There is a general misconception about impotence and erectile dysfunction being two separate conditions. In fact, impotence is just another term for erectile dysfunction. If you have a problem in achieving an erection more than 70% of the times when you want to have sex, you are suffering from erectile dysfunction.

Impotence is the same thing, but it also encompasses other concerns related to sexual health such as low libido and issues with ejaculation.

Causes of erectile dysfunction

Disruption of blood flow in the body or disruption in hormonal secretion and nerve supply to the body

Vascular and neurological causes

Occurrence of a disease known as atherosclerosis, which is caused due to smoking and diabetes. In this case, the arteries in the penis get narrowed and clogged.

Neuropathy, which occurs because of diabetes or diabetic neuropathy

Nerve damage because of a previous surgery around the pelvis area

High blood pressure or hypertension also result in damaged arteries throughout the vascular system. Blood flow gets impaired and proper erection is hampered.

Physical causes such as high cholesterol and obesity, Parkinson s disease and multiple cases of sclerosis

Smoking, excessive drinking and substance abuse

The reactions and side effects of certain medicines

Several psychological factors such as depression, excessive stress, tension, and performance anxiety, which reduce libido

Poor communication with the sexual partner

Intake of several medicines such as alpha adrenergic blockers, beta blockers, chemotherapy medications and central nervous system depressants

Treatment for erectile dysfunction

Different treatments may be used to treat erectile dysfunction. These include the following:

Medication: A group of drugs known as PDE-5 or phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors are used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Vacuum devices: Vacuum erection devices help in providing an erection in men. A mechanical procedure is involved where the penis is made rigid using a vacuum pump sealed around it. This device draws blood and an erection becomes possible.

Surgical treatment: Penile implants can be used to treat erectile dysfunction. Mechanical implants are used, which help to keep the penis hard. A vascular surgery is another option, which incorporates the correction of blood vessels responsible for erectile dysfunction.

Natural treatment: There are a number of lifestyle changes that help a man naturally treat erectile dysfunction. Regular exercising, especially weight-bearing ones, not only aids in increasing blood flow, but also improves production of testosterone. Following a balanced diet with more intake of fruits and vegetables, limiting alcohol and avoiding smoking also generate positive results.

The term impotence and erectile dysfunction are quite related as they indicate the same conditions. However, today the term erectile dysfunction is more popular over the term impotence. In case you experience any of the symptoms of this condition, you should consult a doctor immediately.

Erectile Dysfunction - 12 Shocking Causes Behind it

Erectile dysfunction is also known as impotence in men. When you lose the ability to retain an erection during sex, then you might be suffering from erectile dysfunction. There are many different reasons why you might suffer from it, like stress, fatigue, relationship issues, consumption of alcohol or performance anxiety. You will find many different pharmaceutical or surgical methods to cure erectile dysfunction, but here is a list of various different types of natural treatments which you might undertake:

Walk: walk for at least 2 miles every day. Walking not helps you to stay healthy, but also helps reverse the situation of impotence which you might be suffering from. It also helps obese men retain their erection while having sex. Walking also helps you maintain a trimmed waistline which helps you fight erectile dysfunction. It helps you to maintain a healthy weight which reduces the risk of suffering from erectile dysfunction.
Exercise: exercise seems to be the key answer to many such disorders. Even erectile dysfunction can be cured or treated with exercise. Pelvic or kegel exercises will help you promote urinary continence as well as sexual well-being. Exercise helps you to strengthen your bulbocavernosus muscles which are responsible in engaging the penis with blood while erect. It also helps in ejaculation and clearing the urethra after urination.
Acupuncture: acupuncture is a very popular form of treatment. Treating erectile dysfunction with acupuncture is one of the easiest treatments. This is because in most case erectile dysfunction occurs due to a psychological cause, and acupuncture helps to release this as it can relieve you of stress and anxiety.
Intake of herbal viagra: red ginseng is known as herbal viagra, as it possesses the ability to help treat erectile dysfunction. However, red ginseng needs to grow for 5 years before it can be used as a natural supplement of viagra. A 2008 review has found red ginseng to treat erectile dysfunction effectively.
Watermelon juice: watermelons contain an amino acid called citrulline which helps in improving the blood flow to the penis. Watermelon is also called" nature's viagra" as it helps achieve an erection and retaining it.
Erectile dysfunction sometimes tends to be extremely embarrassing. You might not want to discuss it with anyone, whether it is a friend or a doctor. So, if you try out these natural treatments, neither will you have to feel embarrassed nor will you regret trying them out. You can be rest assured that these will definitely help your condition.

