Erectile dysfunction: what is it, causes, symptoms, treatment, diagnosis, prevention

Every man can face erectile dysfunction. However, do not panic: many reasons can lead to problems with erection, and often only minor medical intervention is required in order to regain sexual strength.

You will learn about the causes, symptoms, types and treatment of erectile dysfunction by reading the article.

What is erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to achieve or maintain an erection during intercourse.

At a younger age, the cause is usually psychogenic. The elderly have a serious illness.

The term "erectile dysfunction" was introduced in 1992, when American researchers proposed to use it as a broader concept than "impotence".

According to modern statistics, about 10% of men between the ages of 20 and 30 face problems in the sexual sphere, in 30-35 years old - 20%, and in the period from 40 to 70 years old about what erectile dysfunction is, about 50% know firsthand respondents.

At the same time, in the coming years, according to the forecasts of researchers, the number of men experiencing difficulties with intercourse will only grow.

The definition states that sexual dysfunction is a violation of the quality of an erection: the inability to achieve or maintain it to the extent that is required to perform a sexual act.

For men, sexual disorders are a pretext for serious psychological trauma. After all, the lack of the opportunity to have sexual intercourse causes self-doubt and inferiority complexes that extend throughout a person's life.

Unfortunately, as a result, many men are embarrassed to see a doctor, believing their problem to be “shameful”. However, there is no need to be afraid to seem not masculine enough: impotence can be caused by goals for a number of reasons, and often insignificant intervention.

It is also important that erectile problems in most cases are not an independent disease, but signal that there is another disorder, for example, atherosclerosis, prostatitis, diabetes etc.

Other name of the problem: erectile dysfunction (ED), impotence, impotence.

Types of erectile dysfunction

Depending on what reasons caused the impossibility of sexual intercourse, there are two main types of erectile dysfunction: organic and psychogenic.

As the name implies, organic is associated with somatic problems, and psychogenic - with mental ones.

Naturally, the symptoms of the two types of sexual dysfunction are almost the same: insufficiently strong erection, impossibility to achieve it, etc.

However, there is one difference: as a rule, organic impotence begins gradually, psychogenic impotence occurs suddenly.

A number of factors can cause organic sexual dysfunction:

• diseases of the genital organs;
• alcohol, drug abuse and even smoking;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system that affect blood pressure;
• violation of the transmission of nerve impulses, leading to a decrease in the sensitivity of the penis;
• disruption of the endocrine system, leading either to an excess of female sex hormones, or to a lack of testosterone;
• Taking certain medications, such as blood pressure lowering drugs, antidepressants, or diuretics
• genital trauma.

Psychogenic erectile dysfunction is caused by:

• depressive disorder. With depression, a person loses the ability to receive pleasure and joy, which affects the genital area .;
• experienced stress or prolonged stay in a traumatic situation;
• too long refusal to have sex or, on the contrary, frequent change of sexual partners;
• religious and personal beliefs. For example, psychogenic impotence can be caused by infantilism, panic fear of contracting a sexually transmitted disease, fear of unwanted pregnancy of a partner, etc. Sometimes the reason for the impossibility of having a full sexual intercourse is the belief that the size of the penis is too small.

Sometimes the symptoms of impotence appear after a man experiences psychological trauma associated with the sexual sphere of the personality. For example, a partner may speak unflatteringly about his sexual ability, which leads to the development of an inferiority complex and fear of new sexual contacts.

Symptoms of impotence

The main symptoms of sexual dysfunction include the following:

• the penis does not reach the desired degree of tension when aroused, as a result of which there is no opportunity to perform normal sexual intercourse;
• directly during coitus, the level of erection may decrease;
• sexual desire is either completely absent or significantly reduced;
• there is no ejaculation, it is not possible to achieve orgasm.

The presence of such symptoms for a short time does not indicate the development of erectile dysfunction. Sometimes they can be the result of overwork, severe stress, and even drinking too much coffee or alcohol.

However, if symptoms persist for a long time, a urologist should be consulted.

The following signs indicate the absence of erectile dysfunction:

• at night or in the morning, a spontaneous erection occurs;
• in most cases, the tension of the penis is sufficient to complete a full sexual intercourse;
• the penis becomes erect during masturbation.

Causes of erectile dysfunction

Erectile function may not disappear, but significantly weaken. This can cause real panic in men. However, do not be alarmed: perhaps, after the elimination of the factor that led to the weakening of the erection, everything will return to normal.

The following reasons can cause mild erectile dysfunction:

• overwork. The body's resources are not infinite, so it is quite natural that a breakdown affects sexual function;
• experienced a serious illness. After an illness, the body is exhausted. After recuperation, sexual function will return to normal;
• self-doubt. Often, young people have high expectations of themselves, and the first negative experience undermines their confidence in themselves;
• tactless behavior of the partner. Impressionable, insecure men may have difficulty with erections after a critical careless remark;
• climate change, moving to another country;
• excessive consumption of beer. Beer contains female hormones, so it reduces sexual function;
• elderly age. After 60 years, most men experience problems with erection: unfortunately, this is an almost irreversible process that is associated with natural age-related changes;
• weakening of the emotional connection with a partner, a habit. Often spouses who have been married for many years lose passion for each other, resulting in sexual dysfunction.

Naturally, this is not a complete list of reasons that can cause a weakening of sexual function. Only a specialist can understand what caused the problem in the sexual sphere.

Seeing a doctor early will help you quickly return to your normal sex life. If you refuse treatment, the problem will begin to worsen due to the psychological factor.

