Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
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Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the term used to describe the inability to get or maintain an erection.
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There are many different causes of ED, include, but are not limited to, the following:
Limitation in blood flow to penis
Neurological causes such as stroke, penile trauma, spinal cord injury, or prostate surgery that damage nerves to the penis.
Medications that lower testosterone, opioids, some blood pressure medications, and antidepressants
Psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety
Smoking, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, alcohol or drug abuse
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Erectile dysfunction symptoms include:
Complete inability or only sometimes being able to get an erection before sexual intercourse.
Requiring a lot of stimulation to maintain an erection.
Unable to maintain an erection during sexual intercourse.
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Lifestyle Recommendations — Improving diet, exercise, and sleep and reducing stress can all potentially improve sexual problems such as ED and low libido. Quitting smoking and reducing or stopping alcohol can also be beneficial.
Medication management — Medication review to determine if one of your medications could be contributing to your ED. In some cases, there are different medications you could use instead.
Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors(Viagra)—Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors work by increasing chemicals that allow the penis to become and remain erect. PDE-5 inhibitors open the blood vessels in the penis and allow more blood flow to come into the penis. They help a male to achieve an erection after sexual stimulation, but the medication does not increase sexual desire. These medications require sexual stimulation to cause an erection.