Erectile dysfunction is the inability to maintain a firm erection that allows sexual intercourse. Although the term impotence has traditionally been used as a synonym, erectile dysfunction is actually a type of impotence.
What is erectile dysfunction?
It is a pathology whose incidence is increasing, since among it´s triggering factors are stress or exposure to toxic factors such as alcoholism, smoking or marijuana consumption.
The most probable causes
However, the most frequent causes are those that affect the innervation or irrigation of the penis, as well as the muscles responsible for erection. Among these processes are age (up to 20% of men over 65 years of age have some degree of erectile dysfunction), diabetes, arteriosclerosis or degenerative neurological alterations or as a consequence of trauma.
Also the consumption of certain drugs (antidepressants, cimetidine, antihypertensives, tranquilizers or antihistamines) can produce erectile dysfunction, but in these cases it will always be reversible, disappearing after the suppression of the medication.
Evidently, the inability to have a penetrative sexual relation can condition the possibilities of having a child. When faced with a history of sterility, the first thing to do is to carry out a detailed andrological study to rule out factors that can be treated. Identifying drugs that may cause it, making lifestyle changes to abandon risky behaviors and receiving psychological support may be enough to satisfactorily redirect the situation.
Some of its treatments
From the medical point of view, the greatest advance has been the appearance of Sildenafil (Viagra®), a drug that was initially designed to treat hypertensive problems and angina pectoris. The same family includes Tadafil (Cialis®) and Vardenafil (Levitra®). All these drugs act by relaxing the muscles surrounding the penis allowing a greater blood flow inside it, which achieves a satisfactory erection in 3 out of 4 patients who use them. It is important to note that without sexual desire, erection will not occur, so these drugs are not useful for treating libido problems. The advent of these drugs has made the use of penile surgical implants much less common today.
Since many of these patients do not have problems ejaculating in cases where pharmacological treatments do not work, conjugal inseminations or in vitro fertilization can be attempted to achieve pregnancy, depending on the age of the couple.
