What is erectile dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a medical condition that makes it difficult or impossible for a man to maintain an erection long enough for sexual intercourse. Erectile dysfunction is common, affecting about 30 million men in the United States.
What causes erectile dysfunction?
Your sexual arousal is a process that involves blood vessels, muscles, nerves, emotions, hormones, and your brain. The underlying cause of ED may be physical or emotional. Common causes of erectile dysfunction include:
- Injuries or surgeries that affect the spinal cord or pelvic area
- Treatments for an enlarged prostate or prostate cancer
- Sleep disorders
- Substance abuse
- Peyronie’s disease (scar tissue in the penis)
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Metabolic syndrome
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Clogged blood vessels
- Stress
- Anxiety, depression, or other mental health disorder
- Tobacco use
Erectile dysfunction may cause additional problems, such as low-self esteem, embarrassment, relationship problems, or more anxiety and stress.
What are the symptoms of erectile dysfunction?
It’s not unusual for men to experience difficulties getting or maintaining an erection from time to time. However, when the ED occurs more and more often and negatively affects your sexual relationship, it becomes problematic.
Erectile dysfunction symptoms include:
- Reduced desire for sexual relations
- Difficulty maintaining an erection
- Difficulty achieving an erection
If you’re experiencing these symptoms, the team at Pikes Peak Urology can help.
How is ED diagnosed?
The team at Pikes Peak Urology diagnoses erectile dysfunction after a review of symptoms and a physical exam. However, to identify the underlying cause of your erectile dysfunction, the team may request diagnostic tests such as:
- Urine tests
- Blood tests
- An ultrasound
Your provider at Pikes Peak Urology may also ask questions about your psychological state to ensure they get a complete picture of your health.
How is erectile dysfunction treated?
Treatment for your erectile dysfunction initially focuses on addressing the underlying physical or emotional cause of your condition. Once these issues are properly managed, the team at Pikes Peak Urology may offer other treatments to improve your ED, such as:
- Oral medication to increase blood flow to the penis
- Testosterone hormone replacement to treat low testosterone
- Alprostadil urethral suppository that expands blood vessels to improve blood flow
- Alprostadil self-injection to improve penile blood flow
If medications fail to improve your erectile dysfunction, the team at Pikes Peak Urology may suggest other options such as a penile implant.
Learn More about Penile Implants Here
