I’ll keep wearing the physician’s hat for a little longer. There are a number of possible causes of some types of disfunctions with erections to work our way through, giving us a fair chance to review all the most common.
Erectile Dysfunction is quite a common early symptom of Diabetes or/and cardiovascular disease or both. If you check through the literature, you’ll find that about 12% of patients who are later confirmed as diabetic first appear in the consulting rooms complaining of ED. So some good can come out of treating ED, usually with Viagra, Cialis or Levitra although, given that these drugs may not always be allowed as treatment, it is better to prevent the onset of the Diabetes if at all possible, say, by reducing excess weight.
A few years back, the Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS) of men aged between forty and seventy years found that 28% of men with diabetes had ED. Averaging out the later surveys over the age range, ED develops between ten and fifteen years earlier in men with diabetes. Above the age of 50 years, between 50-60% of men with diabetes will have difficulties with an erection. Above 70 years, it is almost certain that diabetic men will have some difficulty with erectile function.
The cause of ED in diabetic men usually has both organic and psychological elements. Even if the first cause is not physical, the onset of organic ED almost inevitably produces serious performance anxiety and, if not treated, depression. The combination inevitably affects the libido and this reinforces the disability.
So that leaves us with the question of how we treat both the ED and the diabetes.
Vascular disease with decreased flow of blood into the penis through arterial narrowing, hardening and closure, high blood pressure, peripheral nerve damage, hormonal problems, say, because of decreased gonadal function, and obesity are all more common in diabetic men and each one may be the cause of your ED. An increasing body of research indicates that half of all ED cases in diabetic men over 50 years are caused by arteriosclerotic disease resulting in a thickening, hardening and loss of elasticity in the arterial walls.
- Drinking too much alcohol can damage your blood vessels and make ED more likely.
- Performance anxiety and depression can cause ED. To keep your stress levels under control, you should review your current tasks, and set more reasonable goals and deadlines.
- Regular physical exercise can keep your arteries clear and boost your stamina. If you lack motivation, do not stay solitary. Join a club or gym.
- If you sleep well, you are less likely to suffer from ED.
This takes us into new territory for these articles. The vacuum constriction device works no matter what the cause of the ED. If you find the idea of using this piece of equipment off-putting, there is the possibility of intracavernosal injections to the penis to help stimulate an erection. Surgery and penile prostheses implantation are highly successful, but there are greater risks of infection when operating on diabetic men.
Thus, there are well-established systems for treating both diabetes and ED. There is no need to suffer in silence. Your sex life can be restored in most cases, albeit that sometimes, you cannot rely on a simple pill to solve the problems.