What you need to know about erection problems
It’s absolutely astonishing how common erection problems actually are. Indeed, it is probably no exaggeration to say that there is not a man alive who was not at some time lost his erection during sex. Loss of erection can occur under many different circumstances, including attempting to engage in sexual activity and experiences which generate anxiety.
In some cases erection problems go away fairly quickly. It’s only when a man experiences erectile failure on several consecutive occasions that he may begin to develop such a persistent level of anxiety that he becomes truly impotent. If an erection problem is ongoing it certainly can damage a man’s sexual self-esteem and sexual self-confidence. It may also disrupt the fabric of his relationship with his partner.
Psychological aspects of erectile dysfunction
Even when there are obvious physical causes, the psychological contribution to ED can be profound. Identifying the problem in the body is often the easy part of the solution for erectile dysfunction. Fortunately it’s not difficult to check whether a man is experiencing firm erections during the night. The so-called nocturnal penile tumescence test involves placing a measuring device around this shaft of the penis and seeing if it expands in erection during the night. Obviously if it does so than the physical aspect of the difficulty is rather less important than the emotional/mental.
Ejaculation problems such as premature ejaculation and delayed ejaculation (if you don’t know what that is, read more here) or delays in ejaculating have only a very limited connection with erectile dysfunction.
Causes of erection problems
- Diabetes
- Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis
- Prescription medications including mood altering drugs such as antidepressants
- Commonly prescribed and over-the-counter medications available for high levels of stomach acid such as ranitidine
- Some heart medications.
- Prostate surgery
- Pelvic injuries which require deep surgery
- Smoking, drinking alcohol, and the use of illegal drugs such as cocaine
- On the emotional side of things, poor communication within a relationship, lack of desire to your partner, emotional resentment, anger, depression, anxiety and a host of other stressful emotions and situations can cause erectile failure.
- Stress, anxiety, anger and depression.
- Anxiety about being good enough lover can produce erection difficulties.
It is true that erection problems become more common as a man gets older. If you are a man who is experiencing erectile failure or complete ED then the first thing to do is to check out your lifestyle. For example, are you consuming large quantities of alcohol, are you smoking, or are you taking illegal drugs?
It’s worth mentioning at this point that good communication between the partners in an committed relationship is absolutely essential. This is not just to maintain sexual desire and interest in each other but also to avoid problems of delayed ejaculation, anorgasmia or erectile failure.
What to Expect If You Visit The Doctor
The treatment of erection problems
This all depends on the cause. However, the treatment of ED in recent times has been revolutionized by the advent of Viagra and its associated compounds. These are are highly effective treatments which work for a large percentage of men with erection problems.
Sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), and tadalafil (Cialis) these drugs are prescribed for men in all categories who have ED. They are phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, a name which refers to the enzyme on which they act to prevent loss of erection during sexual activity.
They are not aphrodisiacal – that is to say they do not promote sexual desire, they only work well as pre-existing libido to increase rigidity of the penis. They do have side effects which can be disturbing if you are not aware of them in advance: these include flushing of the face, a blueish tinged with a vision, muscular pain, and they need to be avoided if you are taking certain types of heart medication.
The contraindications for PDE5 use include any of the following medical conditions (Subject to medical advice):
- stroke
- moderate to severe heart disease including unstable angina, cardiac arrhythmia or a recent heart attack
- heart failure
- hypertension (high blood pressure)
- diabetes
- low blood pressure (hypotension)
One of the best combinations of medication for ED is testosterone replacement therapy and Viagra — at least to those men who are experiencing a drop in hormone levels due to the mid-life andropause.
Viagra for Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction
Viagra (sildenafil citrate) is a drug of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. It was approved for sale in March 1998, so it has been around for over 20 years and its safety record is good.
It was developed by Pfizer as a drug which was designed to help men experiencing chest pain, but its development was aborted in 1992 because it did not show any promising signs of effectiveness as a heart medication. However, ancedotal information about the effects of sildenafil citrate caused Pfizer researchers to consider it as a treatment for erectile dysfunction.
When re-evaluated as a treatment for erectile dysfunction it showed considerable promise: studies on more than 3500 men aged between 19 and 87 years have demonstrated that Viagra works effectively in a number of conditions associated with ED including
- diabetes
- injury to the spinal cord
- prostate surgery
- unknown cause
- hypertension and coronary artery disease
Viagra was so effective that the FDA approved the drug only six months after submission, because there were no issues of any significance, including adverse side-effects associated with it. (Although it has subsequently emerged that Viagra must not be taken with various heart medications with which it can interact adversely.)
When taking Viagra
Doctors acknowledge that the data from the clinical trials and experience over many years indicates that Viagra is a very effective treatment for ED: however, if you are considering using Viagra then it is important to emphasize that there are some men who do not respond to it, and it does not increase libido or sexual desire. This is because it works on the physical response to never imposes produced by sexual arousal in mind or body.
General precautions before taking Viagra should be observed as follows:
- anyone taking nitrates, such as nitroglycerin, must not use Viagra. These compounds in combination can lower blood pressure too far.
- Viagra is only suitable for use by adult men.
- the use of Viagra shows be preceded by a complete medical examination.
- any man at risk of priapism or sustained erection (for example men with conditions such as sickle cell anemia, leukemia or multiple myeloma), or a man who has any penile abnormality should not take Viagra.
- you need to be aware that medications can interact with Viagra and therefore should consult your doctor about any existing prescriptions that you are using.
- Viagra Should not be used in combination with any other form of treatment for ED.
What are the side effects of Viagra?
Viagra has been found to have the following side effects in the clinical studies referred to above:
- headache – 16 percent
- flushing – 10 percent
- indigestion – 7 percent
- nasal congestion – 3 percent
- urinary tract infection – 3 percent
- less than three percent:
- mild and temporary visual changes (blue/green color perception changes and/or blurred vision), with possibly increased sensitivity to light
- diarrhea
- dizziness
- rash
- other side-effects included respiratory tract infection, back pain, flu and joint pain
Side effects that occurred less than 2 percent included respiratory tract infection, back pain, flu syndrome, and arthralgia (joint pain).