Myths About Impotence and Erectile Dysfunction
Impotence Will Destroy a Marriage, and Other ED Myths
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition wherein the male has difficulty in sustaining an erection, hence difficulty in having intercourse. This may be caused by health factors such as stress, diabetes, and heart problems. There are those among us who get their facts straight about ED and understand it, by asking a physician and reading relevant material on it. However, there are a few people who totally fear impotence or ED for all the wrong reasons. Here are some myths and the truths behind them.
Marriage Goes Bye-Bye
When a man experiences ED, will this destroy a relationship? It should be understood by many that intimacy is only one factor that determines a long-lasting relationship. Initial reactions by women when her partner has ED include feelings of guilt and blaming herself. The same goes with the man. ED will only be a hindrance to a marriage if both persons do not communicate toward a solution. Marriage experts say that working together to battle ED, now that there are many options for treatment, will actually be a means to strengthen a relationship. Read more
Is Erectile Dysfuction Preventable
Erectile Dysfunction: Can It Be Prevented?
As the old adage says, “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.” For medical experts, erectile dysfunction (ED) cannot accurately be predicted, but the causes have been documented. Changes in the lifestyle choices of the man may reduce his risk of ED. If prevention is not completely possible, then diagnoses at an early stage, coupled with the proper treatment, can win the battle against ED.
A Look into the Past
The patient’s medical history is an important database that helps doctors find out causes for a man’s ED. Impotence is linked to many other health problems, especially that of the cardiovascular system and nervous system. The doctor examines the list of medications previously or currently taken by the patient, as many drugs are known to have ED as a side effect. Alcoholism and substance abuse in a patient’s history can tell a lot to a practitioner as to why ED is experienced.
Let’s Get Physical
Physical tests are performed to know the overall health of the patient. Observation of the hair and balding patterns can indicate if he has a hormonal imbalance or not, as low testosterone levels contribute to ED. Checking the blood pressure and pulse rate tells if the patient has a problem with his blood flow, which consequently decreases supply to the penis during an erection. Read more
Treatments and Cures for Erectile Dysfunction
Don’t Feel Down, There’s a New Cure in Town
A man’s ability to have sex is greatly affected by impotence. It is a condition in which an erection cannot be achieved or sustained, due to physical and psychological factors. Nearly 70% of cases of men with erectile dysfunction (ED) attribute it to problems such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, kidney disease, chronic alcoholism, or heart disease. Other causes found out were severe damage to the cavernosal nerves of the penis which may follow after surgery for bladder or prostate cancer. Also, when a person experiences injury to the penis, spinal cord, bladder, or pelvis, it may possibly lead to ED.
Research performed in the Children’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, may have found a solution to repair damaged nerves and give hope of a cure against ED. Tissue engineering has made it possible to grow organs in the laboratory for transplanting to patients who need them. According to the study, while the body of a penis can be grown artificially under lab conditions, it still needs a functional set of nerves before it works properly. In order for the penis to regain sexual function, the damaged nerves can either be regrown from cells and given a new life, or regenerated.
The experiment involved cutting the cavernosal nerves of the penises of 90 rats. At the area where the nerves were damaged, a graft was attached. The graft may be from nerves from other parts of the rat’s body, or from collagen, which is an elastic protein comprising connective tissues in the body. The graft was properly constructed to follow the shape of a nerve, which will allow new nerve cells to regenerate over it. The graft will serve as a scaffold to support the growth of new nerve cells, and eventually heal the initial damage done. The findings of the study were presented to the American Urological Association. Read more
How To Prevent Erectile Dysfunction
Doesn’t Matter What You Do, ED Could Happen To You
Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been an identified problem for several decades now. When Viagra was released in 1998, most people believed that the number of men with ED would decline over the years. However, with the world’s ever increasing population, environmental problems, and new medical conditions at present, that prediction does not seem to be happening.
ED has been attributed to a patient’s age, previous health problems, lifestyle habits, and mental wellness. There is no known way of preventing ED, although there are several methods to diagnose it. There is no 100% effective cure for ED, but there are many products and procedures available that help remedy the condition.
In the United States, according to a 1994 Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS), the prevalence of all degrees of impotence is 52%. The prevalence of men with moderate impotence is 25.5%, minimal ED at 17.2%, and complete ED at 9.6%. The MMAS found that prevalence of impotence increases with age for subjects between the ages of 40 to 70 years old. Data from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) approximate that 5% of 40-year-old men in the US have ED, while 15 to 25% of 65-year-old men have ED. Read more