In today’s scenario, Erectile Dysfunction is not only limited to men with age of 40 and above. It has now been noted that even fit, healthy and young men are facing this issue.
As a result, it becomes more important that you are well aware of all the basic pointers when it comes to erectile dysfunction.
This might enable you to understand the issue even closely. As a result, when and if you face this issue, you know the exact steps that need to be followed.
As a result, you should definitely go through this write-up in which I have tried to share most of the important yet basic details covering Erectile Dysfunction.
Contents
- 1 All About Erectile Dysfunction
- 2 Final Words On Erectile Dysfunction
All About Erectile Dysfunction
What Is Erectile Dysfunction?
Abbreviated as ED, erectile dysfunction could be one of the most serious sex problems that males report to the doctor.
As the name of the issue suggests, erectile dysfunction is defined as trouble in keeping or getting an erection that could help the males to perform sexual acts.
According to different statistics, roughly about 30 million men are affected by the issue of erectile dysfunction.
However, sometimes men may face issues related to their erections from time to time. But if the issues related to erection are not normal, or happen routinely due to which you may evade sex, then erectile dysfunction should be treated.
Hence, Erectile Dysfunction might happen if the blood flow to your penis is limited or even when the nerves are harmed. It could even happen due to a plethora of emotional causes.
Sometimes it may even be a sign of some more serious diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, Atherosclerosis, or High blood sugar.
Knowing the root cause behind your erectile dysfunction could help you to treat the problem and ameliorate your sexual health. So, now let’s have a glance at the different aspects of erectile dysfunction in detail.
Other basic pointers are covered here.
Functioning Behind The Erection
Before knowing more about Erectile dysfunction, let us know how do erections work. Generally, during sexual intercourse, or arousal your nerves could release chemicals that enhance the blood flow to the penis.
When the blood flow amplifies, it flows into the two erection chambers of the penis, which are formed from sponge muscle tissue known as the corpus cavernosum.
However, since the chambers of the corpus cavernosum are not hollow, they trap the blood inside them during erection.
Hence, the spongy tissues relax and due to the pressure of the blood inside the chambers, they cause an erection. But the process of erection does not stop here.
Later on, when the man orgasms, he further stimulates a different set of nerve signals to reach the penis. Once these nerve signals reach the penis, the muscular tissues present their contract.
Now the erection comes down and the blood goes back into the circulation process. Hence, when you are not sexually aroused, your penis might remain limp and soft.
However. size and erection of the penis could even be modified due to other conditions like warmth, stress, or cold. This is because the erection of the penis depends upon the blood that enters and leaves it.
Now let’s glance at different causes of erectile dysfunction that could help you to know your cause and treat it accordingly.
Erectile Dysfunction Causes - Physical
The process of sexual arousal in a male is a series of complex activities that could involve different organs, like blood vessels, muscles, nerves, and hormones.
Besides this, sexual arousal in males even includes the emotions and brain. Hence, issues with any of these elements could lead to erectile dysfunction. Similarly, mental health and stress problems might even deteriorate your health and lead to ED.
Sometimes you might even face erectile dysfunction due to whisk of both psychological and physical causes. This could happen when a physical condition could slow your sexual response that might, in turn, amplify your anxiety and cause ED.
Hence, let’s glance at both the physical as well as the psychological causes that lead to this issue.
Physical causes behind the ED
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- High Cholesterol
- Atherosclerosis.
- Some of the prescription medications
- Parkinson’s disease
- Sometimes a condition known as metabolic syndrome could enhance the blood pressure, body fat around your waist, and cholesterol levels in your body known as metabolic syndrome.
- Diabetes.
- Multiple sclerosis
- Obesity.
- Usage of tobacco.
- Substance abuse and consumption of alcohol
- A disease that develops the scar tissue inside the penis, known as Peyronie’s disease.
- Low levels of testosterone.
- Sleep disorders.
- Different types of injuries and surgeries might affect your spinal cord or pelvic area.
- Treatments for enlarged prostate or prostate cancer.
Erectile Dysfunction Causes - Psychological
An erection might even be a result of your brain stimulating myriad physical activities that may cause sexual excitement and erection.
However, any issues that interfere with these physical activities or with your feelings might lead to erectile dysfunction. Let’s have a glance at the psychological causes that could result in erectile dysfunction-
- Relationship issues due to poor communication or other reasons.
- Stress.
- Anxiety.
- Depression.
- Other mental health issues.
Once you have erectile dysfunction due to any of the above-mentioned causes, you could face several symptoms as mentioned below.
Erectile Dysfunction Symptoms
- Sometimes you may get an erection, but it might not be enough for such a long time to enable you to have sex.
- You may get an erection sometimes, but it might not be whenever you want to have sex.
- At other times, you might not get an erection at all.
- When you face any of the above symptoms, you could opt for treating the erectile dysfunction issue.
