1, What is Erectile Dysfunction？
Erectile dysfunction in men is also known as impotence or ED for short. In layman’s terms, it means that the penis cannot be erected, the erection is not hard enough, or the erection is not durable, and this situation takes more than 3 months.
2, What are the causes of erectile dysfunction？
2.1Psychological factors
Maybe an inadvertent word or a look between lovers will cause ED. Maybe one day, I got ED after being criticized by my boss for playing games privately during work hours. A penis erection needs to happen in a relaxed, natural state of mind. In terms of sexuality, it is easy to appear “fear of a rope after being bitten by a snake for ten years”, and a failed sexual experience is likely to lead to ED. A mentally strong man needs experience and a strong heart, who is not afraid of failure and can withstand the cynicism of his wife.
2.2 Vascular crisis
ED, heart, and cerebrovascular accidents are now called the three major vascular crises in middle-aged men by andrology. Simply put, penis erection is supported by blood, and all factors that affect blood circulation may lead to ED. So, why has ED related to the heart and brain again? It turns out that the blood vessels in the penis are very thin, only one-third of the coronary arteries above the heart. Vascular lesions are systemic, and the same degree of lesions may have little effect on the blood supply of large blood vessels, but have a greater impact on small blood vessels on the penis. When the blood vessels are just initially partially damaged, the erectile function of the penis may be affected. From this point of view, erectile function is a barometer and weather vane of a man’s vascular health! The study found that it took an average of 53.4 months from the appearance of ED to the development of vascular lesions such in the heart and brain. The effects of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and other factors on blood vessels also manifested as changes in erectile function at the beginning.
2.3 Hormone
There are many kinds of hormones in the body, and the ones that affect erection, which is related to sex, are called sex hormones. There are also many types of sex hormones, including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin, which are produced in the brain, and testosterone, which is mainly produced by the testes. Testosterone is the hormone that determines sexual function. But testicular also works under the command of the FSH and LH produced by the brain. In addition, prolactin also has a very important effect on erection.
2.4 Surgery, Post-traumatic
It is more common in pelvic surgery such as radical prostatectomy, radical rectal cancer surgery and pelvic trauma. Due to the unavoidable damage to the erectile nerve and penile blood vessels, erectile dysfunction often occurs after surgery.
3. What to do if you have ED
If you have ED one day, don’t take it lightly, go to a regular hospital for a checkup. Otherwise, one day I have a heart attack and I don’t even know if I have diabetes. In view of the many factors that affect erectile function, the doctor’s consultation will be more content, even involving personal privacy, but it is for better diagnosis and treatment, and the following inspections are also recommended:
3.1 Take blood to check sex hormones, blood sugar, blood lipids, etc. Blood draws on an empty stomach before 10 am.
3.2 Nocturnal Penis Enlargement Test (NPT). Recording the erection of the penis in the state of sleep at night has a good effect on the identification of psychological and organic ED.
4. How to treat erectile dysfunction
4.1 Healthy lifestyle
Adequate sleep can restore physical strength, relax the body, and provide the basic physical environment for penile erection. A balanced diet can make blood sugar, blood lipids and even blood vessel function healthier, and provide protection for penile erection. Appropriate physical exercise can inject power into penile erection in all directions by relaxing the body, improving vascular function, and reducing blood lipids.
4.2 Oral medication
First-line treatment includes “Viagra” as a representative of PDE5 inhibitors, as well as some traditional Chinese medicine. At present, the PDE5 inhibitors “Viagra” and “Cialis” are currently available in China. The main effect of these drugs is to relax the blood vessels of the cavernous body of the penis and increase the blood supply to the penis, thereby improving erection. These drugs do not induce an erection, and sexual stimulation is still required to induce an erection after taking the drug. In recent years, many studies have shown that the regular application of PDE5 inhibitors can fundamentally improve the corpus cavernosum. The effect of traditional Chinese medicine on erection is relatively mild, but it can gradually improve erectile function and play a role in curing the root cause by conditioning the body.
4.3 Vacuum hard-on device
First-line therapy, for patients who fail to respond to oral drug therapy. By applying negative pressure to the penis, blood is drawn into the penis.
4.4 Intracavernous drug injection and intraurethral administration.
Second-line treatment, patients who are ineffective with oral drugs can choose. There are risks of penile pain, priapism, penile fibrosis, etc., and it is less used now.
4.5 Surgically implanted penile prosthesis
Third-line treatment. It is only used when other treatments such as drugs are ineffective. Once a penile prosthesis is implanted, it is impossible to restore the penis to an erection on its own.