life. Firstly, we need to diagnose the underlying cause of ED. There are a number of tests to diagnose the cause of ED. However, we prefer to do the tests in a stepwise manner (initially doing some tests and giving some medicines and if the condition does not improve, then doing further tests). Your doctor will ask you a few questions. Two most important things, your doctor will ask:
1. if you feel hardness when you get up from the bed in the morning
2. if you have enough s*xual desire.
Initially you need physical examination (of your private organs) by the doctors and some essential blood tests (like sugar, cholesterol and testosterone). Pe**le Doppler is needed only if you don't respond to tablets.
What is the treatment of ED?
Regarding treatment, you need to treat the underlying cause (like diabetes, high cholesterol first). There are different medicines that can be used for ED. Usually medicines are advised to take before in*******se. However, there are certain things you should remember if you are taking these medicines:
1. These medicines are safe for most people and major side effects include bodyache and headache
2. If you are taking some other medicines, you should inform the doctors to avoid adverse effects. Particularly if you are taking nitrates for chest pain, or some medicines for prostate problems, you should consult your doctor whether you should take medicines for ED.
3. These medicines do not work if you don't have s*xual desire. Therefore, your partner plays an important role.
4. You have to wait for some time (maybe an hour or two) after taking the medicines to allow them to act on your p***s.
5. You have to take a particular medicine for at least 6-8 times of s*xual encounters before you conclude that such medicine does not work for you.
What happens if medicines do not work?
In 90% cases medicines work well. Subsequently, many people can do well even without medicines by lifestyle changes (reducing weight, stopping smoking) and doing special (Kegel's) exercise. Often, changing the medicines or increasing the dose can help. Sometimes your doctors may advise you to take medicines irrespective of in*******se.
In a few cases, advanced treatments like vacuum device (to create er****on artifically), self-injection in p***s or prosthesis (by surgery) are needed.
What you should not do if you have ED?
If you just take medicines from medicine shop for ED without consulting a doctor, your ED may improve TEMPORARILY but the underlying disease will progress and can become more serious. Therefore, it's important to investigate the cause by visiting the doctor.
What to do if you have ED and infertility?
ED is common in men with infertility. At the same time, ED may be the cause of infertility. Most men with ED can become father NATURALLY if their ED improves. However, in other cases, they can achieve pregnancy by Self-Insemination (collecting semen and putting inside va**na by themselves). IUI or IVF are needed for few cases.
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