Sildenafil or Viagra is a drug that is most commonly used and know for the treatment of erectile dysfunction and other male sexual function problems. The active ingredient in the drug is sildenafil citrate. It is generally used to increase blood flow to the penis to help a man get and sustain his erection to enhance sexual activity. This drug does not protect the users against sexually transmitted disease ( HIV, hepatitis B, gonorrhoea, syphilis). In the treatment of erectile dysfunction, this is taken by mouth and the effects can be seen and felt within an hour of intake. Do not consume more than once daily. A high-calorie diet may delay the effect of the drug. The other condition that the medication is used for is pulmonary arterial hypertension. The side effect of this medication includes a headache, flushing, indigestion, dizziness, blood or cloudy urine, blurry or change in vision, sensitivity to light and painful urination. The consumption of alcohol should be kept to a minimum level as it may trigger side effects such as dizziness, fainting or fatigue. You should consult your doctor before using this drug if you are a heart patient and have undergone heart or bypass surgeries in the past six-months. People suffering from kidney and liver disease must also be careful. If you have fluctuating blood pressure then you are advised to use this drug as it directly interferes with the blood flow.
Information given here is based on the salt and content of the medicine. Effect and uses of medicine may vary from person to person. It is advicable to consult a Sexologist before using this medicine.
This medication is used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men and also in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. This medication is generally not prescribed for women as studies show that there are very little to no effect on them.
The contraindications are it is not suggested to use this drug if you are allergic to any active ingredients, if you are suffering from any Cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and if you have a disease relater to sight or the retina.
The duration of the effects of the drug lasts to about 4 hours after intake. It should not cross the five hour mark, if it does one should consult a doctor.
The onset of action starts within thirty minutes after the intake, the peak performance is observed within an hour, for safety the drug should at least be taken sixty minutes before the start of the sexual activity. Taking viagra does not give you an erection it merely increases the blood flow to the penis.
This medication is not prescribed to women.
The drug is not know to show habit forming tendencies and is generally safe to use.
This medication is not prescribed to women.
It is not recommend with alcohol as it interacts with the drug and causes sever side effects as mentioned above. You can keep the alcohol intake to a minimum or avoid it if possible.
You should avoid driving while under this medication, as some of the side effects it can induce is dizziness, headaches and hypersensitivity to light.
This medication may alter the functioning of the kidney and is not recommended for people who suffer from kidney diseases and other renal problems.
This medication is not recommended for patients suffering form liver diseases it can lead to other complications. Consult your doctor if you have any queries.
There is no fixed dose as to how a dose has to be taken, the general rule is that one should not take more than one tablet per day.
If there is a case of overdose and symptoms such as trouble in breathing or if the person has fainted then consult your nearest medical emergency room and consult a doctor.
The drug does not interact well with patients suffering from coronary diseases and fluctuation in blood pressure. The drug also causes temporary visual impairments. Consult a doctor if you have any of the said conditions.
The drug is not recommended with alcohol as it can lead to complications, you should try and keep the amount of intake of alcohol to a minimum as it may interfere with the working of the drug.
The patient should avoid food saturated in high fats as it will delay the effect of the drug.
The drug does not interact well with drugs having nitrate as active ingredients, blood clogger or thinner should also be avoided. Drugs that are used to lower blood pressure should also be avoided. Consult your doctor if you are under any medications so as to avoid complications.
Some people experience symptoms of erectile dysfunction and think of consuming Viagra. Viagra is the market name of a substance called Sildenafil, which is used for the correction of erectile dysfunction. It creates hypertension in the blood vessels, enabling you to get an enhanced erection. Viagra is quite useful for boosting your sexual performance. However, you may experience several side effects on your health. Before deciding on using a pack of Viagra, it is advised to consult a doctor to know the exact dosage that would work for you.
Dosages
1. 50 mg is the recommended dosage for men in general. The dose can be sometimes increased up to 100 mg. It depends on tolerance and effectiveness. The dose may also be decreased to 25 mg in some cases. It is also advised not to take Viagra more than once a day. The dosage will have to be altered if you take other prescribed medicines.
2. Viagra single packs are also prescribed by doctors. Single packs are available in dosages of 25, 50 and 100 mg.
When should you avoid viagra?
Viagra should be avoided in some cases.
These include the following:
1. In case you take prescribed nitrates for chest pain or pulmonary disorder, your doctor would advise you not to use Viagra due as it increases the risk of high blood pressure, which can be quite disastrous for your health.
2. Many people are allergic to sildenafil, which is a substance present in Viagra.
Side effects of consuming viagra
Viagra causes several serious side effects on the body. Therefore, it is very important to take a doctor’s advice and know about the different adversities. The most common side effects include the following:
1. Priapism: This is a condition where your erection lasts for about four hours or longer and does not end. Permanent damage to the penis is indicated if this condition is not treated.
2. Loss of vision and hearing impairment: Viagra may cause Non-arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NAION). This disorder may lead to loss of vision in one or both the eyes. Tinnitus or hearing impairment is another condition, which may occur as a side effect of consuming Viagra.
You should always consult a doctor before you decide to take as he would know best about the dosage required by your body. He will also advise you about an ideal method of usage.
