You may have seen that TV ad showing an older male with a young lady who looks super satisfied and happy with her man. Their relationship seems perfect and the man looks proud of how well he takes good care of his “girl”. Then you are told the reason for this seemingly perfect life is the use of a pill (Viagra, Cialis etc.) that helps the man treat his Erectile Dysfunction (ED). The irony is, many men who have Erectile Dysfunction are not necessarily old but are middle-aged men. In fact, by age 40, about 40% of men will have experienced Erectile Dysfunction, and 7 out of 10 men at age 70 are persistently affected by it.
Erectile Dysfunction occurs when a man is not able to achieve or sustain an erection during sexual intercourse. To help you better understand the causes of ED, it is important that you know the mechanism of a normal erection. The penile organ is a highly vascularized part of the body and it has many venous sacs that fill up with blood when aroused. Any blockage or disruption to the flow of blood to the penis will often times lead to Erectile Dysfunction. There are many factors that may be responsible, the most common cause being cardiovascular diseases. Other causes include age, diabetes, hypertension, stress, medication, trauma, and sometimes the cause is unknown.
As you may know already, Erectile Dysfunction can be treated with drugs. However, life style changes and stress relieving activities are likely to be as effective. If you think you may have Erectile Dysfunction, the first step you need to take is to accept the reality and talk with your partner. Being open with your partner and dealing with the problem together alleviates a lot of stress and anxiety.
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Being open with your partner and dealing with the problem together alleviates a lot of stress and anxiety.
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Begin taking steps to remove the cause and if you have an underlying medical issue, talk to your doctor about possible treatments. A word of caution though, many medications or herbs used for treating Erectile Dysfunction may affect blood pressure and sometimes heart function. You should always discuss with your doctor before trying anything new. Be sure to watch out for unusual symptoms and side effects after taking medication.
Finally, at some point in life as a man, you will most likely experience erectile dysfunction. Being active, eating healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are great ways to prevent or reduce the frequency and severity of Erectile Dysfunction.
By Kike Oduba
This article is the 2nd in the series for Men’s health month. Stay tuned for additional articles on Men’s mental health, prostate cancer screening, and more.