Yet it is a topic that was practically off limits for years. It’s only since the advent of the PDE-5 inhibitor drugs like Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis that dialogue has opened up about erection health. Still, there is a certain degree of reluctance for men to discuss erection health with their doctors and even with their partners. Dr. Jason Leong hopes to change all that.
Patient education has the potential to be more effective than ever, since we live in an age in which online health information from both the healthcare provider’s and the patient’s point of view is readily available. A survey reported in The Holmes Report in September showed that the average US consumer spends over 50 hour per year looking up health information online and visits a physician three times. Furthermore, education from healthcare providers prompts further inquiry: 51% of respondents reported being more likely to visit a website sponsored by a pharmaceutical manufacturer after receiving a diagnosis from their doctor. Patient education with accu08rate and accessible information is an excellent starting point for discussion between patients and their physicians.
Erection Health as it Relates to Overall Health
In the years before drugs like Viagra were available, erection health was widely thought to be closely intertwined with psychological health. In some cases, erection problems are attributable to psychological problems, but the research that has been done over the past 15 to 20 years has elucidated the relationship between erection health and overall health. Men with erection problems are often found to suffer from other health problems such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Physicians today are much more likely to evaluate a man’s overall health if he complains of erection problems, rather than just chalk it up to a psychological hang-up.
Erection Health and Diabetes
By the year 2011, almost 21 million Americans had been diagnosed with diabetes, and the vast majority of these cases were type 2 diabetes. The cost of diagnosed diabetes in 2012 in the US was $245 billion. Diabetes and erection health are two separate entities, but they do tend to go together. Men with diabetes are two to three times more likely to have erection problems than men without diabetes, according to information from the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. Additionally, problems with erection health can be an early clue that a man has undiagnosed diabetes, particularly if he is under age 45. It stands to reason that diabetes education can not only help patients control their blood glucose better, it can be a good starting point for men to address problems with erections.
Erection Health and Heart Disease
The Mayo Clinic says that vascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure account for up to 70% of cases of erection health problems. Vascular disease restricts blood flow to the heart, brain, and sexual organs, and it turns out that the smaller arteries, like the ones in the penis, are the first ones to show signs of plaque buildup. Physicians now know that erection health issues are a sign, particularly in younger men, that the possibility of systemic vascular disease may need to be evaluated.
The good news is that the steps a man takes to improve his cardiovascular health, like getting diabetes under control, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, and eating healthier, often improve erection health as well. This can give men one more motivating factor to improve their cardiovascular health.
The Stigma of Erection Health Problems
Erection health is a concern of men throughout the world. While it may be directly attributable to other, non-sexual health issues like cardiovascular disease and diabetes, it can still make men feel stigmatized. Dialogue between men and their healthcare providers about erection health may be more common nowadays than a generation ago, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to talk about. Men with erection problems may feel alone, despite the fact that millions of men deal with the same problems. Some physicians are trying to change things so that men do not feel stigmatized by erection problems and can openly discuss them with healthcare providers. Ultimately, this should not only help men tackle their erection health problems, but deal with other health problems like heart disease and diabetes better.
Dr. Jason Leong and His Humorous Approach to Erectile Health
Dr. Jason Leong is a physician and part-time comedian whose stand-up routine titled “Get H4rd, Stand Up!” was developed to help men overcome the challenge of the sensitivities that surround erection health problems. The routine, performed in English, is primarily directed toward Asian men, who are typically more reserved than their Western brothers when it comes to discussing erection health with their doctors. Leong describes the 90-minute show as an “intelligent, soft-sell comedy show, but only for those above 18,” and he stays away from crude or distasteful humor about erection health, relying on social observation humor that’s relatable to men 45 and under.
Leong says that older men have an easier time seeking medical advice about erection health, but younger men often struggle, keeping quiet, or seeking help from sources other than healthcare providers. Unaddressed erection health problems can eventually lead to depression and anxiety, both of which can aggravate erection problems. Dr. Leong is only 28, so he understands what it’s like to be a young man in a world where erection health problems are considered an older man’s problem.
Though Leong developed his comedy routine after being contacted by Pfizer, maker of Viagra, he insists that “We’re not here to sell any product during Get H4rd, Stand Up! It’s purely an awareness show.” Believing that comedy can be a novel and effective way to approach serious topics, Leong believes that his routine will be well-received by men and their sexual partners.
Don’t Be Afraid to Discuss Erection Health With Your Healthcare Provider
Erection health has implications well beyond the bedroom. Because the links between erection health and general health problems like heart disease, obesity, and diabetes are becoming clearer, doctors want their patients to be forthcoming about any erection health issues they may be having.
In some cases, lifestyle changes that improve weight control, blood glucose control, and cardiovascular risk factors can make a significant positive difference in erection health. PDE-5 inhibitor drugs like Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis are now widely available to help men deal with the exact vascular phenomena that are the leading cause of erection problems. It may not be easy to discuss erection health issues with a physician, but it is important for a man’s self-esteem, his intimate relationship, and his overall health.
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