Natural Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction

Peyronie's disease is a problem predominantly found in 3-9% of adult men, especially after 40 years of age. In the disease, a scar tissue is formed in the outer layer of the penis called tunica albuginea. Scar tissue is a just plaque inside the penis.

Peyronie's disease causes the penis to bend sideways or upwards and can make sex become difficult due to deformity and erection may be a painful process. It is usually associated with erectile dysfunctions, severe anxiety and reduced testosterone levels. It is worth noting that there are treatments for peyronie's disease, however, the pain often goes away on its own, generally, in 6-18 months of onset, but the deformity stays.

Here is everything you need to know about this disease:

Causes
It is not known exactly what causes peyronie's disease, however, there are some factors, which make it more likely than others. Here are those factors:

1. Trauma: this is the most common factor which causes peyronie's disease. It is believed that when someone suffers from tiny bleeding of the penis, which is very common in patients of diabetes, the plaque starts to build up. The injury or trauma, which causes the bleeding may go unnoticed as well.
2. Genes: genes are also a possible cause of peyronie's disease.

Symptoms
The symptoms of peyronie's disease vary, such as:
1. Pain on erection: there is usually pain in erection during the initial phase.
2. Bent penis: when the penis becomes hard before sex, it may bend downwards or sideways by more than 15 degree, so the vaginal entry becomes impossible or is painful for the partner.
3. Scars: tissue may form on other parts of the body, as well including the hand and feet. In fact, it has been said that men who have scarring in the hand, which affect the fingers are more likely to contract the disease as well.
One may see extensive scarring in hands in a disease called dupuytren's contracture. 

Treatment
1. Wait &amp; watch: it is worth noting the acute phase with pain is treated by wait and watch, controlling contributory factors like diabetes, low testosterone and psychogenic factors. Antioxidants are useful. Large number of cases are relieved of the pain in 1 to 1.5 years.
2. Intralesional injection: if the bend is significant enough to interfere in sexual functioning, it can be treated by injecting medicines in the plaque. The medicine, xiaflex is currently not available in india and other medicines given are not very effective.
3. Surgery: this is a last option when peyronie's disease has not gone on it's own and medicines are not helping either. The two most common procedures performed are removing the plaque and putting a tissue graft in its place and also removing the tissue opposite the plaque to counter the bending effect. The results are fairly good.

Going for a penile implant is the last option, which is a permanent solution and is commonly done in india. And, the success rate for penile implant is also very high.

Peyronie's Disease: About Bent Penis

Almost 60% men are suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED), and these troubles are getting prominent day by day due to unhealthy lifestyle. Now, you will find various options for treating erectile dysfunction, and you got to get a fair idea about them. Not all medicines are suitable for you, and this is the reason doctors conduct a clinical examination before prescribing medicines.

Best drug options for treating erectile dysfunction

1. Topical administration: Macrochem and Nexmed are the two most popular options, and they are available in a gel form. This gel can be applied with ease over your weak or curved penis so that unwanted erections can be prevented. In this case, needles are not inserted, and thus you will face no adverse reactions. But proper medications are also required along with these medicated gels.

2. Penile injections: Brindley and Virag are the two popular penile injections that can be easily injected so that you can get rid of erectile dysfunction. These injections are to be injected only under proper medical supervision otherwise you might face dreadful consequences. Alprostadil, phentolamine and papaverine deserve a special mention, and they are the safest options as per medical experts. Trial dosage can be easily administered, and on the other hand, combination medications need to be tried out for getting beneficial results.

