Can impotence be reversed

Also, medication is more effective for some causes of erectile dysfunction than for others. And if a psychological condition is significantly involved, you may benefit from counseling with a mental health professional trained in sex therapy.

At first, the doctor will probably ask you about your medical history. Do you have any chronic illnesses? What illnesses and operations have you had in the past? What medications are you taking, if any? Your doctor is also likely to ask about your psychological well-being and lifestyle: Do you suffer or have you ever suffered from depression? Are you under a lot of stress? Do you drink alcohol? Use illegal drugs? Have you felt a loss of affection for your partner? Have you recently grown interested in a new partner?

As part of this health history, be prepared to tell your doctor specific details about the symptoms that brought you to the office and when they began. Your doctor may conduct a written or verbal screening test. If the cause is clear — a recent operation for prostate cancer, for example — the conversation may move directly to your treatment options.

Otherwise, you may need to answer more questions to help the doctor narrow down the possible causes and avoid unnecessary testing. A key issue is whether the symptoms came on gradually or suddenly. Erectile dysfunction that comes on gradually often points to causes that involve blood flow or nerves.

On the other hand, a sudden loss of sexual desire or the ability to have erections usually suggests that a medication or psychological difficulty, such as depression or stress, may be to blame. The ability to do so is an important clue in determining whether the problem is psychologically or physically based see Table 1. Takes your blood pressure and listens to your heart. Checks pulse in groin and feet. Checks your abdomen for aortic aneurysm. Tests reflexes of your knees and ankles, as well as anus.

Checks for sensation in your legs and feet. Checks your prostate. Assesses the history of the problem, especially whether it started suddenly and if nocturnal erections are affected. During the physical exam, the doctor will listen to your heart for signs of a murmur and other abnormalities that can affect blood flow.

He or she will also take your blood pressure; both high and low blood pressure can impair blood flow. The doctor will check your pulse in several places — at the wrist, ankle, and groin. Slow or low pulse in any of these areas can mean that not enough blood is reaching tissues in the extremities, including the penis.

In addition, the doctor will examine your testicles, penis, and chest. Abnormally small testicles and enlarged breasts are sometimes signs of inadequate testosterone. Your doctor may check the prostate gland for signs of infection or cancer, by doing a digital rectal exam. Your checkup will probably include tests for cholesterol to assess your risk of cardiovascular disease and triglyceride and blood sugar levels to check for diabetes.

The doctor might also ask for a urine specimen because the presence of red or white blood cells could be a sign of a un underlying urologic problem. Now that medication can successfully treat most men with erectile dysfunction, many once routine diagnostic tests are used only when the doctor suspects the patient has an underlying problem requiring additional treatment. Hormone tests. Checking testosterone levels used to be one of the first tests ordered for men with erectile difficulty, but that was before doctors realized that testosterone deficiency was rarely the source of the problem.

Now, hormone testing is done for men whose medical exams suggest an endocrine problem and for those who have experienced a loss of sexual desire.

Your doctor also may want to check your blood levels of prolactin a pituitary hormone that can block the action of testosterone or thyroid—stimulating hormone a good indicator of an under-active or overactive thyroid gland. Blood flow tests. A color duplex Doppler ultrasound, an imaging technique, can reveal problems with blood flow through the arteries or veins of the penis, such as venous leakage. Nocturnal tumescence tests.

Physical causes affect both kinds of erections. Requires training; injections unpleasant for many men; may cause penile pain or painful sustained erections priapism.

Approved by the FDA in , sildenafil Viagra revolutionized the way we think about — and treat — erectile dysfunction, largely because it is so easy to use and effective. Since then the FDA has approved three closely related drugs, vardenafil Levitra , avanafil Stendra and tadalafil Cialis. All four drugs work in a similar fashion, by affecting the normal physiology of the penis.

In particular, they block PDE5, an enzyme that breaks down the erection-producing chemical cyclic guanosine monophosphate. This enables the penis to fill with blood and to stay erect long enough for intercourse. The main differences between the drugs have to do with timing: how quickly they begin to work, and how long their effects last see Table 2.

Levitra may start working slightly faster than Viagra within a half-hour instead of an hour although the FDA says that like Viagra, it should be taken about an hour before sexual activity.

