| Erectile dysfunction (ED), at times called "male impotence," is the repeated inability to get or maintain an erection sufficient for intercourse.
Hormones, blood vessels, nerves, and muscles (providing they work together well cause an erection. The brain starts an erection by sending nerve signals to the penis when it senses sexual stimulation. Touches may cause this arousal. Visual images can also start the chemical process in the brain.
The nerve signals sent from the brain cause the muscles within the penis to relax, thereby allowing blood flow into the spongy tissue of the sex organ. Blood gathers in this tissue like water filling a sponge. As a result, the penis becomes larger and firmer, like an inflated balloon. After that, the veins in the penile area become closed off to prevent blood from flowing out.
There are a number of triggers of ED. Most male sexual problems are caused by physical factors, such as blood vessel disorders, neurological disorders and abnormalities in the penile area.
In older men, it is commonly due to a physical cause, such as disease, injury, side effects of medicine. Any medical condition that results in injury to the nerves or damages blood flow in the penis is likely to lead to ED.
The incidence of erectile dysfunction escalates with age. About 5% of 40-year-old males and 15% - 25% of 65-year-old men experience erectile dysfunction. Still, it is not an irrevocable facet of aging.
ED is curable regardless of age, and awareness of this fact has been increasing. More men have been seeking treatment and returning to normal sex life because of improved effective treatment options for erectile dysfunction. Some treatment methods include:
- Lifestyle changes (for example, losing excessive weight, giving up smoking, and doing exercise more)
- Receiving specialist consultation
- Drugs (for example, Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis)
- Vacuum therapy
- Implanted devices.
Seldom, surgery involving veins or arteries may be considered for ED treatment. The amount of research being done on medicine for erectile dysfunction treatment is growing speedily. Patients should speak with their family doctor about the latest breakthrough. |
Article Details
