- Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis.
- Erectile dysfunction thus is the inability of a man to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for his sexual needs or the needs of his partner.
- Erectile dysfunction is also termed as “impotence”.
- An estimated 152 million men worldwide suffer from ED.
- In America, alone 30 million men suffer from it.
- Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism,Diabetes,High Blood Pressure,Kidney Failure,Multiple Sclerosis,Prostate Cancer,Smoking and ,Stress are commonly known to the causes for ED.
- Penis have two chambers named corpora cavernosa which run throughout the organ are filled with spongy tissue.
- The corpora cavernosa are surrounded by a membrane, called the tunica albuginea.
- The spongy tissue contains smooth muscles, fibrous tissues, spaces, veins, and arteries.
- The urethra, which is the channel for urine and semen runs along underside of the corpora cavernosa.
- The flow of blood creates pressure in the corpora cavernosa, making the penis expand.
- The tunica albuginea helps trap the blood in the chambers, thereby sustaining erection.
- When muscles in the penis contract to stop the inflow of blood and open outflow channels, erection recedes.
- The first one is the reflex erection, which is achieved by directly touching the penile shaft.
- The second is the psychogenic erection, which is achieved by erotic or emotional stimuli.
- The former uses the peripheral nerves and the lower parts of the spinal cord, whereas the latter uses the limbic system of the brain.
- In both conditions an intact neural system is required for a successful and complete erection.
- The causes of erectile dysfunction may be physiological or psychological.
- Neurogenic Disorders -spinal cord and brain injuries, nerve disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis,stroke.
- Hormonal Disorders -Pituitary gland tumor; low level of the hormone testosterone.
- Arterial Disorders -Peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, reduced blood flow to the penis. Cavernosal Disorders Peyronie's disease.
- Mental disorders -clinical depression, schizophrenia, substance abuse, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, personality disorders or traits., psychological problems, negative feelings.
- Surgery of the colon, prostate, bladder, or rectum may damage the nerves and blood vessels involved in erection.
- Prostate and bladder cancer surgery often require removing tissue and nerves surrounding a tumor, which increases the risk for impotence.
- Aging-Normal aging process diminishes the mechanism of erection.
- Lifestyle -Alcohol and drugs, obesity, cigarette smoking .
- Smoking is a key cause of erectile dysfunction.Smoking causes impotence because it promotes arterial narrowing.
- Others-Prolonged travel on a bike and or the pressure on the penis is directly related to erectile dysfunction.
- There are no formal tests to diagnose erectile dysfunction.
- Some blood tests are generally done to exclude underlying disease, such as diabetes, hypogonadism and prolactinoma.
- Impotence is also related to generally poor physical health, poor dietary habits, obesity, and most specifically cardiovascular disease such as coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease.
- Duplex ultrasound,Penile nerves function,Nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT),Penile biothesiometry,Penile Angiogram,Corpus Cavernosometry,Digital Subtraction ,Angiography,Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)
LABORATORY TESTS:
- Blood counts,
- urinalysis,
- lipid profile,
- serum creatinine
- liver enzymes,
- free testosterone in the blood.
Treatment to the ED depends upon the cause.
- Oral treatment,
- External applications,
- Injection,
- Vacuum pumps,
- Hormone treatment and
- Surgical treatment are available nowadays.
- A lot of erectile dysfunction cases with or without their life partners consult for treatment & advice at my clinic daily.
- Case history is studied well at first.
- Detailed enquiry about their sexual attempts are analysed.
- The exact cause for their problem is found with modern investigations and parameters.
- Psychological causes are being treated with counselling and instructed well for a better sexual performance.
- Patients with Erectile dysfunction of various causes are treated with separate effective medicine specially made as per the ancient Siddha literature.
- The ingredients of special medicines are carefully selected free from adulterations.
- It's really very graceful to treat such cases that we are saving a family from dreadful complications.
