Erectile Dysfunction Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention

Erectile dysfunction or impotence is a condition in which the penis is unable to get an erection or maintain an erection. Here are the causes, symptoms, and treatment.

Erectile Dysfunction

Medical specialist	Andrology, internal medicine, heart and blood vessels, psychiatry, urological surgery.
Symptom	Inability to maintain an erection during sexual intercourse despite sexual stimulation.
risk factor	Old age, obesity, comorbid disease, smoking, alcohol.
How to diagnose	Medical interview, physical examination, supporting examination (blood test, urine test, ultrasound, nocturnal penile tumescence test, psychological test).
Treatment	Medication (drinking and injection), surgery, improving lifestyle.

Drug	Sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), avanafil (Stendra), vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn), alprostadil (Caverject, Edex) phentolamine, papaverine, and testosterone hormone therapy.
Complications	Dissatisfaction in sexual activity, loss of self-confidence, disharmony in relationships, stress and anxiety, unable to make partner conceive.
When to see a doctor?	Have erectile dysfunction accompanied by other symptoms and have comorbid diseases that may be related to erectile dysfunction?

 

Understanding

Erectile dysfunction or impotence is a condition when the penis is unable to get an erection or maintain an erection despite sexual stimulation.

Actually, this condition is not dangerous, it’s just that it can bother sufferers and their partners.

Unfortunately, the problem of erectile dysfunction is often considered a taboo. As a result, many men or couples are reluctant to consult a doctor if they experience this.

In fact, erectile dysfunction can be related to other health problems, such as problems with blood vessels to affect a person’s quality of life.

Reason

After knowing what erectile dysfunction is, you also need to know the causes. Erectile dysfunction can be caused by various factors, ranging from psychological problems, lifestyle to other health problems.

Some of the causes of impotence in question include:

Psychological Problems

Psychological factors are the most common causes that can trigger erectile dysfunction.

For example, there are conflicts with partners, disinterest in sexual partners, traumatic experiences during sexual intercourse, psychological stress, depression, and feelings of anxiety.

Health problems

Some health problems that can cause impotence, such as:

• heart and blood vessel disease
• diabetes
• hypertension or high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• obesity
• hormonal disorders, including reduced reproductive hormones (testosterone deficiency)
• structural or anatomical abnormalities of the penis, such as Peyronie’s disease
• prostate problem
• Parkinson’s disease
• multiple sclerosis
• surgical complications

Unhealthy Lifestyle

Frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages, smoking, or using illegal drugs can be a cause of erectile dysfunction.

Side Effects of Certain Drugs

Some drugs can have erectile dysfunction side effects in some people.

For example, antidepressants, antihistamines, blood pressure controllers, to chemotherapy drugs.

Symptom

The main symptom of impotence is that it is difficult for the penis to maintain an erection, despite sexual stimulation.

You can also be suspected of having erectile disorders, if:

• getting an erection sometimes, but not every time during intercourse
• get an erection, but do not last long or achieve satisfaction
• can’t get an erection at all

In addition, there are other symptoms that may be related to erectile dysfunction, for example:

• decreased desire for sex
• premature ejaculation

Immediately consult a doctor if you experience one or several of the conditions above.

Risk Factors

One of the things that increase the risk of erectile dysfunction is increasing age.

As you get older, you will find it more difficult to get or control an erection.

Apart from the age factor, blood vessel problems also play an important role in the occurrence of impotence.

Men who have comorbidities are also prone to experiencing this problem. Other risk factors for erectile dysfunction are:

• excessive weight gain or obesity
• psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression
• a history of injury or surgery in the pelvic or pelvic area
• are undergoing intensive treatment such as radiation therapy for cancer
• due to certain medications such as antihypertensive drugs
• the use of alcohol, smoking, and illegal drugs which can cause damage to blood vessels

Diagnosis

Erectile dysfunction or impotence is a condition that can be overcome. With early examination and detection, you can get appropriate treatment. You can return to enjoy sexual relations as before.

To make a diagnosis of erectile dysfunction, doctors will usually carry out a series of examinations, which include medical interviews, physical examinations, and supporting examinations. Here’s the review.

Medical Interview

During the medical interview session, the doctor will ask about the complaints you are experiencing.

The doctor will also ask for details about your sexual activity, medical history, habits that can be related to impotence, and medications you are currently taking.

Physical examination

Next, the doctor will carry out a physical examination which includes a general physical examination, examination of the nervous system, and examination of the intimate organs.

If deemed necessary, the doctor can also do a digital rectal examination to check the condition of your prostate.

Supporting investigation

Meanwhile, the supporting examinations that will be carried out may include:

Blood Test

Blood tests are carried out to determine blood sugar, cholesterol, and hormonal levels in the body, such as thyroid hormone levels or testosterone levels.

Urine Test

As with blood tests, urine tests are also useful for looking for diabetes or other health problems.

ultrasound

Ultrasound examination is useful to see the smooth flow of blood in your penis.

Sometimes, an ultrasound examination is done at the same time as an injection test. The doctor will inject drugs to stimulate the blood vessels to cause an erection.

Later, the doctor will evaluate how hard and how long the erection lasts.

Nocturnal penile tumescence test (NPT test)

In addition to the above examinations, erectile dysfunction can also be enforced by examining the NPT test.

