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Today, erectile dysfunction affects more and more men. Thanks to modern therapeutic therapies, however, we can deal with them better and better. Despite this fact, the effectiveness of the available preparations does not exempt us from responsibility for our own health or the appropriate temperature in the relationship. Find out what it takes to beat ED.
What is ED?
Erectile dysfunction (ang. erectile dysfunction – ED) is a problem that has a significant impact on the quality of life not only of the man, but also of his partner, and, consequently, of the entire relationship. Moreover, these disorders often cannot be treated as a separate ailment, but should be considered as a symptom of an imbalance in the body (e.g. as a result of a developing disease).
ED is defined as the chronic inability to obtain and maintain an erection of a penis, allowing for satisfactory sexual intercourse. The incidence of this ailment in modern times is alarmingly growing. It is estimated that it can, to a moderate or severe degree, reach up to 20% of the adult male population. No wonder that in response to the current demand, the interest in this topic is growing in the media, more and more patients are in sexology clinics, and modern therapeutic therapies are appearing on the market to solve the problem.
Sex as a health test
Erectile dysfunction is underpinned by psychological, organic, or (most often) a combination of both categories. The first of these groups includes causes such as stress, anxiety, guilt, and depression. In turn, the second of them includes health problems (most often vascular, hormonal or neurological), taking certain medications or (much less often) injuries or diseases of the penis.
ED often occurs in the course of diseases such as arterial hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes. They can also be a symptom of an undiagnosed cardiovascular disease. Since the modern lifestyle is conducive to the occurrence of such ailments, more and more patients refer to a sexologist with ED problems. This is due to an improper diet, a sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity, constant use of electronic devices or addictive use of stimulants (smoking and drinking alcohol). So it turns out that sex is a good test of how we care for ourselves and what is our health. When something starts to fail, it is likely to affect our intimate sphere.
From diagnosis to treatment decision
Although erectile dysfunction is a problem underestimated by many men, it cannot be ignored – both for health reasons and because of its impact on the whole of life. They have a negative impact on intimate relationships and self-esteem. As shown by a survey conducted by the Sexual Dysfunction Association, they lowered self-esteem in 62% of respondents, worsened satisfaction with the relationship with a partner in 29% of cases, and in 21% they were the direct cause of termination of the relationship.
While awareness of the importance of this condition is growing steadily, the average time it takes to seek medical help is patients with erectile dysfunction it is long – it lasts about 12 months. This may be because of a lack of knowledge about the effects of ED, resistance to going to a specialist, or tabooing the problem. The result is millions of people who suffer from sexual dysfunction and its consequences, while they could be successfully helped by medical consultations and modern therapeutic therapies.
Possible outcomes of ED therapy
Usually, however, we have a misconception about how we can get help. However, medical practice shows that it is completely different. – Statistically, 2-3 visits to my sexology office are enough for the patient to regain a satisfactory sexual life. Of course, there are also more complicated cases, which, for example, require additional tests or consultations with other doctors, when a man is already taking certain medications that may interact with phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors. able to help very quickly – says a specialist in the field of sexology, Stanisław Dulko, MD, PhD.
The expert also indicates the main groups of patients who most often come to him for consultations. The two main ones are men between 18 and 30 years of age, who often approach sex in a task-oriented manner, and men over 50, when the intimate sphere is affected by the aging process of the organism. However, the age group between 30 and 40 is also slightly smaller. It is then that we often focus on our professional career and neglect other spheres of life. – This is a serious mistake, because sex boosts our health, professional success or satisfaction resulting from interpersonal relationships. This area affects our entire psychophysical life – says the sexologist.
How to prepare for an appointment with a specialist?