3. Intraurethral agents: There are many medical programs where these agents have been referred by experts. Though these agents are treated as alternative options, but you can still try them out in order to get some positive effects. In fact, the recovery process can be accelerated to a great extent by means of using these kinds of agents. You can get smoother and highly satisfactory penetration experienced with the use of these agents along with other prescribed medications for erectile dysfunction.

4. Oral agents: though there are innumerable oral agents that can treat Ed trouble, but you have to choose quite carefully with the help of an experienced doctor. Some popular options in this regard are Cialis, Levitra, Staxyn, Stendra, Viagra and others. Only prescribed dosage needs to be taken, and thus you should take only those medicines that are only being prescribed by your doctor.

Do not choose medications as per your preference and never collect ED medicines over-the-counter. Before prescribing any ED medicine, doctor usually conducts a thorough examination in order to know the actual health condition of the patients and this clinical examination is important for referring the right ED medicines.

Most Common Drugs that Successfully Treat Erectile Dysfunction

Impact of Weight Loss on Erectile Dysfunction

When a man fails to develop or maintain an erection, he is said to be suffering from 'Erectile dysfunction'. Intake of certain drugs, neurogenic disorders, aging, surgery, smoking, obesity, diseases like diabetes and kidney failure are among the primary causes of this condition.

What impact does excessive body weight have on erection?

Obesity is one of the most important causes of erectile dysfunction. It obstructs proper flow of blood to the penis. Also, research associates obesity with reduced levels of testosterone and lesser sex drive, in turn, causing problems related to erection. Therefore, reducing weight becomes very important in order to improve this condition.

How are weight loss and erectile dysfunction related?

Studies show that within a span of two months, losing 5-10% of the body weight helps a man to improve erectile function. Weight loss not only improves the health of the man significantly but also an improvement in the sex life is observed as a result of this. Men with this condition usually depend on pills like Viagra or Cialis to get erections. But once they start losing weight by doing proper physical exercises and maintain a proper diet, they do not feel the need to rely on them anymore.

Also, most researchers share the view that weight loss achieved through lifestyle modifications helps in relieving you from erectile dysfunction in addition to enhancing your mental health and self-confidence. These lifestyle alterations generally include consumption of a healthier diet and increasing the amount of physical activity performed during the day and show better results than drugs and surgery used for losing weight.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

Can Erectile Dysfunction be Treated through Weight Loss?

Zinc and erectile dysfunction

Zinc is a naturally occurring metallic element. Certain types of vegetable, meats and seafood are rich in zinc.

Erectile dysfunction is a man's inability to achieve a penetrable erection. It is one of the most common sexual problems faced by men of all ages. Zinc helps the body to produce testosterone and thus the levels of zinc in a person's body may affect erectile dysfunction.

A host of factors ranging from nutritional deficiency to clinical depression can lead to the condition. In recent years, deficiency of zinc has been found to be the cause of ed. Apart from producing testosterone, zinc is used for metabolism purposes, DNA and protein production and cell division.

Most studies related to male infertility show a clear concise relationship between zinc and ed. During a study some young men were given a diet which included very little amounts of zinc and thus they developed a zinc deficiency. When testosterone levels were measured after 20 weeks of low-zinc diet it was found that the level of the hormone had drastically reduced. The study also found that in elderly men, with an increase in the uptake of zinc, testosterone levels nearly doubled.

Research on animals established the fact that relationship rats who were given 5 milligrams of zinc supplement a day, were found to be sexually active to a greater extent. It concluded that zinc had an impact in the arousal and maintaining of an erection in men.

Zinc deficiency can also reduce the sense of smell in person. A sense of smell is vital to libido, especially more in young men. Thus, it can cause a person to lose the ability to detect certain chemicals that stimulate arousal.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: Knowing Erectile Dysfunction. PART 2: Management and Treatment

Zinc and Erectile Dysfunction - How is it related?

Don't wait any longer, manage your Erection Problems online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Erection Problems - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES