Erectile Dysfunction Overview
Erectile dysfunction is when a man has trouble getting or keeping an erection. ED becomes more common as you get older. But male sexual dysfunction is not a natural part of aging. Having erection trouble from time to time isn't necessarily a cause for concern. But if erectile dysfunction is an ongoing problem, it may cause stress, cause relationship problems or affect your self-confidence.
These diseases over a period, can lead to a degeneration of the penile blood vessels, leading to restriction of blood flow through the arteries and to erectile tissue damage, which allows leakage of blood through the veins during erection.
Abnormally low levels of circulating testosterone may cause ED, although low testosterone is found in a minority of men who develop ED. Low levels of sexual desire, lack of energy, mood disturbances, loss of muscle strength and depression can all be symptoms of low testosterone. A simple blood test can determine if the testosterone level is abnormally low.
Treatment for men unable to have an erection took a great leap forward when the first oral erectile dysfunction (ED) medication, Viagra (sildenafil), was introduced in 1998. But there have been strides recently in a range of other ED treatments too, ranging from over-the-counter pumps to surgical implants and suppositories.
