Your Daily Facts about Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common problem.
ED is defined as the repeated inability to sustain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse.
ED may be caused by physical factors, psychological factors or by medications.
ED may be caused by a problems in any of the components of the body that are required to produce an erection. These include:
Nerve impulses originating in the brain
Conduction of nerve impulses down the spinal cord
Conduction of nerve impulses between the spinal cord and the penis
Arteries and veins that supple the penis
The fibrous, muscular and vascular structures of the penis
Some common diseases are associated with an increased risk of erectile dysfunction. As some diseases progress, the disease will impact the function of nerves, blood vessels, vascular, and muscular structures of the penis.
Diseases associated with an increased risk of ED include diabetes, kidney disease, chronic alcoholism, vascular disease, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis.
In some cases, ED may be an early signal of heart or blood vessel disease.
Between 35 and 50 percent of men with diabetes experience ED.
Making an appointment with your physician or health care provider is the first step in the evaluation and treatment of ED.
ED can be treated! The good news about erectile dysfunction is that it can be remedied. A variety of exercises, supplements, or prescription treatments have helped men achieve and maintain an erection.
Since the launching of Viagra in 1998, erectile dysfunction, once a topic that was hidden “under the covers” is today a subject that is openly discussed by both men and women.
In America today, it is estimated some 15 to 30 million men suffer from erectile dysfunction, also known as impotence, or ED.