10+ Way For Erectile Dysfunction: Treatments, Symptoms
The good news is that there are many treatments for ED, and most men will find a solution that works for them. Treatments include:
Drug treatments
Men can take a group of drugs called PDE-5 (phosphodiesterase-5) inhibitors.
Most of these pills are taken 30 to 60 minutes before sex – the best known being the blue-colored pill sildenafil (Viagra). Other options are:
- vardenafil (Levitra)
- tadalafil (taken as a once-daily pill called Cialis)
- avanafil (Stendra)
PDE-5 inhibitors are only available on prescription. A doctor will check for heart conditions and ask about other medications being taken before prescribing.
Side-effects associated with PDE-5 inhibitors include:
- flushing
- visual abnormalities
- hearing loss
- indigestion
- headache
Less commonly used drug options include prostaglandin E1, which is applied locally by either injecting it into the penis or inserting it down the opening of the urethra.
Most men prefer a pill, however, so these locally acting drugs tend to be reserved for men who cannot take oral treatment.
Online pharmacies
It is possible to buy treatment over the internet for ED. However, caution is advised.
The United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a consumer safety guide about this, including a recommendation to check that the online pharmacy:
- is located in the U.S. and licensed
- has a licensed pharmacist to answer questions.
- requires a prescription.
- offers direct contact with a person who can discuss any problems.
You can check whether the pharmacy is licensed using this list of Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS).
The FDA also offers tips for spotting the dangers of an unsafe website, including watching out for the following clues:
- There is no way to contact the website by phone.
- Prices are dramatically lower than those offered by legal online pharmacies.
- Prescription drugs are offered without requiring a prescription – which is illegal.
- Personal information is not protected.
The FDA adds that these illegal sites may send drugs of unknown quality and origin, even sending the wrong drug or a dangerous product.
Vacuum devices
Vacuum erection devices are a mechanical way of producing an erection for men who do not want or cannot use drug treatments, or find they are not working.
The penis is made rigid by the use of a vacuum pump sealed around it that draws up blood. This is prevented from then leaving the penis by the use of an accompanying band.
The lack of spontaneity with the use of vacuum devices means that many men find other treatments for ED preferable.
Surgical treatments
There are several surgical treatment options:
- Penile implants: These are a final option reserved for men who have not had any success with drug treatments and other non-invasive options.
- Vascular surgery: Another surgical option for some men is vascular surgery, which attempts to correct some blood vessel causes of ED.
Surgery is a last resort and will only be used in the most extreme cases. Recovery time varies, but success rates are high.
Do dietary supplements and alternative treatments work?
The short answer is “no.”
No guidelines followed by doctors, nor any established sources of evidence, support the use of dietary supplements, such as herbal pills.
In addition to there being no evidence in favor of non-prescription alternatives for ED, the FDA has warned of hidden risks of “treatments” sold online.
Men may not always successfully achieve an erection, and if this rarely happens, it is not considered a medical problem.
However, ED does not only refer to a complete inability to achieve an erect penis. Symptoms can also include struggling to maintain an erection for long enough to complete intercourse or an inability to ejaculate.
There are often also emotional symptoms, such as embarrassment, shame, anxiety, and a reduced interest in sexual intercourse.
A man is considered to have ED when these symptoms occur regularly.
There are exercises a man can carry out to reduce the effects of ED.
The best way to treat erectile dysfunction without medication is by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles with Kegel exercises. These are often associated with women looking to strengthen their pelvic area during pregnancy, but they can be effective for men looking to regain full function of the penis.
Firstly, find the pelvic floor muscles. You can achieve this by stopping mid-stream two or three times the next time you urinate. The muscles you can feel working during this process are the pelvic floor muscles, and they will be the focus of Kegel exercises.
One Kegel exercise consists of tightening and holding these muscles for 5 seconds and then releasing them. Try to do between 10 and 20 repetitions each day. This may not be possible when you first start doing the exercises. However, they should become easier over time.
You should be able to notice an improvement after 6 weeks.
Make sure you are breathing naturally throughout this process and avoid pushing down as if you are forcing urination. Instead, bring the muscles together in a squeezing motion.
Aerobic exercise, such a jog or even a brisk walk, can also help the blood to circulate better and can help improve ED in men who have circulation issues.
The numerous potential causes of ED mean that a doctor will typically ask a lot of questions and arrange for blood tests to be performed. Such tests can check for heart problems, diabetes, and low testosterone, among other things. The doctor will also carry out a physical examination, including of the genitals.
Before considering a diagnosis that requires treatment, a doctor will look for symptoms that have persisted for at least 3 months.
Once a medical history has been established, a doctor will then undertake further investigation. One simple test, known as the ‘postage stamp test,’ can be helpful in determining if the cause is physical rather than psychological.
Men usually have 3 to 5 erections a night. This test checks for the presence of erections at night by seeing if postage stamps applied around the penis before sleep have snapped off overnight. Other tests of nocturnal erection include the Poten test and Snap-Gauge test.
These methods provide limited information but can help guide a doctor’s choice of further tests.
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