Viagra and the other oral erectile dysfunction drugs make it easier to treat ED than ever before. But for those whose symptoms are not resolved with one of these drugs, other treatment options are available.
When you are a man who is suffering from any stage of erectile dysfunction, talking about your difficulties may be, well, difficult. Besides the embarrassment of discussing problems in the bedroom, men also have to confront the possibility that serious health issues could be the cause of their ED. Chronic illnesses such as diabetes have been directly linked to cases of ED, and cardiovascular disease and neurological problems also may cause varying degrees of ED.
Millions of men in the United States are affected by erectile dysfunction every year, and pharmaceutical companies have made it one of their priorities to identify drugs that may be used to effectively treat this problem. As medical science has become more proficient in the identification of the causes of erectile dysfunction, the variety of treatments available and medicines prescribed has increased as well.
ED: Cause and Effect
Simply put, erectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve an erection or to sustain it long enough to satisfactorily complete sexual intercourse. Men may suffer from ED at any age and, while it appears to be more prevalent among men over the age of 50, even young men in their 20s and 30s can suffer from occasional bouts of erectile dysfunction.
Many things can cause erectile dysfunction, and identifying what your individual cause is will help you and your doctor find the most effective means of treatment for you. One common cause of erectile dysfunction is a related condition known as benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH. In BPH, the prostate grows enlarged, pressing on the urethra and constricting blood vessels which often results in erectile dysfunction. Any problem with blood flow, an integral part of the erection process, can result in difficulties getting and keeping an erection. Atherosclerosis, diabetes and cardiac issues can affect the blood vessels in a negative way, weakening their ability to pump blood effectively throughout the body, including to the penis.
Psychological problems can also be a direct cause of ED, and emotional issues are a primary cause of ED in younger men. Stress can negatively affect the body in many ways, and causing ED issues is most definitely one of them. Stress from work, social interactions, and health problems can all come together, resulting in performance issues that just won’t go away. Depression and anxiety also have an effect on your performance, and often a vicious cycle of physical dysfunction and emotionally negative response can ensue.
Drug Treatments for ED
Most of the effective drug treatments for erectile dysfunction were discovered quite by accident. Arguably the most well-known of the oral drug therapies, Viagra was originally developed as a cardiac medication. When study participants began experiencing an unusual side effect, the pharmaceutical researchers and scientists began to analyze the drug with another purpose in mind. After lots of testing, Viagra made its way to the market amid great fanfare and soon after many other comparative medications made an appearance, including Cialis, Stendra, Staxyn, and Levitra. These drugs all work by increasing blood flow to the penis to help you achieve an erection and maintain it.
For men who cannot take the oral medications, or for whom those drugs give little relief, there are injectable ED medications now available. These work to boost blood flow just as the oral medications like Viagra do, but instead of being available in pill form they are delivered as an injection directly into the penis, or as a suppository inserted into the penis. These injections include alprostadil, a synthetic prostaglandin that causes the blood vessels throughout the body to expand, and are sold under the brand names Caverject, Edex, Prostin VR, and Trimix.
Other Treatments for ED
Prescription medications like Viagra and Caverject help thousands of men who have erectile dysfunction. For some men, though, these medications may prove ineffective and alternative treatment options may need to be pursued.
Men suffering from low testosterone sometimes have trouble getting and keeping an erection. Doctors can determine if you have low levels of testosterone and, if so, supplementation with testosterone replacement medications may relieve your erectile dysfunction along with the other symptoms of low testosterone.
Vacuum pumps have been used since the early 19th century as a treatment for erectile dysfunction, and today they are still looked to as an alternative to prescription medications. It is also popular as one of the least invasive treatments for erectile dysfunction.
For clinically diagnosed medical causes of ED, surgical solutions may be needed. A penile prosthesis, or implant, can be surgically inserted into the penis. The simplest device is a malleable rod that can be moved into place for intercourse. Easier to conceal are inflatable implants. However, but both of these devices are inserted surgically into the erectile chamber of the penis to facilitate and support an erection as long as needed. There is also a new experimental procedure, the drug-eluting stent or DES, which uses tiny mesh tubes made of metal inserted into the pudendal arteries to open them and allow blood to flow more freely. This particular device is still in clinical trials so it is not widely available yet, but it may prove life-changing for men who have atherosclerosis.
Natural Remedies for Erectile Dysfunction
Whether used on their own or in combination with more traditional medical treatments, natural remedies and alternative treatments may be beneficial for many men suffering from erectile dysfunction.
Nutritional supplements have been used to help improve ED, including the amino acid arginine, antioxidants vitamins C and E, and flaxseed meal. DHEA supplements have also been shown to improve erectile dysfunction in men with low levels of the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone.
Herbal remedies have been popularly used for erectile dysfunction symptoms for centuries. Asian ginseng, ginkgo biloba, and horny goat weed have all been used as treatments for ED. As with any herbal or nutritional supplement, it is important to consult with your doctor before starting to take them, especially if using them in conjunction with other ED treatments and medications.
Fight ED with Lifestyle Changes
Simply making changes to your lifestyle can have the desired effect of improving your erectile dysfunction situation. Adopting a healthier lifestyle by exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking and reducing stress can help relieve the symptoms of ED. Plus, all of these changes will help your overall health as well, improving your cardiac health and lowering your blood glucose.
As our population ages, and the rate of erectile dysfunction among men increases, the search for new and better forms of treatment will continue. New drugs with the potential to alleviate ED symptoms are making their way through clinical trials, including medications geared toward men with diabetes who may not be able to take the more traditional drugs. Doctors and scientists are also learning more and more about the causes of ED, enabling them to treat the condition more effectively. While Viagra and medications like them will continue to be the go-to solution for treating erectile problems, new types of medication and new treatments will continue to emerge, offering men who suffer from ED more options for coping with their erectile dysfunction.
Conclusion
If Viagra or one of the other oral ED drugs is your treatment of choice for ED, you may find that you can save both money and time by ordering them from a trustworthy online facilitator such as eDrugstore.com. Based in Tempe, Arizona, eDrugstore has been in business since the late 1990s, supplying FDA-approved medications that are sourced exclusively from licensed U.S. pharmacies. To learn more, visit eDrugstore’s Erection Problems page.
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