Erectile Dysfunction a Frustrating Problem
Impotence is Caused by Many Factors- It can be Successfully Treated
Aug 24, 2009
The penis is not more than a cylinder of tissue that acts like a sponge to soak up blood at erection and then release it at an when sexual activity is over. For many reasons this can fail.
Erectile dysfunction, or impotence, is a difficult topic and one that is guaranteed to excite ribaldry rather than sympathy and help. But it has to be faced at some time in their lives many men will suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED). Before the age of 40 ED is usually a temporary problem and although it is frustrating it may be nothing to worry about. But some men suffer from long term and complete erectile dysfunction, often called impotence.
What is Erectile Dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction is the term is used to describe three forms of the condition:
- First a temporary inability to achieve an erection
- Second an erection is achieved but it is difficult to maintain
- Third and most debilitating form is the complete inability to achieve an erection.
Prevalence of Erectile Dysfunction
Because many men are embarrassed to admit to ED they are also reluctant to seek advice and help for the condition. This also makes an estimate of the prevalence difficult, but researchers’ best guestimate is that 10% of men suffer with ED; that means that just over 2 million men in the UK and up to 30 million in the USA will experience impotence at some time. The incidence of ED is also age linked with 5% in their 40s suffering and up to 50% over the age of 65 years.
Causes of Erectile Dysfunction
The causes of erectile dysfunction are many, and range from those that can be easily and quickly identified and treated to long term psycho-sexual disorders like unresolved sexuality, or chronic diseases and their treatments
- Diabetes mellitus
- Untreated hypertension
- Some cancers
- Anaemia
- Some prescribed medicines
Other Causes of Impotence
The kind of erectile dysfunction that most men experience is nothing to worry about, and can be put down to
- Stress
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Smoking
- Lack of exercise
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Performance anxiety and the like
Generally these are problems that can be overcome by a modification of lifestyle - drink less alcohol, get more rest and quality sleep, talk over your anxieties with a friend or professional counselor, quit smoking.
It is now recognised that only about 20% of ED is psychologically based. Most cases are caused through a combination of psychological and physiological factors.
Many of the medications prescribed to treat these conditions may also provoke impotence. Indeed over 200 commonly prescribed medications may cause erectile dysfunction.
Treatments for Erectile Dysfunction
Over the past few years there have been great advances in treating impotence and most sufferers can now be successfully treated.
If impotence is caused by a long standing health problem then your family doctor or a urologist will be able to suggest treatment choices. These fall into two types, non-surgical and surgical intervention. Surgery is the choice of last resort, and is done only in very specific cases.
To achieve an erection blood must reach the penis’s spongy tissue and stay there until ejaculation. Two things can interfere with this process: blocked arteries or leaky veins.
Both may need surgery intervention to cure them. Veins from the leg can be used to bypass blocked arteries and recreating a channel for the entry of blood into the spongy bodies. Leaky veins can be tied off or narrowed by a surgical ligature, so keeping the blood in the penis for a longer period.
Another surgical treatment is to place implants that use a silicone covered flexible rod or collapsible plastic tubes that are connected to a fluid reservoir; the tubes fill with fluid when a valve is pressed thus emptying the fluid into the tubes and causing an erection.
So impotence can be successfully treated. To suffer impotence in silence is to delay an effective treatment and to continue the frustration and loss of self-esteem that is common in men with erectile dysfunction.
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