ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION AND ITS TREATMENT

Impotence or erectile dysfunction is the inability of a man to obtain and sustain an erection. If a man does not have the ability to achieve or maintain an erection adequate for normal sexual intercourse, he is said to be impotent. Erection result from a complex combination or synergy of brain stimuli, blood vessels, nerve function and action of hormones.

Many factors that can result to erectile dysfunction or impotence include; use of certain drugs (antidepressants, diuretics, sedatives, and antihistamines),alcohol consumption, cigarettes, a history of sexually transmitted infections, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Hormonal imbalance of fluctuations such as testosterone levels, elevated prolactin productions, and so on. Diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disease is probably the most common physical cause of impotence.

Studies have shown that impotence may be chronic or recurring. The age bracket of men suffering from impotence is between 30 – 60 years. Many therapists and physicians believe that 85% of cases of impotence have some physical origin while the remaining 15% can be attributed to psychological problems.

The appropriate treatment for erectile dysfunction is dependent on whether the cause is physical or psychological. A man whose impotence is psychologically based can still have erection during sleep unlike the man experiencing a physically based impotence.

The following health practices can be used to treat impotence. viz; eating a healthy, well balanced diet, avoid alcohol especially before sexual intercourse, consult a urologist for testing to determine whether impotence is caused by an underlying illness that require treatment. A therapist can be consulted to explore psychological factors that may contribute to impotence especially repressed anger, hate or a fear of intimacy. The use of drugs to treat erectile dysfunction should be under the strict supervision of a qualified medical officer since these drugs have side effects. Drugs include Regitine, Alprostadil, Sidernaphil(Viagra),Yohimbine and so on. Vacuum devices can also be employed to promote erection.

The measure of a man is his ability to copulate and satisfy the woman sexually and if necessary to impregnate the woman. Most men would prefer infertility to impotence. Impotence or erectile dysfunction has a very strong relevance in the socio-sexual life of every man and must be tackled thoroughly.