Erectile Dysfunction

Men, who are unable to have an erection, took a great leap forward when the first oral erectile dysfunction (ED) medication, Viagra (sildenafil), was introduced in 1998.  There have been strides recently in a range of other ED treatments too, ranging from over-the-counter pumps to surgical implants and suppositories.

Here below are the 7 ways to treat ED:

1. Pills:  Viagra, Cialis (tadalafil), and Levitra (vardenafil) fight erectile dysfunction by relaxing smooth muscle in the penis.  These increase blood flow and enable an erection.  ED drugs are 70% effective in allowing the penis to achieve hardness for sexual activity.
2. Injections:  The drug alprostadil is a synthetic version of prostaglandin E1, a hormone-like substance that functions similarly to ED pills. Inject this medication directly into the base or the side of the penis with a tiny needle or insert a suppository into the urethra.
3. Suppositories:  A suppository called MUSE—containing the drug alprostadil—is inserted into the urethra.  When it is absorbed, it loses some of its strength.  It takes time to prepare and administer the medications.
4. Pumps:  Penis vacuum pumps are quite effective in increasing blood flow to the penis and they’re available over-the-counter at relatively low cost. The process of pumping air out of the tube pulls blood into the erectile tissue.
5. Constriction rings:  “Cock rings” worn around the base of the penis can slow down the speed at which blood leaves the penis.  Constriction rings prolong an erection once it is achieved (using a vacuum pump, for instance); duration of usage of these rings should not exceed 30 minutes
6. Implants:  The technology of penile implants is improving all the time.

The penile implants are of two types:

i)             Inflatable implants are cylinders that are implanted in the erection chambers of the penis and inflated by a hydraulic pump implanted in the scrotum.

ii)  Malleable implants are semi-rigid, bendable rods that are implanted into the penis, which can then be manipulated manually into an erect or flaccid position.

7. Surgery:

Vascular surgery is rarely performed but may be a last resort for some men. Patients who can benefit from vascular surgery are less than 1% of men who have ED. It’s the equivalent to a coronary artery bypass and there are only a handful of surgeons in the country who do it.

For safer sex, use condoms.  These drastically reduce the risk of becoming infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and avoiding pregnancy.