What Is Erectile Dysfunction About?

Research has shown that erectile dysfunction affects over 30 million men in the United States of America [1]. Among the statistics that were gathered, 18.4% of men between the age of 20 years and above were estimated to be suffering from erectile dysfunction [2]. From these statistics, it can be validated that erectile dysfunction is not an uncommon medical problem. Also, Globally, it has been proven that over 150 men were estimated to have been diagnosed with erectile dysfunction in the year, 1995. However, the rate of men being projected to get affected with erectile dysfunction by 2025 has been raised to 320 million [2].

Hence, the need for the populace to have more detailed knowledge about erectile dysfunction. What does the populace need to know about? This article will answer the question ‘What Is Erectile Dysfunction About’?. We all need to know what erectile dysfunction entails; causes, symptoms, prevention, medications associated with erectile dysfunction. And most importantly, things to avoid that can likely trigger erectile problems.

Definition of Erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction, in short, is known as ED. It’s a medical condition that’s associated with men. A man cannot maintain the sufficient erection required during sex. In other words, erectile dysfunction occurs when the blood vessels of the penis get filled up with blood at low pressure.

Erectile dysfunction is one of the male sexual disorders. From statistics, it has been recorded that one out of ten adult males experiences this prevalent male sexual disorder also known as ED during their lifetime [3].

How does Erection work?

For us to fully understand how an erection works, we need to understand the concept of erection. Erection occurs when a maze of blood vessels also known as sponge-like tissue inside the penis gets filled up with blood. As a result of that, the penis gets enlarged and hardened. As a result of the hardness, it temporarily separates itself from the body.

So, to the question again; how does the whole concept of erection work?

Before an erection can occur, it all starts with stimulation [mental and sensory stimulation]. What a man reads, watches hears, or thinks about can trigger his nerves to send messages to the blood vessels of his penis leading to the excitement of the penis. When this happens, the man becomes sexually aroused. Thus, the arteries of the blood vessel get relaxed. As a result of that, the blood vessels open up and get filled with blood at high pressure. Thus, a temporary enlargement of the penis occurs, which makes it stiff. This is simply how an erection works!

Symptoms of erectile dysfunction

Here are the common symptoms associated with erectile dysfunction;

Frequent difficulty in getting an erection.
Low sex drive.
Difficulty in maintaining an erection during the required period.

And then most importantly, I would like to note that symptoms of erectile dysfunction can be a result of other health problems; such as diabetes, hypertension, and some sexual disorders.

Causes of Erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction can be caused by several reasons. For instance; physical, emotional, and psychological issues can lead to ED. And also, most of the time, erectile dysfunction acts as an umbrella for other health challenges.

These are some common causes of erectile dysfunction;

1. Hypertension
2. Diabetes
3. Atherosclerosis [ clogged blood vessels]
4. Use of Alcohol and tobacco
5. Side effects of certain prescribed medications
6. Parkinson’s disease
7. Heart disease
8. Peyronie’s disease
9. Multiple sclerosis
10. Obesity
11. High cholesterol
12. Anxiety, depression, and fatigue

NOTE: Poor relationships with one’s partner can cause erectile dysfunction too.

Treatments

Most adult males at one point or the other in their lives get affected by this male sexual dysfunction called erectile dysfunction. Some may not necessarily need to seek treatment as the case may be, but some may need to. The category in which one falls is best decided by the physician. Seek medical advice before attempting any treatment option. Some tests will be run, and the physician will be able to suggest the best treatment option to undergo.

Here are a few examination tests that are likely to be carried out in the hospital;

Blood screening test

A blood sample of the patient is collected, and a test is run on it in the laboratory. After that, the blood test result comes out which informed the doctor on what to do and which treatment option is best for the patient to undergo.

Urine test

The patient’s urine is collected as a sample and taken to the laboratory for analysis. The patient will then have to wait till the test result comes out. After the urine test result comes out, treatment starts based on the result of the test.

Psychological assessment

Psychological assessment is mostly carried out by a psychologist or a psychiatrist.

Here are the steps in which it’s carried out;

– The patient gets directed to a psychologist or psychiatrist, and a series of questions are directed to the patient by the psychologist or the psychiatrist.
– The patient gets hooked up to an EEG machine [Electroencephalograph] and asked to focus his attention on the health professional in charge of the assessment.
– The patient is placed on watch for thirty to sixty minutes by the health professional.
– After that, a series of questions will be directed to the patient, with immediate responses to each question while hooked up to the EEG machine.

The Electroencephalogram [EEG] is a non-invasive, harmless, and painless test that records the electrical activity of the brain using electrodes attached to the scalp. The psychological assessment is mostly carried out via the EEG machine because it reads out the electrical activity of the brain and indicates various abnormalities.

Genital examination

A doctor or nurse will examine the penis and the testicles to check for any visible signs of infection, swelling, or bleeding.

Right away, I will be mentioning some treatment options

NB: See your doctor before you attempt any treatment option

I. Medications such as Viagra ( sildenafil) , Cialis ( tadalafil ), Levitra (Vardenafil) and Stendra.
II. Surgical treatment such as a penile implant.

In most cases, surgical treatment is not always the first option due to its potential complications.

III. Vacuum constriction devices are also known as vacuum therapy.
IV. Medical counseling
V. Injections

The kind of treatment option to go for is tailored for each patient based on the examination tests that were carried out or the observations of the physician.

Prevention

Since erectile dysfunction is a common sexual disorder problem, it can be prevented.

Here are possible ways in which it can be prevented;

Avoid smoking
Avoid excessive intake of alcohol. If possible, stay away from Alcohol
Eat healthy meals
Exercise
Avoid too much stress
Avoid the intake of drugs without a doctor’s prescription.
Maintain a healthy weight

In conclusion, erectile dysfunction is a prevalent worldwide sexual disorder that’s mostly associated with men. It can either be a temporary or permanent case. For some men, after treating it, it can still occur later in the future.

Also, from the statistics, men aged 50 and above are liable to be affected by erectile dysfunction [4]. We’ve also seen the various factors that can contribute to it. Examples are high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. Medications such as antidepressants can also lead to the cause of ED.

In addition, various treatments options have also been considered, with surgical treatment being elective. Although the prevalence is high, it can be controlled by consciously taking heed to the prevention mentioned here. As they say, Prevention is better than cure.

Reference links

1) https://www.mazemenshealth.com/blog/3-things-you-wish-your-partner-knew-about-ed/
2) http://www.emro.who.int/emhj-volume-17/volume-17-issue-7/article6.html#:~:text=Erectile dysfunction is a common medical problem affecting approximately 15, million by 2025 [2]
3) https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10035-erectile-dysfunction
4) https://www.webmd.com/erectile-dysfunction/news/20030804/erectile-dysfunction-common-with-age

Iyanuoluwa Ogunfeitimi is a 300L student in the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Ibadan. She has written articles for various blogs/ websites. Her experience as a pharmacy student gave her an insight into this topic.