Erectile Disfunction Treatment – Drug Therapy
Erectile dysfunction is inability of a man to achieve or maintain sufficient erection to perform sexual intercourse.
Impotence occurs in any age group. At the age of 45 – 60 years it occurs in 15 – 45% of men. The older person by age, the greater risk of getting the disease.
Erectile dysfunction manifests itself in incomplete and unstable firmness of penis. It can be organic and psychogenic. Organic type of erectile dysfunction varies between 40 – 60% depending on age group. The most common causes are such diseases as diabetes, hypertension, spinal cord and brain injuries; disorders can also be associated with taking medications, alcohol and smoking.
How to Treat Erectile Dysfunction?
Theories, methods of treatment and routine methods of diagnosis in the last century were numerous. As a rule, urologist-andrologist is engaged in treatment of erectile dysfunction. For therapy to be effective and give positive results, it is important for a specialist to identify the cause, which resulted in sexual problem.
If the cause was psychological factors, therapy is carried out jointly with psychotherapist or sexologist.
If patient has endocrine disorders, specialist will offer consultation with endocrinologist, and if there are neurological diseases – with neurologist. Either way, treatment of impotence should be as systematic and complex as possible.
Methods of Treatment
The following methods can be used for treatment of erectile dysfunction:
- drug therapy is the main method of treatment. It includes use of natural (plant) and artificial aphrodisiacs, as well as vitamins, dietary supplements, restorative products;
- traditional medicine – based on use of herbal home remedies, stimulating sexual desire and serving as prevention of genitourinary diseases;
- intracavernous injections, which increase flow of blood to genital organs and expand vessels. The most popular means for injections is papaverine;
- use of vacuum pumps is a modern and alternative method that can be used together with drug therapy or independently. It consists in use of special devices that make it possible to achieve penile enlargement by stretching muscle tissue and increasing blood flow;
- surgery. It consists in carrying out falloprosthesis. Although this method gives almost 100% result, they try use it as a last resort, when other methods of treatment did not bring desired result.
Drug Therapy
Use of medications remains the most common and popular treatment for impotence.
Advantages of drug treatment:
- A large assortment of drugs that allows you to choose medicine at the best price, taking into account certain composition and individual tolerability.
- Medications in most cases have good and persistent therapeutic effect.
- Many pills have minimum of contraindications and side effects.
- Simplicity and convenience of treatment scheme.
What are the Most Effective Drugs for Impotence?
Action of pills from erectile dysfunction is aimed at increasing sensitivity, increasing blood flow to genitals and improving erection.
Among all the abundance of medicines, the following means have proved to be the best:
- Viagra is perhaps the most famous drug for treatment of erectile dysfunction. Produced in the US at pharmacological enterprise «Pfizer». The main active substance of Viagra is sildenafil. It is used for erectile dysfunction of various origin, including vascular and nerve disorders. Despite popularity and advertising, experts recommend that you carefully read instructions before using Viagra. The drug has side effects and contraindications.
- Cialis is an American drug produced by pharmacological enterprise «Eli Lilly». The main active substance is tadalafil. Cialis is considered no less well-known «stimulant» of erection, but it is used somewhat less often, possibly because of higher cost. Advantage of the drug in minimal number of contraindications and side effects, as well as in longer action (up to one and a half days).
- Levitra is produced by German famous company «Bayer». The main active ingredient is vardenafil. The drug is characterized by rapid action, good tolerance, high therapeutic effect. But Levitra has many contraindications and side effects, which requires caution during its application.
Comparison of Drugs for Erectile Dysfunction: Viagra, Cialis, Levitra:
| Viagra | Cialis | Levitra | |
| Safety | with caution | with caution | with caution |
| All components are of natural origin | no | no | no |
| On doctor’s prescription | yes | yes | yes |
| Maximal duration after a single dose | 5 h | 20 – 36 h | 6 h |
| Time of application before sexual intercourse | 60 min | 15 – 30 min | 25 – 45 min |
| Specifics | on an empty stomach | with food and alcohol | avoid grapefruit |
| Compatibility with alcohol | no | yes | no |
| Possible Side Effects | Viagra | Cialis | Levitra |
| Pain in the stomach | no | no | no |
| Vision violation | yes | yes | yes |
| Pain in joints | no | no | yes |
| Pain in the back | no | yes | yes |
| Pain in the chest | yes | yes | yes |
| Diarrhea | yes | yes | yes |
| Dizziness | no | yes | yes |
| Heartburn, nausea, vomiting | yes | yes | yes |
| Pain in the eyes | no | no | yes |
| Facial swelling | no | yes | yes |
| Headache | yes | yes | no |
| High arterial blood pressure | yes | yes | yes |
| Addictiveness | yes | yes | yes |
| Tachyphylaxis | yes | yes | yes |
It should also be noted that, in addition to listed preparations, some sedative agents (valerian, melissa, mint) also have good therapeutic effect.
Erectile dysfunction is often associated with psychological causes, so sedative means of moderate action help a man to relax, relieve stress and contribute to restoration of sexual function.
A Bit of History
Do not think that this disease has arisen only in our time. In fact impotence is known for a long time, moreover, it equally affects people of all nationalities and religions. Even in ancient times people tried to fight with this ailment in various ways, sometimes having completely wild concepts. In particular, curative compositions were prepared from genital organs of wild animals and crocodiles.
It should be noted that erectile dysfunction is more likely to affect people who lead sedentary lifestyle, preferring to travel only by car.
Various causes can lead to impotence: wrong way of life, mental disorders, including previous failures of sexual function, various diseases associated with metabolism in the body and blood circulation, as well as various injuries associated with damage of pelvic organs or spinal cord.
Treatment of impotence should begin in a timely manner, best of all with manifestation of first symptoms. Do not behave like savages of an unknown tribe and try to restore potency by conspiracies, visits to psychics or use of miraculous drugs of suspicious origin.
You need to start by eliminating causes of erectile dysfunction. This requires accurate diagnosis. In this case, special attention should be paid to presence of diseases such as diabetes, ischemic heart disease, as well as any vascular diseases of the body.
Increase in potency is positively affected by giving up bad habits. Do not abuse alcohol, smoking should be abandoned once and for all. Taking drugs to treat erectile dysfunction, it is important to lead healthy lifestyle. Start to play sports, spend more time outdoors, do not abuse fatty and high-calorie food.
Often erection is absent due to psychogenic disorders. And here you can not do without help of psychotherapist. In any case, treatment of impotence should begin with elimination of causes of underlying disease.
In any case, potency can be successfully restored with timely start of proper treatment. First of all, you need to eliminate underlying disease, aggravation of which can be a threat not only to sexual function of the body, but also to life of the patient as a whole. After general course, you can pay special attention to restoring erection.
Category: Erectile Dysfunction
Tags: impotence, Men’s Health, sexual frustration