Erectile dysfunction (ED, also known as impotence, is the inability to achieve an erection and/ or maintain it, thus becoming an impairment to healthy sex life. ED is also known as ‘impotency’.
Types & Causes of Erectile Dysfunction/Impotence:
- Intake of drugs.
- Side effects of surgery.
- Antidepressants.
- Kidney failure.
- Nervous system disorders.
- Hormonal issues.
- Relationship problems.
- Cavernosal disorders.
- Atherosclerosis i.e. arteries become narrow.
- Age: Common in the age group between 40 to 60 years of age.
- Anxiety, stress, mental disorders, depression.
- Diseases that affect blood flow and nervous systems like diabetes and multiple sclerosis.
- A rare cause: Arsenic poisoning by well water contamination.
- Smoking/ tobacco consumption.
- Obesity.
- Unhealthy lifestyle.
Symptoms of Erectile-Dysfunction:
- Lack of erection.
- Improper erection.
- An erection that doesn’t hold for too long.
Erectile-Dysfunction Diagnosis:
- Penile nerve function.
- Lipid profile.
- Corpus cavernosometry.
- Duplex ultrasound.
- Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA).
- Dynamic infusion cavernosometry (DICC)
- Complete blood count (CBC).
- Blood glucose (sugar).
- Penile biothesiometry.
- Liver and kidney function tests.
- Thyroid function test.
- Blood hormone studies.
- Urinalysis.
- Bulbocavernosus reflex.
- Nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT).
- PSA.
- Vasoactive injection.
Treatment for Erectile-Dysfunction:
- Medication.
- Oral, injected and topical medication.
- Penile vacuum pumps.
- Hormonal therapy.
- Surgery: Penile prosthesis.
Prevention & Precaution is Better than Cure:
- Regular check-up and tests.
- Healthy living.
- Losing obesity.
- Regular exercise.
- Avoid tobacco, smoking.
All the above, treatments are finalized taking into consideration the overall health, severity, age and other ailments of the patient.