Pulmonary hypertension mainly occurs due to narrowing of the arteries of the lungs as a result of which the flow of blood is restricted. In this kind of condition, blood fails to carry oxygen to your heart and thus your heart gets adversely affected. The blood pressure of your body will get increased to a great extent if this situation remains untreated, thus leading to bdreadful consequenses, specifically situation like heart failure, serious pulmonary diseases, blood clots in lungs and congenial heart defects, etc.
There are certain forms of pulmonary hypertension, which are serious in nature and worsen with time, so much so that they are even fatal at times. It also includes forms which are non curable in nature, however, in order to improve the quality of life, symptoms can be reduced with proper treatment. The treatment for pulmonary hypertension is often complex and it takes some time to find the most appropriate treatment and requires extensive follow-up care. Your doctor might also need to change your treatment if it's no longer effective. However, when pulmonary hypertension is caused by another condition, your doctor will treat the underlying cause whenever possible.
Common Treatments for pulmonary hypertension:
Medications:
Surgeries:
Reducing Complications:
Erectile dysfunction can be quite a depressing and stressful problem. It can jeopardize the sexual life of a person. In recent times, the problem has been on an exponential rise. As per a survey, 1 in every 1000 men suffers from erectile dysfunction. To top it, some men, out of embarrassment, delay the treatment and medications.
In Erectile Dysfunction, a person is unable to maintain an erection necessary for a sexual intercourse. A man's confidence and self-esteem often take a beating in such cases. In some cases, the affected person completely detaches himself from the outside world. The erectile dysfunction in men can be due to lifestyle habits, psychological problems, injury, and diseases, such as;
Symptoms of erectile dysfunction:
A person with erectile dysfunction may exhibit one or more of the following symptoms:
Diagnosis and Treatment:
As serious as it may appear, there is nothing to press the panic button. The problem is temporary. With timely diagnosis and treatment, erectile dysfunction can be easily managed and treated. Diagnosis of erectile dysfunction include;
Treatment:
A person also needs to
Viagra is a very common drug prescribed for treating erectile dysfunction. It works by enhancing the flow of blood to the penis during sexual intercourse to bring about erection. Viagra actually contains the active ingredient Sildenafil Citrate which is a selective inhibitor of Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate (cGMP)-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5).
This drug works efficiently with sexual stimulation. Erectile dysfunction is very common among older men whose sexual function tends to fall after they reach their 50s. But these days even younger men in their 30's and 40's are experiencing an increased incidence of erectile dysfunction.
Doctors can even recommend the drug to both younger and elder men who suffer from erection problems.
Solidification of the arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the penis, can occur during the teen years. The problem then develops by the time they reach the age of 20-30 years and more, hindering their ability to get and maintain an erection. Men suffering from diabetes and facing the problem of Erectile dysfunction can be assisted by this drug.
Sildenafil (Viagra), whose function is to inhibit a substance called Phosphodiestarase-5 or PDE5 - was initially used only for the treatment of angina pectoris (a cardiovascular problem) and pulmonary hypertension. Incidentally, it was discovered that it could help the issue of erectile dysfunction too, and thus became hugely popular in the late 1990s. The little blue pill, as it was called, ruled more than 50% of the sexual dysfunction market for more than 15 years. However, as its popularity and usage increased, so did the scientific information about this drug, and now there is an increased speculation that it could be contributing to skin cancer, specifically melanoma. This is considered as one of the most dangerous forms of skin cancer and so the safety of Viagra sildenafil came into question.
Research has shown that users of Viagra sildenafil are at a higher risk for developing melanoma. There are reports stating that about 45 million men are at an increased risk of developing melanoma due to associated Viagra sildenafil use. The risk of developing melanoma was found to increase in men using ED drugs by 21%. Though there is no conclusive proof as yet that sildenafil is the cause, research is increasingly pointing out its role in melanoma. For example, PDE5 inhibitors (sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil) are known to promote melanin synthesis, which may exacerbate melanoma development.
The analysis of biochemical pathways of this correlation suggests that Viagra sildenafil triggers a special biochemical action involving the growth-stimulating cGMP (cyclic guanosine monophosphate (an intracellular signaling molecule) which in turn promotes the growth of malignant melanoma. In normal cases, the enzyme phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) regulates the cGMP preventing any adverse cellular activity. Sildenafil inhibits the production of this enzyme, and potentiates a specific cGMP-related biochemical mechanism (called cGMP-cGKI pathway) , and thereby contributes to malignant melanoma. This has been proven to happen in mice and is yet to be proven in humans.
However, there are also reports which suggest that this does not happen due to Viagra sildenafil per se, but due to greater exposure to sun, which even otherwise increases the chances of skin cancer in general, and melanoma in particular. The countering theories also say that the population in which skin cancer was detected, comprised mostly of high income individuals who spent a significant amount of time holidaying on beaches and are not connected to the extensive use of Viagra per se.
Therefore, though there is a correlation that has been established, there is no definite proof that Viagra sildenafil causes skin cancer. It is however, advisable to use ED drugs after medical consultation. If a patient has a genetic predisposition to develop melanoma, it is advisable to seek medical advice before the use of ED drugs. Occasional use should not be harmful. Also, when going out in the sun, limiting exposure to direct sun and UV protection should be managed too. If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a sexologist.