ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
Treatment Options
Drug Therapy
Drugs for treating impotence can be taken orally, injected directly into the penis, or inserted into the urethra at the tip of the penis. The most commonly known drugs on the market today are Viagra (Pfizer), Levitra (Bayer/GlaxoSmithKline), and Cialis (Lily).
Oral
Viagra is a prescription pill that may help achieve erections in response to sexual stimulation. Viagra does not trigger an automatic erection as injection drugs do.
Known potential side effects:
- Headaches
- Facial blushing
- Upset stomach
- Mild and temporary visual effects
Injection
Many men gain potency by injecting drugs into the penis, causing it to become engorged with blood.
The advantage of injection therapy is:
- It can easily be self-administered
Potential side effects of injection therapy include:
- Fibrosis (scarring)
- Long-lasting painful erections.
- Drop-out rates range from 24 – 42% with 70% of men discontinuing therapy within 5 years
Reasons for dropping out included:
- Desire for a permanent treatment alternative
- Inadequate response
- Return of spontaneous erections
- Fear of needles
- Concern over side effects
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When a man has ED (erectile dysfunction), he may not be able to get an erection that’s hard enough for sexual intercourse. Or he may have difficulty keeping an erection until the end of sexual intercourse. ED is sometimes called impotence. Many men have erection problems every once in a while. But with ED, problems happen again and again.
ED can range from frequently not being able to get or keep an erection to never being able to achieve one or keep one.
To get and maintain an erection that is firm enough for sexual intercourse, a sequence of events must occur in the body. Sexual stimulation triggers the brain to send nerve messages to the penis. This signals blood to flow into the penis, which causes the penis to get hard. Blood stays trapped in the penis until sexual activity is completed. ED can happen when any one of these events is disturbed.
You are not alone. Approximately 30 million American men suffer from erectile dysfunction. Of course, there are varying degrees of ED ranging from mild to severe.
- Mild……….successful erection 7-8 times out of 10 attempts
- Moderate….successful erection 4-6 timesout of 10 attempts
- Severe…….successful erection 0-3 times out of 10 attempts
Most men with erectile dysfunction still have the ability to have an orgasm and father a child, but often have difficulty doing these things because they can’t get or sustain an erection.
Erectile dysfunction is not normal, and is by no means an inevitable consequence of aging.
Most men in certain situations, at one time or another during their sexual life, are unable to get or keep an erection. This is normal and does not indicate a problem. But millions of men of all ages experience this inability as a continuing problem. In most cases, erectile dysfunction can be overcome.
It is a common misconception that ED is a normal part of aging. As a result of recent medical research, it is now known that more than 80% of men suffering from ED can trace its origin to a physical problem or disorder.
For most men, the cause of ED can now be fairly easily identified.
Once identified, proper treatment can be recommended to help return them to a satisfying sex life.
ED can be caused by physical disorders such as:
- An injury (i.e. brain or spinal cord)
- A disease (i.e. diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol)
- An operation (i.e. prostate gland removal)
- Substance use (i.e. tobacco, drugs, alcohol or medications)
