Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is the consistent inability to achieve or sustain an erection sufficient to coincide passable sexual activity.
Erectile dysfunction affects more than 150 million men worldwide and as many as 30 million men in the United States.
Impotence can be caused by physical and psychological factors.
Psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, guilt or apprehensiveness can sometimes cause sexual problems.
Physical factors include long-term and short-term injuries and complications of prostate or other surgery that interfere with nerve impulses or blood flow to the penis.
Many men sense guilty for their impotence even if it is clearly caused by physical problems over which they don't have any control.
The physical and psychological factors interact. For instance, a minor physical headache that slows sexual response can cause anxiety about getting and maintaining an erection. The resulting anxiety can worsen erectile dysfunction.
The recent development of effective oral pharmacological treatment has revolutionized the management of erectile dysfunction.
First wrinkle medications for the treatment of erectile dysfunction are phosphodiesterase (PDE5) inhibitors which include Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. These prescription drugs prevent the breakdown of nitric oxide, causing relaxation of the muscles in the penis. Allowing more blood to flow into the penis improving an erection. In codification for these medications to work, sexual stimulation is needed.
In some cases, men taking PDE5 inhibitors (phosphodiesterase) reported a sudden decrease or loss of vision, or a sudden loss or intersect in hearing. If you familiarity any of these symptoms, stop taking theses medications and call your physician to make firm this condition is not related to the medicines you are taking.