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Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is when you have trouble getting or keeping an erection. ED becomes more common as you get older. But it is not a natural part of aging.

Some people have trouble speaking with their doctors about sex. But if you have ED, you should tell your doctor. ED can be a sign of health problems. It may mean your blood vessels are clogged. It may mean you have nerve damage from diabetes. If you don't see your doctor, these problems will go untreated.

Your doctor can offer several new treatments for ED. For many men, the answer is as simple as taking a pill. Getting more exercise, losing weight or stopping smoking may also help.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Erectile Dysfunction on Wikipedia

'''Erectile dysfunction''', also known as '''impotence''', is the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse regardless of the capability of Male ejaculation. There are various underlying causes, many of which are medically reversible. Due to its personal nature, the subject has been taboo for a long period of time, and is the stuff of many urban legends. Since the 1930s, folk remedies have been advertised widely for the condition. The introduction of sildenafil (Viagra®) in the 1990s caused a second wave of public attention, propelled in part by heavy advertising. The Latin term ''impotentia coeundi'' describes simple inability to insert the penis into the vagina. It is now mostly replaced by more precise terms.

Medical symptoms

Erectile dysfunction is characterised by the inability to maintain erection. Normal erections during sleep and in the early morning suggest a psychogenic cause, while loss of these erections may signify underlying disease, often cardiovascular in origin. Other things leading to erectile dysfunction are diabetes mellitus (causing neuropathy) or hypogonadism (decreased testosterone levels due to disease affecting the testicles or the pituitary gland).

Medical diagnosis

There are no formal tests to diagnose erectile dysfunction. Some blood tests are generally done to exclude underlying disease, such as diabetes, hypogonadism and prolactinoma.

Clinical tests used to diagnose ED

Duplex ultrasound

Duplex ultrasound is used to evaluate blood flow, venous leak, signs of artherosclerosis, and scarring or calcification of erectile tissue. Injecting prostaglandin, a hormone-like stimulator produced in the body, induces erection. Ultrasound is then used to see vascular dilation and measure penile blood pressure. Measurements are compared to those taken when the penis is flaccid.   [ Read More ]


External Resources

LTMC Limited - Includes information about treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Pos-T-Vac - Treatment of impotence or erectile dysfunction with several types of vacuum therapy systems, along with injection therapy products.

Xotey Medical Center - Full recovery from erectile dysfunction without destroying your organism viagra and other chemicals. Healing from a photograph.

Health Advantage, Inc. - Health Advantage's unique, physician-developed supplement formulas help overcome erectile dysfunction, prostate problems and related health difficulties with proven vitamin, mineral and herbal extracts.

Herbal Union - Distributing a natural treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Horny Goat Weed - Offers herbal remedies for erectile dysfunction, low sex drive, and other sexual health problems in men and women

American Medical Systems, Inc. - Manufacturers of innovative medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction (impotence), urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, prostate disease, urethral strictures and DESD.

American Medical Systems - Manufactures medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, severe fecal incontinence, and urethral strictures. Minnetonka, Minnesota. (Nasdaq: AMMD).

Mission Pharmacal - Provides Citracal, calcium supplements for osteoporosis prevention and Urocit-K for kidney stone prevention and kidney stone disease. Also menopause relief, impotence cures, and erectile dysfunction.

Prostatectomy and Impotence - Learn about a possible side-effect of prostate cancer treatment. Gives information about the Erectile Dysfunction Institute located in Minnetonka, Minnesota.


Related Pages on HealthTales.com:

Female Sexual Dysfunction
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction

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