Erectile dysfunction has gained publicity since the discovery of sildenafil (brand name: Viagra). With obesity, hypertension, diabetes and the polycystic ovary syndrome having increased in the population significantly in the last few decades, the metabolic syndrome (or syndrome of insulin resistance) has also increased. One of the hormone imbalance symptoms is erectile dysfunction in the male and delay in sexual arousal in the female.

Medication can be a cause of erectile dysfunction and the offending drug needs to be identified by the doctor. Many blood pressure medications can cause erectile dysfunction such as water pills, clonidine and Aldomet. However, before any changes are made the patient should let the doctor decide the best course of action to avoid, for instance, as high blood pressure and stroke could develop from sudden medication withdrawal.

Other impotence causes (neurological) can be a variety of conditions such as strokes, multiple sclerosis, seizure disorders, spinal cord disease, chronic back pain from back surgery or disc degeneration.

Prostate surgery such as transurethral resection of the prostate for prostate enlargement
or prostate cancer surgery is associated with erectile dysfunction in about 45%.

Hardening of the arteries of the penile arteries is the main cause of older patients with erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction treatment

Sildenafil (brand name: Viagra) likely is the 1st choice impotence treatment, if other measures such as eliminating other causes has not been successful. Ask your doctor to give you a thorough work-up, explain the results to you and advice you what, if any, medication you might need.

Disclaimer:

This outline is only a teaching aid to patients and should stimulate you to ask the right questions when seeing your doctor. However, the responsibility of treatment stays in the hands of your doctor and you.

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