Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection firm enough for satisfactory sexual activity. It affects approximately one hundred million men in the world. Underlying medical conditions are the leading cause of erectile dysfunction but can also result from depression, trauma, and certain medications. Erection dysfunction can occur at any age, but its likelihood increases with age. Some people assume erectile dysfunction Mount Vernon to be a normal thing as age progresses, but it is a disorder that requires medical attention. Having erection challenges from time to time is not necessarily a concern, but seek medical care if it is an ongoing issue. There are many treatments for erectile dysfunction, and here are some.
Medications
Medications like sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil can be beneficial if you have erectile dysfunction. You take the drugs before you have sex, and they help increase blood flow in your penis and get an erection once you become sexually excited. Your doctor may recommend you do not use these pills if you are taking medications containing nitrates like nitroglycerine because the combination can lead to low blood pressure.
Injections
You can administer an alprostadil injection to your penis to fill it with blood and quickly cause an erection. Your healthcare provider teaches you how to inject it directly into the erection of your penis. Doctors can recommend injection therapy to treat erectile dysfunction resulting from blood vessels, nerves, or psychological disorders.
Lifestyle changes
If your erectile dysfunction results from obesity, your provider may recommend you lose weight and exercise regularly. You can slow down ED by stopping hard drug use and smoking.
Hormone therapy
Low testosterone levels can lead to erectile dysfunction. You can increase your testosterone levels through hormone replacement by using topical gels, creams, patches, or injections.
Vacuum device
Your healthcare provider may suggest you use a vacuum device, a tube that fits over your penis, to manage your ED. The device has a pump that sucks air from the tube to help pull blood into your penis, making it erect. An elastic ring is placed around your penis to make it erect when you take it off the vacuum tube. You remove the ring when the erection ends after sex.
Psychology and sex therapies
Psychological factors like stress can lead to ED. You can talk to your therapist about the feelings contributing to your sexual dysfunction to help you develop effective solutions. Sex therapy can help your partner understand and cope with your condition. If your ED results from psychological factors, your doctor may recommend sex therapy counseling before invasive treatments.
Surgery
Although rare, your doctor can recommend surgery for certain ED cases. For example, if you have blood vessel problems, surgery can help repair arteries to help improve blood flow to your penis. In some cases, your surgeon can implant a bendable or inflatable rod that is adjustable in your penis to erect it. This implantation may help preserve penile sensation, orgasm, and ejaculation in most men. Research shows that about nine-five percent of penile implant, surgeries result in successful erections.
Erectile dysfunction can cause stress, affecting your self-confidence and contributing to relationship issues. Luckily, the condition is treatable. Your doctor can help you treat and manage the disease through medications, injections, hormone therapy, vacuum device, lifestyle changes, psychology, and sex therapies or surgeries.