Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction, or ED, can be a total inability to achieve erection, an inconsistent ability to do so, or a tendency to sustain only brief erections. These variations make defining erectile dysfunction (ED) and estimating its incidence difficult. Estimates range from 15 million to 30 million, depending on the definition used. According to the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), for every 1,000 men in the United States, 7.7 physician office visits were made for erectile dysfunction (ED) in 1985. By 1999, that rate had nearly tripled to 22.3. The increase happened gradually, presumably as treatments such as vacuum devices and injectable drugs became more widely available and discussing erectile dysfunction (ED) became accepted. Perhaps the most publicized advance was the introduction of the oral drug sildenafil citrate (Viagra) in March 1998. NAMCS data on new drugs show an estimated 2.6 million mentions of Viagra at physician office visits in 1999, and one-third of those mentions occurred during visits for a diagnosis other than erectile dysfunction (ED).
Many men will experience episodes of erectile dysfunction (ED) that improve without the need for treatment. Sometimes, persistent erectile dysfunction (ED) can be the result of a more serious underlying health condition, such as heart disease. In such cases, treatment will be needed to treat the underlying condition. Other causes include head injury, which can result in low levels of production of the hormone testosterone. Treatment of testosterone can treat erectile dysfunction (ED) when it is caused by head injury.
Generally, the prognosis for erectile dysfunction (ED) is good. Some men will just need to make some lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and taking regular exercise. Other men may need to take medications.
erectile dysfunction (ED) is not quite as simple as just not getting an erection. It may mean getting an erection but not one which is hard enough to have penetrative sex. This is usually extremely embarrassing and often shaming for some men. Once it's happened then it's common for men to fear that it will happen again, each and every time. A vicious circle is set up which then defeats almost every sexual attempt.
Millions of men throughout the world are afflicted by erectile dysfunction (ED). Not just an inevitable part of the aging process, ED commonly is the result of some other illness such as diabetes mellitus or hypertension. Although never life-threatening in the usual sense of being fatal, erectile dysfunction (ED) may have major effects on quality of life by causing considerable loss of self-esteem and often putting important life relationships in jeopardy. However, we are now able to understand the causes, pinpoint the diagnosis, and initiate safe and effective therapy for the many sufferers with erectile dysfunction (ED).
