Erectile dysfunction (ED) is when a man is in unable to achieve an erection or maintain one sufficient for his sexual needs or that of his partner. This occurs when blood flow to the penis is diminished or lessened and can be caused by a number of medical conditions as well as some medications. Most men experience some form of loss of erection at some point in their lives. This usually happens by the age of 40 but is not psychologically affected by this.
Some men experience a more severe or complete dysfunction (impotence) yet others experience brief or partial erections. Men who experience frequent erectile dysfunction can suffer from emotional and relationship problems and often suffer from low self-esteem. There are many causes of erectile dysfunction. Most are treatable.
The Term "erectile dysfunction" can mean the inability to achieve erection, an inconsistency to do so, or the ability to achieve only brief erections. These various definitions make it difficult to estimate the exact number of incidents directly caused by ED. According to the National Institutes of Health, in 2002, an estimation of 15 to 30 million men in the United States experienced a chronic form of erectile dysfunction at some period in their lives.
According to the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), approximately 22 out of every 1000 men in the U.S sought medical help for Erectile Dysfunction in 1999. Incidents increase with age. Chronic Erectile Dysfunction affects 5% of men in their 40's and increases to 15/25 % by the age of 65. Yet at the other of the scale, transient ED and inadequate erections affect as many as 50% of all men at some stage in their lives between the age of 40 and 70.
ED is treatable at any age. More and more men nowadays seek help nowadays and have returned to normal sexual activity due to the improved successful treatments. The most common cause of erectile dysfunction is damage to the arteries, nerves, tissues, muscle or fibrous tissue. This is often linked to certain diseases such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, diabetes or chronic alcoholism or multiple sclerosis. Theses account for at least 70% of all cases relating to erectile dysfunction.
Nerves damaged due to surgery procedures, especially surgery for prostate or bladder cancer can also lead to this condition, as can physical injuries to the penis, spinal cord or pelvis. Medications can also be responsible for ED due to their adverse side effects. Common drugs like blood pressure tablets, antihistamines, tranquilizers and antidepressants could possibly cause this problem.
Treatments for erectile dysfunction vary. Most doctors suggest that treatments proceed from least to most invasive. For some men, making simple life-style changes is enough to solve the problem. Stopping smoking, losing excess weight and exercising may be enough for some men to regain their sexual function. Changing certain medications with harmful side effects, for example, drugs for high blood pressure can be enough to solve the problem, consulting with your doctor will be able to establish this. Psychotherapy and behavioural modifications in selected patients are considered next if indicated, followed by pills or locally injected drugs, vacuum devices and surgical implants. In rare cases surgery to the veins or arteries may be required.
