Understanding Erectile Dysfunction
It is estimated that approximately 5% of men over the age of 40 suffers from complete Erectile Dysfunction. While mild to moderate ED affects approximately 10% per decade of life (i.e., 50 percent of men in their 50s, 60 percent of men in their 60s).
November is National Impotency Month and was created to raise awareness of this common condition which is so often concealed by embarrassment and secrecy.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence is defined as persistent or recurrent inability to achieve and keep a firm enough erection sufficient to have sexual intercourse or other sexual acts.
Achieving an erection requires several aspects of the body including hormones, nerves, brain, muscles and blood circulation to work together. If something interferes with this process, erectile dysfunction may occur.
In some cases, erectile dysfunction may be the first indication of a serious underlying health condition.
Possible Causes
There are many possible causes of erectile dysfunction, both physical and psychological, these include:
- Lifestyle Choices: Being overweight, excessive alcohol, drug abuse, smoking and no/little exercise.
- Diseases and Injuries: Diabetes, kidney disease, spinal cord and brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, etc.
- Medications: Antidepressants, tranquilizers, some blood pressure drugs, plus others.
- Surgery and Treatments: For prostate cancer, BPH or bladder cancer as nerves and blood vessels near the penis may be damaged.
- Psychologic Factors: Low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, guilt and stress.
Treatment
To help treat, a person's age, overall health and the cause of the condition will be considered. For some men, simply making a few healthy lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, losing weight or limiting alcohol, or if the cause is psychological - psychotherapy may solve the problem. For others, injection or vacuum devices may help.
For the vast majority, and often the first line of treatment is taking prescription medications such as Viagra, Cialis or Levitra as these most likely will successfully treat the condition. These medications can be expensive and may not be covered by insurance.
So, if you need to find a way to make medications these more affordable, prescription discount offers from RxLess may be able to save you money. Search for your prescriptions to find a free offer today!
