Just How much Do we know About ED?

Just how much do we know about Erectile Dysfunction,ED (Impotence)?
Due to societal expectations on males during make outs, most males suffering from ED never want to deflate their ego talking about their concerns about this condition.

Just before we dive in, what really is erectile dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction,Ed for shorts, formerly called impotence is a condition where a male is unable to achieve a firm, and lasting erection sufficient to satisfy your partner. People ask is there a parameter that medically describes what a standard erection is ?, Well how erect you’re depends primarily on the size of the penis , on the average a penis of about 5-5.5In WHEN ERECT or beyond is considered normal. However other factors can affect achieving complete, lasting and firm erection, but how do you know you or your partner has ED?

The major symptoms of ED you should look out for viz;
✅ Incomplete firmness of the penis upon erection
✅ Unsustained erection beyond at least 2 minutes ( this is not usually a good parameter for diagnosis,but is a reason for concern, you should see your doctor, an average person has a natural induced erection sustained for about 10mins, however there are people below or above that are normal and healthy,this is relative to individuals).
✅ Strongly curved penis upon erection
✅ Failure to respond to stimulation upon several attempts.
However to diagnose you of ED, your doctor will need you to undergo physical examination of your genitals, blood and urine tests, Nocturnal penile tumescence test, ultrasound test and erection stimulation injection test and confirm the underlying cause of your ED. Studies show that often 35-75% of diabetic men end up with ED.

Conditions often associated with ED are:
Premature Ejaculation
Delayed Ejaculation
Anorgasmia (inability to achieve orgasm after multiple apt stimulation).

What are the CAUSES of ED?
. Diabetes
. Cardiovascular diseases
. Hypertension
. High cholesterol levels
. Obesity
. Low Testosterone levels ( hormonal imbalance)
. Kidney diseases
. Stress
. Anxiety
. Depression
. Relationship issues
. Sleep disorders
. Aging
. Certain Medications (such as antihypertensive drugs)
. Drug abuse
. Alcoholism
. Smoking
. Lifestyle/ sexual activities
. Spinal cord injuries
.Untreated syphilis
. Peyronie’s disease. etc.

TREATMENT and the healthy LIFESTYLE to manage ED
A basic understanding of how erection comes about will help us understand treatment, management and the pathology of ED. Erection occurs as response to stimulation by touch or thoughts, in response to this stimulation your Central nervous system sends signals for a increased blood flow into the penis, with it’s numerous blood vessels in it’s tissues, tugor builds up, hence the increase in size. Thus any interference with blood supply and it’s initiation to the penis can lead to ED, and drugs used for treatment are those that will increase blood flow to the penis.
Please talk to your doctor before taking any drugs for your condition.
. Sildenafil (Viagra)-oral
. Avanafil (stendra)-oral
. Tadalafil (Cialis)-oral
. Vardenafil (Levitra)- oral
. Alpostradil (Carveject)- injection
These drugs can enhance performance by sustaining blood flow to the penis for an average of 30-40 minutes.

Other treatment options include
✅ Therapy (Talk it out); this is best when the cause is psychological for example stress, depression and relationship induced ED will be best resolved with therapy.
✅ Acupuncture ( make sure this is carried out by a medically certified acupuncturist ).
✅ FDA approved herbs and supplements, such as Dehydroepiandrosterone ( DHEA ), l- arginine, and l- carnitine supplements; herbs like Ginseng and Yohimbe as administered by a medically certified physician.

Recommended LIFESTYLE TIPS for ED patients;
. Practice kegel exercises ( pelvic floor muscle exercises)
. Practice weekly aerobic exercises, please check with your doctor if you have any cardiovascular condition before embarking on this.
. Practice yoga exercises
. NUTRITION: eat more of fibre rich foods and less of high fat/ cholesterol/ high sugar foods.
. Start management of diabetes early if you discover you have it’s symptoms.
. Find ways to reduce stress
. Avoid unhealthy weight gain
. Seek help if you’re depressed
. Use alcoholic beverages in moderation
. Quit smoking if you do.
. Always go for cardiovascular checks, e no dey cost and start treatment if you have any conditions.
Bonus Tips: Horny goat weed and zinc supplements can help you treat ED, however, avoid abuse of these supplements as they might complicate this condition.
. Surgery, penile implants and pressure pumps can be used in treatment of severe ED, consult with your physician first.

REMEMBER TO LIVE HEALTHY ! HEALTHY BEHAVIOURAL PRACTICES CAN SAVE YOU COST OF TREATMENT.
READ, PRACTICE AND SHARE!