Today, one of the most common problems in urological practice is erectile dysfunction. Weakening of an erection or its absence at all is a symptom that can develop with a large number of a wide variety of pathological conditions. It is from the disease identified in each case that what kind of medicine for impotence a man needs will depend.
Therefore, consultation with a doctor is desirable and not just one, because we have all heard about the incompetence of doctors.
For starters: a medical certificate and the causes of impotence
Impotence or erectile dysfunction is a condition in which, during sexual arousal, a man, for one reason or another, cannot have a full sexual intercourse as a result of insufficient erection of the male penis.
The disease is manifested by a decrease in blood circulation in the external genital organs, which entails insufficient elasticity of the penis. The causes of impotence can be divided into three main groups: organic, psychogenic and combined.
Organic causes include most diseases with a vascular component, such as atherosclerosis, dyslipidemia, and others. Hormonal diseases such as diabetes or an imbalance in male sex hormones can lead to impotence. And of course, infectious and inflammatory diseases of the external genital organs, for example, Peyronie’s disease.
However, most often erectile dysfunction is formed in men as a result of stressful situations and banal dissatisfaction. Such impotence is psychogenic in nature and is not associated with a violation in the structure of tissues and cells. The psychogenic form is purely functional, which means that with timely and correct psychotherapeutic assistance, it can be eliminated without the use of drug therapy.
Only by finding out what form of impotence can you begin the correct and effective treatment of the disease.
What are the treatments for impotence
Modern medicine has made great strides forward, and technology can solve most problems, and erectile dysfunction is no exception. In urological practice, there are several directions for treatment:
- Conservative treatment is the first step in providing qualified assistance to men with such a serious problem as impotence. Such treatment implies a therapeutic approach with the prescription of pharmacological drugs, drugs separately or in combination with physiotherapy and therapeutic massage.
- Surgical treatment – methods aimed at eliminating erectile insufficiency by surgery. It is used in cases where drug therapy is ineffective and unable to compensate for the manifestations of impotence.
- Psychotherapeutic assistance is an effective method of treatment in situations where a psychogenic form of erectile dysfunction is identified.
Each of the above methods should be discussed in more detail, since there can be many treatment options and a man has the right to choose an alternative method of treatment himself.
There are many remedies for impotence and the most famous of them: Viagra, Cialis and Levitra . All drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction are good for the treatment and correction of both psychogenic and organic forms of impotence.
Their mechanism of action is the same, it consists in inhibiting the type 5 phosphodiesterase enzyme, which makes it possible to selectively increase the concentration of nitric oxide in the pelvic organs. An increase in the concentration of nitric oxide in the tissues of the penis leads to relaxation of smooth muscle fibers in the capillaries and sinuses of the cavernous bodies of the penis and increases the flow of arterial blood to the organ, which increases its tone.
Medicines differ only in the price and time of action of the active substance included in the preparation. The strongest of them:
- Viagra is the most famous remedy for impotence. It contains an active substance – Sildenaifil, it is it that has its effect and enhances the erection of the penis. The action of the drug begins in 40-50 minutes and lasts for 3-4 hours.
- Cialis is a drug similar to Viagra, but the active ingredient is Tadalafil. The drug begins to act within 20-30 minutes, and the effect continues for 5-7 hours.
The price of drugs varies greatly and depends on the pharmaceutical manufacturer. So original drugs will cost much more than generics, but on the other hand, their mechanism of action and effect is well studied and highly effective.
It is important to note that the effect of the use of these drugs develops only if there is an adequate sexual stimulus. In the absence of arousal, the effectiveness of the drugs will be extremely low.
In addition to pharmaceuticals, herbal medicines can be an alternative. Typically, these drugs are sold in the form of drops and have a relatively weak effect. The use of drugs in liquid form does not cause difficulties in use, but care should be taken when dosing drugs. These drops are inferior to the tableted forms of drugs for the treatment of reduced erection. In general, herbal medicine is a cheap remedy for the treatment of impotence.
Massage and physiotherapy exercises
At home, drug treatment can be supplemented with the use of specialized massage, which will only increase the effectiveness of conservative therapy.
Correct massage procedures help to improve local blood circulation in the external genital organs, which has a beneficial effect on the course of the disease. The increased blood flow to the pelvic organs activates metabolic and metabolic processes in the tissues of the penis and allows you to relieve spasm from muscle tissue. Systematic massage procedures lead to an increase in the elasticity of the walls of the corpora cavernosa and sinuses, which improves natural erection. During the massage, the bioactive zones of the penis are stimulated, which subsequently leads to better sexual activity. The massage consists of two consecutive stages: warming up and massaging biologically active points.
Help of a psychotherapist and sexologist for impotence
This type of therapy is not medication and is gaining more and more popularity these days.
Speaking about the structure of the incidence of impotence, psychogenic forms account for more than two thirds of all cases of erectile dysfunction in men. An important condition for successful psychotherapy and problem solving is the exclusion of all possible factors that could affect the development of such a state.
A man must give up bad habits and he must learn to control his own stress.
The psychotherapist will help to break down all possible problems into blocks and after a joint analysis, the problem can be eliminated by itself. Also, do not forget about controlling excessive physical and mental stress. Getting enough sleep and a healthy lifestyle can help to cope with stress and thus the resulting erectile dysfunction. Often, a course of treatment with a psychotherapist is enough to overcome the psychogenic form of erectile dysfunction, without even resorting to the use of drugs. It is important to note that psychotherapy is effective only against psychogenic impotence.
Surgical treatment
The use of surgical intervention on the external male genital organs is an extreme measure that is used only when all the above procedures are ineffective or as a result of gross pathology on the part of the male genital organs.
The main direction in the surgical treatment of impotence is falloprosthetics and operations on the cavernous sinuses. Most of the operations are complex and high-precision, which puts them in the field of microsurgery and reconstructive plastic surgery.
There are three forms of penile prostheses: rigid, plastic and inflatable. Accordingly, rigid prostheses are the most obsolete. When using them, the penis is constantly in a straightened state and it is quite problematic to hide it.
Plastic prostheses have a kind of memory and can maintain the position given to them for a long time; with such prostheses, the penis looks more natural than with rigid prostheses.
Inflatable prostheses are the most modern and physiological. Their design includes a special pump, which is placed in a man’s scrotum and allows air to be injected directly into the prostheses when intercourse is required.
Erectile dysfunction can be an indication for falloprosthetics as a result of:
- Peyronie’s disease;
- Cavernous fibrosis;
- Angiopathy;
- Underdevelopment of the external male genital organs.
The use of surgical correction of erectile dysfunction is a radical measure of treatment and carries with it certain risks associated with the course of the postoperative period and the possibility of developing intraoperative complications as a result of the individual characteristics of the male body. This method is used less often than all others.
Summing up, it is important to note once again that almost all forms of impotence can either be completely cured or actively corrected. Reviews from the use of medicinal and phytotherapeutic agents are very contradictory, this is largely due to the incorrect selection of the drug or dosing. There is no most effective remedy, in each case, the treatment is selected gradually, and only by identifying the disease that led to erectile dysfunction.