Males may suffer from various sexual problems, including premature ejaculation, delayed or absent ejaculation, loss of libido, and impotence. ED is medically known as erectile dysfunction.
Male sexual weakness
Erectile dysfunction or erectile dysfunction is defined as the most common sexual problem among men and is characterized by the inability of a man to achieve or maintain an erection for a sufficient period to allow intercourse, and generally, men suffer from erection problems from time to time.
but, persistent erectile dysfunction that occurs in men It is abnormal and needs treatment, and erectile dysfunction often occurs as a result of a lack of blood flow to the penis area, nerve damage there, or suffering from stress, and in some cases, erectile dysfunction is an indication that a man suffers from a more serious health problem. Such as atherosclerosis, heart disease, high blood pressure, or high blood sugar due to diabetes.
The erection process in a man occurs when the nerves release chemicals during sexual arousal that increase blood flow to the penis, and it flows directly into the chambers there, which consist of spongy muscle tissue known as the corpus cavernosum of the penis, and so on.
Spongy tissues relax so that the blood gets trapped there, and blood pressure leads in those chambers to the erection of the penis, and when the man reaches orgasm, another set of nerve signals come to the penis area and cause the spongy tissues to contract, And the blood returns again to the blood circulation and the penis begins to relax.
Generally, the penis in the man is relaxed if it is not exposed to any sexual arousal, its size varies according to many factors such as; Warmth, coldness, or anxiety. This is normal and reflects the balance of blood entering and leaving the penis.
Signs of erectile dysfunction in men
Erectile dysfunction causes a man to suffer from some symptoms that include:
- Facing a problem and difficulty in achieving an erection.
- Having a very difficult time maintaining a strong erection for long enough.
- Sometimes low libido.
- Feelings of embarrassment and guilt.
- Low self-esteem in men.
- Note the speed of ejaculation. Delayed ejaculation.
- Inability to achieve orgasm after adequate sexual stimulation.
Causes of erectile dysfunction in men
In most cases, erectile dysfunction is due to a person's physical illness that affects the erection process, weakness in such cases occurs gradually over many years, and the sudden occurrence of erectile dysfunction is often caused by a mental illness. In general, the list of common causes of erectile dysfunction includes the following:
Pathological conditions
- Heart disease and narrowing of blood vessels.
- Diabetes.
- Hypertension.
- High lipid levels. obesity.
- metabolic syndrome.
- Parkinson's disease.
- Multiple sclerosis.
- Structural or anatomical disorders of the penis, such as Peyronie's disease.
- Prostate disease treatments or complications from surgery.
- Pelvic radiotherapy.
- Hormonal disorders: including thyroid hormone disorder and testosterone deficiency.
- Atherosclerosis: It is one of the most common causes of blood flow problems that lead to narrowing or blockage of the arteries in the penis, which prevents the blood flow necessary for an erection to occur.
Environmental factors
- Cigarette smoking.
- Take drugs.
- Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Pharmacological treatments
The use of some types of medications can cause impotence, including the following:
- High blood pressure medications.
- Heart medications: such as digoxin.
- Some types of diuretics.
- hormonal drugs.
- Peptic ulcer medications.
- Medications that act on the central nervous system, such as hypnotics, amphetamines, and anti-anxiety drugs. Antidepressants.
Psychological Factors
Although organic physical causes include 90% of the causes of ED, psychological factors may also be a cause of ED in men, and these factors include the following:
- Fear of sexual intercourse.
- Having severe anxiety.
- Melancholy.
Erectile dysfunction treatment for men
Before starting treatment, the doctor makes sure that the patient receives the appropriate treatment for any disease that causes ED, and depending on the type and severity of ED and any other conditions, the doctor sets his appropriate treatment plan. ED treatments include the following options:
Pharmacological treatments
Initially, it includes oral medications such as sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil, which enhance nitric oxide, a chemical produced by the body and cause the muscles of the male organ to relax, which leads to increased blood flow to the organ, and this allows achieving an erection in response to sexual stimulation, and despite the different medications.
In their doses and side effects, they generally cause the following effects; Such as irritability or discomfort, nasal congestion, headache, visual changes, back pain, and stomach disorders, and these medications may not treat ED immediately, the doctor may need some time to reach the appropriate dose and medication, and the effectiveness of these medications may be less in some people Specifically for people with diabetes, and it is dangerous if men have heart disease or people with low blood pressure or angina pectoris, and drug treatments include Alprostadil injections, which are injections injected with a thin needle at the base or side of the penis and adjust each dose so that it does not occur An erection for more than an hour, and these injections often cause only a slight pain at the site of the injection and can cause some side effects, such as a long-term erection, which is a pathological condition.
Alprostadil suppository therapy
These are small suppositories that are placed inside the urethra, and the erection begins within 10 minutes and lasts for 30-60 minutes. Alprostadil suppositories can cause some side effects, including light bleeding in the urethra and the formation of fibrous tissue inside the penis.
Testosterone therapy
It is possible, as we mentioned above, that erectile dysfunction is caused by a lack of testosterone levels, so the doctor recommends treatment with testosterone replacement, which is similar to the content of testosterone but is synthetic, which may be given in conjunction with other treatments.
Penile Transplantation
In it, devices are placed on both sides of the penis by surgery, and this implant is either inflatable or semi-rigid penises that are bendable, and these inflatable devices allow controlling the timing and duration of an erection of the penis.
Vascular surgery
Vascular surgery, known as another option for erectile dysfunction, aims to treat the causes of erectile dysfunction due to vascular problems.
Psychological counseling
It is possible that ED can occur in men as we mentioned above as a result of psychological problems, so the optimal treatment is a psychological consultation.
Lifestyle change
For most men, erectile dysfunction occurs as a result of choosing the wrong lifestyles, so lifestyle changes should be made, including abstaining from smoking cigarettes and maintaining an ideal healthy weight, as excess weight can cause erectile dysfunction or worsen its condition, in addition to staying away from drug abuse. Drugs, alcohol, and solving family problems.
Herbal remedy
Some men resort to herbal remedies to get rid of erectile dysfunction, and some doctors believe that these herbs are not useful, while others believe that they help to enhance the general health of the body over time and improve erectile function. These herbs include the following:
- Ginseng
- Ginkgo biloba, also known as the ginkgo herb.
- Goat weed, or goat weed.
- Yohimbine herbs.
Prevention of erectile dysfunction in men
The best way to prevent yourself erectile dysfunction is to follow a healthy lifestyle and diet and to control existing conditions and diseases. This includes the following:
- Consult your doctor about ways to control diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic health conditions.
- Have regular check-ups and regular medical exams.
- Quit smoking and stop alcoholic beverages.
- Do regular exercise.
- Reducing stress and stress factors as much as possible.
- Receive medical help for symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mental disorders.