Erectile Dysfunction Treatment - Scientific
The treatment for Erectile Dysfunction primarily depends on the underlying cause of it. Sometimes you might need a treatment that includes a whisk of medication and talks therapy.
Now let’s take a look at the different treatment methods of erectile dysfunction.
Erectile Dysfunction Pills
Certain medications may be provided to you by your doctor, which could help you to manage the different side effects and symptoms of erectile dysfunction.
However, you may need to take different medications and see which one works out the best for you. Some of the oral medications that could amplify the blood flow to your penis to treat erectile dysfunction are as follows.
You may take oral medications like tadalafil (Cialis), avanafil (Stendra), vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn), or sildenafil (viagra). Another medication is Alprostadil (Edex, MUSE, Caverject) that may be given either as a self-injection at the side or base of the penis or as a penile suppository.
On the other hand, if the major root cause behind your erectile dysfunction is lower levels of testosterone, then you may even be given testosterone therapy.
Sometimes the reason behind erectile dysfunction could be the medications you are consuming for other conditions. In such situations, you may consult with your doctor about the different medications and their side effects.
Not to miss, there are a few erectile dysfunction pills available as well that are also referred to as male enhancement pills, that you could try as well.
Vacuum Pump
Under this treatment method, a vacuum is created to draw the blood to the penis and hence lead to an erection.
The different elements of vacuum pumps, also referred to as penis pump devices used in this treatment include a plastic tube that is placed over the penis, an elastic ring that is moved to the base of the penis when the plastic tube is removed, and a pump.
The major function is of the pump to create a vacuum by removing air out of the plastic tube.
On the other hand, the plastic ring also performs a crucial function to maintain the erection by evading the blood from returning to circulation.The vacuum pump could be left in place for about half an hour.
Lastly, there are a few best testosterone booster pills that might help individuals who are suffering from low testosterone levels.
Erectile Dysfunction Treatment - Natural
There are a few natural ways for erectile dysfunction treatment that you could try. These methods might help in the longer-term duration.
At the same time, since they are natural ones, there is a high chance that you might not face any side effects.
Not to miss, you could also try some of testosterone boosting foods and fertility-boosting foods as well.
Having said that, there is a myriad of treatments and medications that could help to truncate the adverse effects of erectile dysfunction.
However, at the same time, different foods and other physiological aspects might even provide you with similar effects as compared to the medications and could help you in treating erectile dysfunction.
Though evidence is required to substantiate this fact, some foods might help to ameliorate your health when suffering from erectile dysfunction. Let’s have a glance at them.
Watermelon
Being a refreshing and sweet fruit, watermelon could have similar effects as compared to different ED medications on your blood vessels. Some of the studies even say how this food may amplify your sex drive. Though the major component of watermelon is water, it also has high quantities of lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant that may provide beneficial effects to your skin, heart, and prostate.
Oysters
Packed with a plethora of nutrients and Zinc, oysters might bolster your testosterone levels and hence ameliorate your sex drive. But before consuming this shellfish, you may make sure to purchase it from the right place and cook it properly.
Coffee
The major component present in coffee, known as caffeine, might help to heighten your blood flow and hence treat erectile dysfunction. However, if you are not a big fan of coffee, then why not switch to different sports drinks, sodas, and tea that also consist of caffeine?
Dark Chocolate
Being rich in different plant nutrients and flavanols, dark chocolate could help to amplify your blood flow and lower blood pressure. At the same time, this food might work as a miracle to treat your erectile dysfunction because it can help your body to produce more nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is found in several erectile dysfunction medications because it may help in facilitating erection.
Talk therapy
Certain psychological causes like stress, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress may even lead to ED as mentioned earlier. In such situations, your erectile dysfunction might be treated with talk therapy.
In talk therapy, you will have different sessions under which your therapist could discuss several elements. These elements or attributes could include the factors behind your stress or anxiety, your feelings during sexual arousal, or mental conflicts that may be affecting your sexual performance.
Additionally, if erectile dysfunction is affecting your relationship, then you may consider meeting with a relationship counselor who could help you to reconnect with your partner emotionally again.
Final Words On Erectile Dysfunction
Thus, in most conditions, you could improve the symptoms of ED using different medications and treatments.
Different devices, like vacuum pumps, might even help to temporarily manage your erectile dysfunction symptoms and enable you to engage in sexual intercourse.
However, your specific treatment plan may depend on the different causes that led to erectile dysfunction. Hence, if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of erectile dysfunction, then you may discuss them with your doctor to find a treatment as soon as possible.
However, there are even some steps that you could take to evade erectile dysfunction. These steps include opting for a healthy lifestyle like eating healthy foods, maintaining a healthy weight, doing regular exercises, and even keeping other medical conditions like diabetes and heart diseases under control.