Erectile dysfunction (ED) was something that happened to other men. Usually in commercials. Laughable commercials.
Only now, you’re not laughing. Now, you find yourself at the mercy of erections that just won’t “stay.” You feel embarrassed, dissatisfied, and, frankly, a little scared.
Is this what your future will look like? Once you have ED, are you doomed to experience it for the rest of your life? Do you have to take pills? Use pumps? Are the cures worse than the condition itself?
Alex Lesani, MD, an expert urologist, helps men understand their ED and treatment options. At our office in Las Vegas, Nevada, he conducts a thorough examination to determine the factors involved in your ED and then recommends a treatment plan.
Do you know the difference between a fact and a myth when it comes to ED? Read on to find out.
Even though 30 million men in the United States suffer from ED, you don’t necessarily have to be (or remain) one of them. Without treatment or lifestyle interventions, by the time you’re 40, you have about a 40% chance of having ED. This increases by 10% each decade. Looked at differently, though, you have a 60% chance of not having ED by the time you’re 40.
The healthier your lifestyle, the less likely it is that you’ll develop ED. Cardiovascular health is essential to sexual health, for instance, because your heart must be strong enough to pump blood into your penis, and your blood vessels must be healthy enough to expand and hold their expansion throughout the sexual act.
Sometimes, psychological issues, such as past abuse or current depression, are the sole cause of your ED. Sometimes, they’re a contributor. Dr. Lesani also asks you about psychological issues that may contribute to your ED, such as relationship problems, anxiety, or depression.
If you have ED, though, you may also start to experience distress that can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Dr. Lesani and our team believe in treating the whole patient, not just symptoms, so we may recommend counseling or other therapies.
The idea of popping a pill several hours before an intimate encounter or slipping into the bathroom to give your member a “pump” takes all the romance and excitement out of sex for you. You might not even want to be bothered if it takes that much work.
But pills and pumps aren’t the only treatment options with ED. Depending on the factors involved in your erectile problems, your treatment plan might not require either.
Sometimes, lifestyle changes alone can help reverse ED. Both obesity and diabetes increase your risk for ED. Depending on your situation, Dr. Lesani may recommend:
He also tests your blood to evaluate your testosterone (T) levels. Just because other doctors have told you that your T levels are “normal” doesn’t mean they are. If you have low T and corresponding symptoms, such as ED, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) may be the remedy you need.
Even the pills for ED can help extend your life. Viagra®, for instance, works by stimulating the release of nitric oxide in the heart cells. In fact, the drug was first developed as a treatment for heart disease. Then, researchers noticed an interesting “side effect” in male patients: erections.
Nitric oxide helps your blood vessels relax to dilate and allow more blood to circulate through your body. So Viagra doesn’t just improve blood flow to your penis, it improves blood flow everywhere.
And Viagra isn’t the only ED treatment that improves your health. If you need TRT, with or without Viagra, you notice many other health benefits besides the resolution of your ED. Once your body adjusts to its newly normalized levels of T, you may experience:
If you do need a pump, you get used to it pretty quickly — and with good reason: Men with active sex lives have a higher quality of life. Men who orgasm frequently also have a 50% reduction in mortality risk. So, doing what you can to have a normal sex life pays off in more ways than one.
Are you ready to make ED a problem of your past? Call us at 702-470-2579 or book your appointment online today for an ED evaluation and treatment today.
