Four Most Followed Treatments for Impotence

The most common cause of erectile dysfunction (the repeated inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse) is damage to the tissues, either the nerves, arteries, muscles or fibrous tissue. This is often linked either to disease. Conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, chronic alcoholism, multiple sclerosis and cardiovascular disease account for around 70% of cases of Erectile Dysfunction.

In some cases, the condition is caused by damage to the nerves and arteries near the penis which can occur during surgery, particularly for prostate and bladder cancer. Physical injury to the penis, spinal cord, prostate, bladder or pelvis can also be a factor.

Erectile Dysfunction can also be a side effect of some common medications, including blood pressure drugs, antihistamiines, antidepressants and tranquilizers. Experts believe that psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, guilt, depression, low self-esteem, and fear of sexual failure cause up to 20% of cases. Smoking, which affects blood flow, has also been linked to the condition. The four most followed treatments for Erectile Dysfunction are Drug Therapy, penile injections, vacuum devices and surgery.

Drug Therapy
When a man is sexually aroused, certain tissues in his penis relax. This allows large amounts of blood to flow into the muscle, thus producing an erection. ED drugs help by elevating the levels of the chemical that causes the tissues to relax.

Vacuum Devices
These work by creating a partial vacuum around the penis, which draws blood into the organ. The devices have three components: a plastic cylinder, into which the penis is placed; a pump, which draws air out of the cylinder; and an elastic band, which is placed around the base of the penis to maintain the erection after the cylinder is removed and during intercourse.

Surgery

There are different types of surgery:

Implanted devices, known as prostheses, can restore erection in many men. These can come in different forms. For instance, paired rods can be inserted into the corpora cavernosa to enable the user to manually adjust the position of the penis. Alternatively, inflatable cylinders can be inserted inside the penis and expanded using pressurized fluid.In some cases, doctors may attempt to repair blockages in damaged arteries. However, this usually only works if the blockages are not widespread. It is also possible to tie off veins to reduce the leakage of blood that can reduce the rigidity of an erection. However, experts have raised questions about the long-term effectiveness of this procedure, and it is rarely done.

Penile injections
The injection of drugs directly into the tissues of the penis to trigger an erection was more common before the advent of new drugs. The drugs relax muscles and increase blood flow to create an erection.