Dr. M S Mahar

Diabetic men usually are prone to suffering from erectile dysfunction, i.e., they are unable to maintain an erection while having sex. If you are suffering from diabetes for a long time, your nerves and blood vessel might get damaged. That will cause you to suffer from erectile dysfunction. Almost 35% to 75% diabetic men suffer from erectile dysfunction. This situation becomes more serious with age.

Causes

It involves various factors like impairment in the nerves, blood vessels, and also cause problems in proper muscle functioning. You need healthy blood vessels, nerves, as well as healthy male hormones and sexual desire to get an erection. Diabetes damages the nerves and blood vessels responsible for an erection. So even if you have the required amount of hormones and the desire, you might not be able to get a proper erection.

Treatment

If you are suffering from diabetes, and have a condition of erectile dysfunction, then the most common treatment for you is Sildenafil. Other medications, which you can take are tadalafil, avanafil, and vardenafil. But keep in mind that if you have any heart problems, then you should refrain from taking any of these medicines as they will further complicate situations for you. Consult your doctor in this case to know which will be the best treatment for you to cure erectile dysfunction. Other treatment methods are as follows:

1. Intracavernous injection therapy

2. Vacuum erection devices

3. Venous constriction device

4. Intraurethral therapy

5. Penile prostheses

The dosage of these medicines depends upon weight of the patient as well as presence or absence of other co-morbid conditions like hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiac problems, kidney/liver diseases, etc. Prescription of these medicines also depends on the other medications that the patient is taking as these ED medicines have a lot of adverse drug-interactions. Hence, one must always consult a doctor before starting these medications.

The Role of Counselling for Treating Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction can be caused by psychological factors and once a man experiences erectile dysfunction it can have a major impact on their emotional well-being. A man may feel a loss of manhood, a loss of confidence, low self-esteem, angry and depressed and it may also affect his relationship or sexual encounters. Therefore, counselling is a crucial part of treatment in order to address these issues.
Does psychosexual counselling work?

Psychosexual counselling is most effective when a man's sexual partner is willing to be part of the treatment. Studies have shown that for men with stress-related ED, when the partner is involved in the therapy, the problem is resolved 50%-70% of the time. When the man must go through counselling alone, the results are less successful.

Psychosexual counselling is unlikely to work if a man drops out of treatment after just one or two sessions.

Sometimes, several sessions of psychosexual counselling can be helpful if a man is due to receive medical or surgical treatment for ED. A counsellor can help guide a couple towards agreeing on treatment, or help them improve their sexual communication and lovemaking skills. A man may benefit from counselling on his own regarding how to talk to his partner about penile injections or a vacuum constriction device, which are both treatments for ED.