Erectile Dysfunction Treatment

Many men who are faced with the problem of erectile dysfunction, before seeking help from specialists, try to prescribe themselves treatment at home.

Of course, sometimes such remedies give a result (we will even talk about them), especially if impotence has psychological causes.

However, if the ailment has arisen due to any disease, you can simply waste time. Therefore, it is important to coordinate any alternative methods with the attending physician, who will first give you an accurate diagnosis.

Treatment of impotence at home with folk remedies

As a rule, various medicinal herbs are used to treat impotence. Here are the recipes that are considered to be the most effective:

• you need to take equal amounts of nettle, flaxseed and mint. Two tablespoons of the mixture are brewed with two glasses of boiling water. It is advisable to infuse the broth for at least eight hours, for example, it can be left in a thermos overnight. You need to take medicine within three weeks one glass in the morning and evening. The collection helps not only to solve the problem with potency, but also effectively relieves of premature ejaculation;
• to prepare this collection, you need to take the immortelle and calendula in a ratio of 2 to 1, respectively. One tablespoon of the mixture is needed brew 200 ml of boiling water. You need to infuse the broth until it cools down, and it is important to do this without access to light, for example, in a teapot made of clay or ceramics. You need to take one tablespoon of infusion between meals for four weeks;
• there is also an easier recipe for strengthening male strength. It is necessary to take one tablespoon of yarrow broth for three weeks. 200 grams of grass needs to be poured a glass of water and boil for about a quarter of an hour over low heat. The remedy for the treatment of erectile dysfunction is ready.

An excellent result in the treatment of impotence can be achieved alcohol infusion of calamus or ginseng. Infusions have a tonic effect on the body, stabilize hormones and improve blood circulation.

Diet to restore potency

It doesn't matter what you choose: home treatment or mainstream medicine. In any case, the best results are achieved by combining therapy with a healthy diet. It is important to adhere to the following principles:

• give up bad eating habits. Eliminate fatty foods, foods high in spices, smoked meats and fast food from your diet;
• eat foods high in protein: meat, lean fish, nuts. True, it is better to refuse fatty meat: excess weight helps to weaken potency;
• try to give up alcoholic beverages at least for a while. This is especially true of beer, which contains a small amount of female sex hormones that weaken male potency;
• eat as many fresh vegetables and fruits as possible. If this is not possible, take multivitamin complexes. On sale you can find vitamins specially designed for the needs of the male body: give preference to them.

Preparations for increasing potency

The doctor can assign two categories drugs that improve potency. If the patient is diagnosed with any disease that negatively affected the ability to perform normal sexual intercourse, then therapy will be aimed at combating the underlying disease.

In this case, the choice of treatment will depend on the specifics of the disease. For example, if impotence is psychogenic in nature and has arisen due to the fact that the patient has experienced severe stress, mild sedatives and adaptogens may be prescribed.

At the same time, medications can be recommended that directly affect potency. The most popular of these are Viagra and its analogues, for example, Levitra and Cialis.

Read also: Drugs to increase potency in men.

These drugs work on the same principle. They act on smooth muscles, improving blood circulation in the penis. You need to take drugs immediately before having intercourse.

Unfortunately, drugs to improve erection have a number of unpleasant side effects. In particular, they can lead to high blood pressure and are addictive, that is, addictive.

It is important to remember that all drugs in this group have many contraindications, so it is better not to take them without first consulting a doctor.

Stick to a healthy lifestyle

Sometimes, in order to improve your sex life, you need to rethink many habits. In order to improve potency and get rid of erectile dysfunction, doctors recommend:

• do not give up physical activity. Physical inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle lead to stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs. Due to the deteriorated blood circulation, erection problems begin. It is important to walk as much as possible, do gymnastics every day, sign up for a gym;
• being overweight can cause problems in your sex life. Firstly, shortness of breath interferes with normal sexual intercourse, and secondly, excess weight often becomes the cause of hormonal imbalance in the male body;
• it is very important to give up smoking and alcohol. Tobacco and alcohol have a negative effect on blood vessels and worsen the general condition of the body;
• to avoid psychogenic potency disorders, it is important to learn how to effectively cope with stress. Sometimes this may require working with a psychologist or psychotherapist;
• Not getting enough sleep can negatively affect your ability to have normal intercourse. It is important to plan your day carefully and pay sufficient attention to proper rest;
• often psychogenic impotence occurs due to insufficient trusting relationship with a permanent sexual partner. Family problems often cause temporary erectile dysfunction in men. To avoid this, it is important to learn how to negotiate with your “other half” and avoid confrontations, solving emerging problems in a constructive way.

Prevention of erectile dysfunction

What to do in order not to face the problem of inability to perform normal sexual intercourse? It is important to be guided by the following rules:

• regularly perform preventive medical examinations. It is easier to identify the disease in the initial stages than to treat its consequences, among which there may be impotence;
• wear quality underwear. Unfortunately, too tight synthetic underwear can lead to a violation of potency. Such underwear squeezes blood vessels and overheats the external genital organs, which leads to the impossibility of performing a full sexual intercourse and even to infertility;
• exercise and eat right;
• do not have unprotected sex with unverified partners: sexually transmitted diseases can cause problems with potency and other serious problems.

Erectile dysfunction is a serious problem that every man can face. It is important to consult a doctor as soon as possible, without waiting for the changes to become irreversible and serious surgical intervention is required to eliminate them.

Prognosis for patients

Mortality due to serious causes in patients with erectile disease increases to 25%, while the risk of cerebrovascular events increases by 44%, and in myocardial infarction - by 62%.

Associated conditions include premature ejaculation, hypoactive sexual desire, lack of pleasure, and depression.

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