Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability of a man to accomplisher maintains a harder erection sufficient for his sexual needs or the needs of his partner.

Most men experience this at some stage in their lives, usually by age forty, and are not psychologically suffering from it. Some men, however, experience chronic, complete erectile dysfunction (impotence), and others, partial or brief erections. Frequent erectile dysfunction can cause emotional and relationship problems, and sometimes leads to reduced self-esteem. Erectile dysfunction has many causes, most of which are treatable, and is not an inevitable consequence of aging. An erection occurs due to hydraulic effects due to blood entering and being retained in sponge-like bodies inside the penis.

During intercourse, the process is initiated when sexual arousal is transmitted from the brain to nerves in the pelvis. There are various and often multiple underlying causes, some of which are treatable health conditions. The most crucial organic causes are cardiovascular disease and diabetes, neurological problems (for example, trauma from prostatectomy surgery), hormonal insufficiencies (hypogonadism) and drug side effects. It is necessary to understand that erectile dysfunction can signal underlying risk for cardiovascular disease.

There is often a contributing and complicating and sometimes a primary psychological or relational problem. Psychological impotence is where erection or penetration fails due to thoughts or feelings (psychological reasons) rather than physical impossibility; this is often helped. Most commonly psychological impotence, there is a strong reaction to placebo treatment. Erectile dysfunction, tied closely as it is to cultural notions of potency, success and masculinity, can have severe psychological consequences. There is a strong culture of silence and inability to discuss the matter. In reality, it has been estimated that around 1 in 10 men are experiencing recurring Erectile Dysfunction problems at some stage in their lives.

Besides treating the underlying causes and psychological consequences, the first line remedy for erectile dysfunction includes a trial of PDE5 inhibitor drugs (the first of which was sildenafil or Viagra). In some cases, treatment can involve prostaglandin tablets in the urethra, intracavernous injections with a fine needle into the penis that cause swelling, a penile prosthesis, a penis pump or vascular reconstructive surgery.

Study regarding erectile dysfunction within medicine is covered by anthology, a sub-field within urology.

Overview and symptoms of Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is seen as a regular or repeated inability to obtain or maintain an erection. There are many ways that erectile dysfunction is examined: -

Obtaining full erections at some times, such as when asleep (when the mind and psychological issues, if any, are less present), tends to suggest the physical structures are functionally working. However, the opposite case, a lack of nocturnal erections, doesn't mean the opposite, since a substantial proportion of sexually functional men usually do not routinely get nocturnal erections or wet dreams.

Obtaining erections which are either not rigid or full (lazy erection), or are lost more rapidly than would be expected (often before or during penetration), can be a sign of a failure of the mechanism which keeps blood held in the penis, and may signify an underlying clinical condition, often cardiovascular in origin.

Other factors leading to erectile dysfunction are diabetes mellitus (causing neuropathy) or hypogonadism (decreased testosterone levels due to disease affecting the testicles or the pituitary gland).