Erectile dysfunction (ED) is when a man has trouble getting or keeping an erection. ED may affect 50% of men between the ages of 40 and 70 and as few as 5% of men seek treatment for their ED.
No matter what you’ve accomplished in your life, Erectile Dysfunction (ED), can keep you from feeling your very best. In fact more than half of all men over 40 have some difficulty getting and maintaining an erection. However, men at any age can experience ED.
The severity of ED varies amount men from the inability to achieve an erection to having an inconsistent ability to achieve an erection to sustaining only brief erections. These variations make estimating the amount of men experiencing ED; however experts say that it affects around 30 million men in the United States.
Common risk factors for ED include the following:
- Advanced age
- Cardiovascular disease
- Diabetes Mellitus
- High cholesterol
- Cigarette smoking
- Recreational Drug Use
- Depression or other psychiatric diseases (i.e. performance anxiety, stress)
Erectile Dysfunction is best diagnosed by having a candid discussion with your doctor to assess the severity and determining the cause. It is important to be open and share all aspects of your sexual history to get the best idea of your situation. During patient interviews, your doctor might ask you questions such as, are you feeling a loss of libido (sexual desire) or a disorder of ejaculation (i.e. premature ejaculation)? Are you feeling stressed or anxious when you’re with your partner? Do you have family history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes? Are you a smoker?
Moreover, healthy men have involuntary erections in the early morning and during REM sleep. Men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction (due to psychological factors such as stress and anxiety rather than physical factors) usually maintain these involuntary erections. Men with physical causes of erectile dysfunction (like cardiovascular disease or diabetes) usually do not have these involuntary erections.
Treatments for ED depend on the cause. Hormonal deficiencies can be helped with testosterone supplements, however the cause is usually due to lack of adequate blood supply to the organ. Treatments usually work on a temporary basis by enabling an erection to be maintained long enough for intercourse, but do not address the underlying problem permanently.
Clinical researchers are constantly conducting studies to test various treatments for erectile dysfunction. To learn more about ED and possible upcoming studies, please contact our office at 305-931-8080 or email us to info@southfloridamedicalresearch.com. You can also email us through the Contact tab at the top of this page.
