ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Erectile dysfunction

What is Erectile dysfunction?

21:54 - 4 May , 2021

Disease

Also known as impotence, erectile dysfunction is a condition in which the ability to achieve and sustain an erection that allows sexual intercourse is reduced, partially or totally, which can seriously affect the patient’s self-esteem and its couple relationship.

Erectile dysfunction can be due to physical and psychological issues or a combination of both.

Physical causes are related to:

  • Heart conditions.
  • Prostate enlargement.
  • Some drugs (antidepressants, antihistamines, and drugs to treat high blood pressure or prostate problems).
  • High cholesterol levels.
  • Alcohol and drug abuse.
  • Diabetes.
  • Peyronie’s disease (development of scar tissue inside the penis).
  • Parkinson’s disease.
  • Multiple sclerosis.
  • Smoking.
  • High blood pressure.
  • Spinal cord injuries.
  • Metabolic syndrome.
  • Overweight and obesity.
  • Sleep disorders.
  • Chemotherapy.

Low testosterone levels.

Regarding psychological causes:

  • Anxiety.
  • Low self-esteem.
  • Depression.
  • Stress.
  • Couple relationship problems.

Signs and symptoms Erectile dysfunction

The characteristic symptoms consist of: 

  • Constant difficulty having an erection.
  • Decreased sexual desire.
  • Repeated problems sustaining the erection.
  • Physical or mental inability to maintain a satisfactory sexual relationship.

Diagnosis and treatment Erectile dysfunction

Once the doctor analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, they will perform a physical examination of the penis and testicles. If deemed necessary, they will request blood and urine tests, as well as an ultrasound. They will also assess the possibility of applying a psychological test to determine if your erectile dysfunction is due to a mental cause.

The treatment to follow will depend on the cause and severity, which may consist of the intake of medications that help improve the effects of nitric oxide, thus increasing blood circulation and favoring an erection as a result of sexual stimulation, so they are not aphrodisiacs nor do they cause spontaneous erections, contrary to what is popularly believed.

In more extreme cases, a penis pump or implants may need to be placed through surgery. You can help avoid erectile dysfunction:

  • Eating healthy.
  • Quitting smoking.
  • Exercising regularly.
  • Avoiding being overweight and obese.
  • Lowering your stress levels.
  • Moderating alcohol consumption.

At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

Fuentes:

  • topdoctors.es
  • mayoclinic.org
  • medlineplus.gov
  • msdmanuals.com
  • hormone.org
  • medigraphic.com
  • Robles-Torres JI, Mancías-Guerra C, Garza-Bedolla A, et al. Aplicación intracavernosa de células madre autólogas de médula ósea para el manejo de disfunción eréctil refractaria: Experiencia de un caso. Rev Mex Urol. 2020;80(2):1-9.
  • Espinosa-Marrón A, Quiñones-Capistrán CA, Rubio-Blancas A, et al. Hiperglucemia: el componente del síndrome metabólico que agrava la disfunción eréctil en pacientes mexicanos. Rev Mex Urol. 2019;79(6):1-12.
  • Wong AHI, Trueba GMC. Presencia de Disfunción Eréctil en pacientes con derivaciones urinarias. RCU. 2018;7 (Suppl: 1):e15.
  • Sánchez AID, García-Perdomo HA. Intervenciones no farmacológicas para la prevención de la disfunción eréctil. Rev Mex Urol. 2019;79(1):1-18.

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    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.