Cialis stays active in the body much longer than the other drugs. Viagra and Levitra last about 4 to 5 hours and sometimes up to 12 hours. Cialis has also been approved to treat men with both erectile dysfunction and BPH. The dose is lower, usually 5 milligrams per day. Side effects. So far, the risks and side effects of these three drugs seem to be roughly the same.

They all work by relaxing smooth muscle cells, which widens blood vessels — primarily in the penis, but also in other parts of the body. Other reactions include flushing, upset stomach, nasal congestion, and urinary tract infections. But when the drugs are used properly, these side effects are relatively mild, and most disappear after a few hours. In rare cases, some men experience temporary, mild visual problems, mainly seeing a blue tinge, but also increased sensitivity to light and blurred vision.

However, men with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare eye disease, should be very cautious about using these medications. Drug interactions.

Within several hours of taking PDE5 inhibitor drugs, blood pressure tends to drop slightly: The top systolic number dips 8—10 mm Hg, while the bottom diastolic number goes down by 5—6 mm Hg. Interactions between these two types of drugs can cause life-threatening drops in blood pressure. Men who take long-acting nitrates, including isosorbide dinitrate Isordil, Sorbitrate, and others and isosorbide mononitrate Imdur, Ismo, and others , or who use nitroglycerine patches or paste should not take PDE5 inhibitor drugs.

And they should not use short-acting, under-the-tongue tablets or a spray form of nitroglycerine within 24 hours of taking either Viagra or Levitra. For Cialis, the ban extends to 48 hours. Preliminary research suggests that some herbal supplements may also help.

A review found that ginseng preparations significantly improved symptoms of ED in the population studied. Preparations of maritime pine extract, Pinus pinaster , and maca, Lepidium meyenii , also showed promising results, but more research is needed.

Methods of alternative medicine are safest when used under the guidance of a doctor and in conjunction with other treatments. A wide variety of medications can help with ED. The best-known are drugs, such as tadalafil Cialis and Viagra , which increase blood flow to the penis and help to achieve an erection.

These can be effective when that cause of ED is physical, and they also work well when the cause is unknown or related to anxiety. If an underlying condition, such as diabetes, is causing ED, treating it will often reverse ED or prevent it from worsening.

Some medications can make ED worse. Blood pressure medication, for example, may lower blood flow to the penis, making it harder to get an erection. Anyone who suspects that ED is associated with a medication should tell a doctor. Alternative drugs are often available.

Penis pumps can draw blood into the penis and induce an erection in most men, including those with severe nerve damage. When there is severe nerve or blood vessel damage, using a ring can help to keep blood in the penis.

Even when serious physical health issues are present, a mechanical device can usually help with getting an erection. If other strategies are ineffective, or when there is an anatomical cause of ED, a doctor may recommend surgery. The procedure involves implanting a device that enables immediate erections. Surgery is effective in most cases, and the rate of complications is less than 5 percent. Some people feel frustration about ED.

It is important to remember that the condition is treatable. ED is very common and can usually be reversed by using natural remedies or medications to treat the underlying cause.

Early intervention can often detect a serious medical condition, and determining the cause of ED early may increase the likelihood of reversing it. Speak with a doctor about the best course of treatment.

Tadalafil Cialis is a prescription medication for those with erectile dysfunction or benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms. Many providers sell…. VigRX is a herbal supplement claiming to aid sexual health conditions such as erectile dysfunction ED.

Read more here. Roman Swipes are wipes that people can use to promote a harder erection. Learn more about Roman Swipes here, including alternative options. Testogen is a testosterone supplement. They are not FDA-approved and no scientific studies prove their effectiveness. Learn more here. Semenax claims to improve sperm volume, erections, ejaculation, and orgasms. When the urologist evaluates your condition, he can determine the best remedy to treat the condition.

When the primary cause of the ED is physical or diabetes, the best treatment is in the form of medication. There are several drugs to use as a medication for ED, such as Tadalafil and Viagra. These drugs work by increasing the blood flow to the penis, therefore, getting an erection. The doctor may recommend that the patient engages in pelvic floor exercises. These exercises help men achieve an erection by strengthening the pelvic muscles. These exercises work when the doctor identifies the primary cause for your ED as physical or as a result of diabetes.

ED can be a result of poor lifestyles such as diet, obesity, and stress. The doctor may recommend lifestyle changes such as;. These are mechanical devices that help to induce an erection by drawing blood to the penis.

This allows patients who are suffering from damage in the nerves and blood vessels, resulting in Erectile Dysfunction.