Erectile Dysfunction: Everything You Need To Know

Erectile dysfunction is a serious problem in which a man often faces difficulty obtaining and maintaining erections. Your penis may not get erect at all or gets erect only once in a while. Or maybe able to achieve an erection, but it doesn’t last long enough for satisfying sex.

ED is more widespread in men over the age of 40 years.
Most men experience erection problems once in a while. The doctors don’t consider it as erectile dysfunction unless it becomes consistent.
Erectile dysfunction may be caused by psychological problems, injuries, blood vessel diseases, problems with the nervous system, surgery, or certain medications.
Most cases of ED are treatable.

Sometimes, erection problems can arise as a sign of other serious health concerns; therefore, it’s significant for you to consult a doctor.

What Causes Erectile Dysfunction?

The most common causes of impotence (ED) are problems with nerves in your penis or problems with blood flow to your penis. Other common causes of ED include:

Diabetes
Side effects from prostate surgery
Hardening of arteries in your body (atherosclerosis)
Taking certain medications, including those use to treat depression and high blood pressure

You may also develop erectile dysfunction due to:

Stress, depression, performance anxiety, or being over-exhausted
Low levels of testosterone
Drugs like cocaine or alcohol
Diseases that can affect your nerves including spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and stroke

How Is Erectile Dysfunction Diagnosed?

In most cases, healthcare specialists are able to diagnose ED just by reviewing the symptoms and medical history of the patient. While in some cases, the doctor may also take your physical examination or order blood tests to confirm the diagnosis.

How Is Erectile Dysfunction Treated?

Firstly, doctors will treat any health conditions that might be causing your ED or consider changing any medications that you’re taking, which may be responsible.

Your doctor may also advise you to:

Switch to a healthy diet
Maintain a healthy body weight
Exercise more
Quit smoking
Drink less alcohol

However, oral medications are the first-line treatment for erectile dysfunction. These medications include:

Sildenafil (Viagra)
Tadalafil (Cialis)
Avanafil (Stendra)

Sildenafil 100mg is known to be the safest and highly effective FDA-approved drug for erectile dysfunction. It is able to produce the expected result in a wide range of ED patients and hence became the doctor’s choice for treating ED.

How Sildenafil 100mg Works To Cure Erectile Dysfunction?

Sildenafil 100mg is a type of PDE-5 inhibitor. It works by increasing the blood flowing to the penis. When the penis obtains sufficient blood flow, you achieve an erection after adequate sexual stimulation. Remember, sexual stimulation is required for the drug to work.

Also, sildenafil 100mg needs to be taken appropriately to minimize the risk of side effects and fetch the best results. If you are uncertain about the appropriate way to take sildenafil 100mg, kindly ask your doctor. In general, you need to take one pill of sildenafil 100mg half an hour before involving in sexual activity. You will be able to experience the effects of sildenafil 100mg within 30 minutes of administration. However, you may need to wait for nearly an hour to reach its maximum effects. The effects of sildenafil 100mg usually persist for around 6 hours.

You can take sildenafil 100mg on an empty or full stomach based on your convenience. But make sure you don’t have a heavy or fatty meal if you are planning to take sildenafil 100mg. Also, do not consume alcohol in excessive amounts while taking the medication to avoid any undesirable effects.

Now, if your doctor tells you that sildenafil 100mg is inappropriate or ineffective for you, don’t get disheartened as you can try tadalafil or avanafil to cure your symptoms. If none of the ED pills works well for you, your doctor might recommend other treatment options, including vacuum pumps, testosterone replacement therapy. Note that testosterone replacement therapy is only recommended for those men who have lower levels of testosterone, and surgery is considered to be the last treatment alternative.

Can You Prevent Erectile Dysfunction?

You can consider the following measures to prevent most causes of erectile dysfunction:

Follow a healthy diet: Have a healthy diet that incorporates fresh fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grain foods. Kindly avoid foods that are high in fat, particularly saturated fats and sodium. Following a healthy diet plan can help aim for healthy body weight and keep your diabetes and blood pressure under control. Diabetes and diabetes are significant risk factors for ED and so minimizing their risk can be beneficial.
Quit smoking: If you smoke, get adequate help to quit. Smoking can cause blood vessels or heart disease, which can contribute to erectile dysfunction. Smoking is known to elevate the risk of developing ED, and hence should be avoided.
Be physically active: Exercising boosts blood flow throughout your body, including the penis. Make sure you contact a doctor if you are planning to start any high-intensity workouts. Beginners are advised to start from an easy physical activity such as walking at a slow pace or gardening. You can gradually switch to harder activities such as swimming or walking briskly. You should aim for 30 minutes of physical activity all or most days of the week.
Manage a healthy body weight: Maintaining a healthy weight can help delay the onset of diabetes and regulate your blood pressure levels. Consult your doctor regarding the best way to prevent diabetes or manage the disease, in case you already have it. Get frequent checkups to ensure your blood pressure levels are normal. If you are overweight, ask your doctor about how you can reduce weight safely. Losing weight can help increase testosterone levels, reduce inflammation, and boost self-confidence, all of which can help prevent erectile dysfunction. If you have a healthy weight, try to maintain that body weight by having a healthy diet and regular physical activity.
Avoid using illegal drugs: The use of illicit drugs may affect your ability to get and maintain erections. For instance, some drugs may prevent you from getting stimulated or feeling other sensations. Talk to a medical professional if you think you require help with drug abuse.