This method uses an instrument strapped around your thigh and is useful for assessing erections that occur when you sleep at night.

This tool will record the number and strength of erections that occur and store them in memory so that the doctor can read the results at a later date.

Psychological Test

A thorough psychiatric examination also needs to be done to rule out the presence or absence of problems such as depression, anxiety or other factors that trigger erectile dysfunction.

Treatment

What to do if you have erectile dysfunction? Of course, see a doctor immediately. There is no specific treatment for impotence. In general, doctors will treat this disorder depending on the cause.

If you experience signs of erectile dysfunction, don’t hesitate to consult an andrologist.

Collaboration with specialist doctors in other fields such as internal medicine, heart and blood vessels, psychiatry, to urological surgery is very possible to do to find out other possible causes of impotence.

Not only by improving lifestyle, there are several options for how to treat erectile dysfunction that are offered, including:

Drinking Medicine

The doctor may provide drugs that are useful for increasing blood flow to the penis so as to stimulate an erection, for example, sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), avanafil (Stendra), and vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn).

The choice of drugs given is adjusted to the patient’s condition and is always under the supervision of a doctor.

If side effects appear from the drugs you are taking, don’t hesitate to tell your doctor.

Injecting Drugs

In addition to oral medication, injection or injection drugs are also offered to help with erectile dysfunction.

In this method, the injectable drugs used are alprostadil (Caverject, Edex) phentolamine and papaverine.

These three drugs can be used alone or even a combination of all three.

This injection drug will be injected using a very fine needle into the side of the penis body ( intracavernosal ).

The side effects of using this injectable drug are mild bleeding at the injection site, prolonged erection (priapismus), and tissue fibrosis at the injection site.

Hormone Therapy

Some men experience erectile dysfunction due to low testosterone in the body.

If proven, low testosterone levels, testosterone hormone injections can help increase testosterone in your body.

Vacuum Tool

Apart from drugs, the use of a vacuum device can also be recommended in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

This special vacuum device helps stimulate erection by drawing blood into the penis. This vacuum tool has several components, namely:

• a plastic tube, where you place your penis
• pump, works to draw air out of the plastic tube
• elastic ring, will later be used at the base of the penis when removing the plastic tube and is useful to help the penis maintain its erection

Operation action

Surgery is performed in certain circumstances, such as prostate disorders, blood vessel disorders in the penis, penile deformities, or for insertion of implants so that the penis can be erect.

When installing a penile implant, a set of tools is placed on the right and left of the penis.

There are two types of this implant tool, there is a model that is blown with a pump so that it makes the penis enlarge.

In addition, there are also models that are soft or easy to bend, so they are easy to control.

Penile implants are the last resort if all conservative methods have been tried, bearing in mind that surgery still carries risks such as infection.

Counseling Therapy 

Counseling therapy with a psychiatrist or psychologist is also part of erectile dysfunction therapy. The existence of psychiatric problems such as anxiety, stress, and depression, to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be a source of impotence.

Don’t be shy to consult if you have disturbing psychological problems.

Counseling not only helps to deal with anxiety or stress but also helps improve your relationship and your partner.

Other alternative therapies

There are several alternative therapies offered, such as:

acupuncture 

Acupuncture therapy is done by placing needles into the skin at certain locations or at acupuncture points.

This traditional Chinese medicine method is believed to work by stimulating the nerves to help release neurotransmitters.

Actually, there is no scientific evidence that acupuncture can treat erectile dysfunction. Still need to do further research.

Prostatic Massage

Prostatic massage is often combined with other therapies to treat erectile dysfunction.

During this massage, the therapist will massage the tissue around the groin to increase blood flow to the penis.

You may need this therapy several times a week. The duration of this massage is in accordance with the symptoms complained of.

Prevention

Considering that the causes of erectile dysfunction vary and are generally preventable, here are some tips for you:

Pay attention to daily food intake

You are encouraged to have a healthy diet that recommends limiting consumption of foods that are saturated fat and increasing your intake of vegetables, fruits, sources of protein, and whole grains which are good for men’s health.

Routine Exercise

Regular exercise can help prevent erectile dysfunction and help reduce stress.

Choose a sport that you like so that when you do it you feel happier.

Keeping Weight to Remain Stable

Avoid being overweight or obese so you avoid erectile dysfunction problems.

Always Controlling Owned Diseases

If you have comorbidities, such as diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol, make sure that they are always well controlled.

Take medicines that have been recommended by the doctor regularly.

Manage Stress Well

Don’t forget to manage stress well. You can take a short vacation or do the things you like.

If you find it difficult to manage stress and it interferes with your daily life, don’t hesitate to ask for help from an expert.

Stop Bad Habits

To prevent erectile dysfunction, from now on stop bad habits that you have such as smoking and consuming alcoholic beverages.

Complications

Although it is not a dangerous condition, impotence can cause complications in the form of:

• dissatisfaction in sexual relations
• anxiety to stress
• shyness, low self-esteem, and lack of self-confidence
• harmonious relationship with a partner is disrupted which leads to divorce
• inability to conceive a partner

When to See a Doctor?

You need to consult a doctor if:

• worry about erection or other sexual problems like premature ejaculation or even late ejaculation
• experiencing erectile dysfunction during intercourse or other accompanying complaints
• have comorbid diseases that can be associated with the occurrence of erectile dysfunction