The management of ED has two aspects. The first one covers psychotherapy, clarification of physiological issues and advice in the area of pro-health prophylaxis. The second deals with the organic aspects of the disorder. – The results of medical examinations should be brought with you to the appointment. Take even those that, in our opinion, have nothing to do with the problem, e.g. blood tests, cholesterol, sugar level, prolactin tests, liver tests, vitamin D tests, EEG, EKG, ultrasound, etc. It is very important to have with you list of medications taken. Additionally, let’s take information cards from hospitals, if we are hospitalized, explains Stanisław Dulko, MD, PhD.
Sometimes, as part of the therapy, the doctor orders additional tests that may affect disorders, e.g. the level of thyroid hormones or testosterone. Usually, however, we receive appropriate medications from the first contact with a doctor. – They are helpful not only because of their mechanism of action in the body, but also help the patient mentally unblock and believe in the final success – says the expert.
Mechanism of Action of Drugs for ED
Proceedings u patients with ED has undergone significant changes in recent years. In the past, for example, penile prostheses were implanted without knowledge of the erection mechanism. Treatment has ranged from more invasive approaches (e.g., shockwave, local intracavernous injections, and urethral suppositories) to convenient oral therapies.
The currently available preparations belong to the so-called phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE-5). They include active substances such as sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil or the new generation avanafil. Basically they have a similar mechanism of action. They block the enzyme that breaks down nitric oxide. The increased level of this substance contributes to the relaxation of the smooth muscles of the penis. They become sufficiently stretchy and create space for the inflowing blood, which is necessary to achieve an erection.
While the male member fills 30–70 ml of blood at rest, 250–300 ml is needed to achieve the optimal level of hardening. This prevents stress, tension, anxiety and a whole range of diseases related to the vascular system, because as a result, blood is directed not to the penis, but to other parts of the body (e.g. a reaction to a stressful situation in the form of a fight or flight pumps it to the muscles of our hands. and legs). – Leader in the ED – simply put – they exercise the cavernous bodies of the penis, prepare them for the flow of blood and mobilize the vessels to move it. They are not only safe, but also have a positive effect on the entire body. Thanks to them, there are, among others for pressure regulation, blood thinning or better oxygenation of our organs, e.g. the brain. It is worth remembering that all of them are cardiological drugs – explains the sexologist Stanisław Dulko.
Erectile dysfunction – drugs of the new generation
The selection of one of the preparations for ED is made during a medical interview. Their improvement was aimed at, inter alia, in the direction of accelerating the body’s reaction time and extending the duration of action, thanks to which greater freedom in the intimate sphere is possible. – The advantage of avanafil is rapid absorption after oral administration and a quick onset of action – even after 15 minutes after administration, the patient can have satisfactory sexual intercourse, and the long-lasting effect (even over 6 hours) allows for spontaneous sexual activity. This drug is effective and well tolerated, says Katarzyna Jaworska, MA in pharmacy.
The use of the new substance also allowed to eliminate some side effects, although in the case of this group of drugs they are not bothersome and disappear quickly (e.g. headache, redness on the face, nasal obstruction). Importantly, however, pharmaceutical efforts aimed at enabling the effective use of ED drugs also in patients with chronic diseases or after medical procedures, such as prostatectomy. The new PDE-5 also meets this demand. – The newer drug, avanafil, is highly selective. This means that its effect on enzymes other than phosphodiesterase-5 is small, which increases the level of safety of the treatment and lowers the risk of side effects. This is extremely important in the case of elderly patients with concomitant cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc. As a result, the drug can also be taken by a group of patients. An additional advantage is the quick removal of the preparation from the body, thanks to which the risk of interacting with other drugs is reduced – adds the pharmacist.
Thanks to development and meticulous research modern methods of treating erectile dysfunction allow to improve the quality of life in almost all people who suffer from this problem, and at the same time do not adversely affect the comfort and spontaneity of sexual intercourse. – However, it should be remembered that taking drugs does not replace sexual stimuli, thanks to which we achieve a state of excitement. If we eat a fat dinner, wash it down with beer and sit on the couch waiting for the measure to work, instead of ensuring the right atmosphere at this time, we rather do not count on an exciting experience in the bedroom – summarizes the doctor.
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