Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

Sex may not be the most important thing in life. However, sex does bring couples together. Sex makes individuals feel wanted and appreciated and therefore, sex is part and partial of a long and happy relationship.

What is erectile dysfunction (ED)?

ED is when a man has problems getting or maintaining an erection long enough for sex. It happens when not enough blood flows to the penis.

ED isn't the same for all men. Some men aren't able to get an erection at all. Others can get one, but it's not hard enough for sex. And others get a hard erection but lose it before or during sex.

ED is a medical condition. So in most cases, erections will not improve without treatment. However, there are treatments to ED whether through medication or long term consumption of natural herbs.

Why erectile dysfunction (ED) happens

ED can be caused by things like stress or fatigue. But a lot of times, ED is not something that we can control. That's because it's often due to a physical problem that affects our blood flow.

Usually when a man is sexually aroused:

1. The brain sends an impulse telling the arteries in the penis to widen.
   
2. As a result, more blood flows to the penis.
   
3. When this happens, the penis expands and hardens. This causes an erection.
   

When a man has ED, the nerves or blood vessels in the penis don't work properly. This prevents blood from flowing to the penis. And that can prevent an erection.

Common Causes of ED:

High Blood Pressure makes the heart work harder. This puts strain on the blood vessels, which then harden and narrow. This can prevent blood from setting to the penis. And that makes it more difficult to get or keep an erection. More than 65%of men with high blood pressure also have ED.

High cholesterol can clog your arteries. This can slow blood flow to the penis. As a result, it can affect the quality of your erections.Having high cholesterol raises your risk of ED by 80%.

Heart disease also is known as coronary artery disease. For a person with heart disease, blood does not flow as easily throughout the body as it should as they are clogged or narrowed. This may slow blood from getting to the penis and prevent a firm erection.

Diabetes is a condition where there is too much sugar, or glucose in the blood. Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage nerves and blood vessels like those that produce erections. When this occurs, diabetes often leads to ED. Up to 85% of men with diabetes have some erection difficulty.

Prostate problems can also lead to ED. Prostate is a small gland near your bladder. It is next to the nerves that are needed for erections and certain treatments for prostate problems can lead to ED.

ED may also be psychological and/ or physical. ED can lower self-esteem and strain the relationship with partner and certain medications that treat depression can cause ED.

Stress and anxiety can affect your ability to get an erection.

Smoking and drinking too much alcohol can lead to ED. Drinking alcohol can temporarily impair the ability to get an erection. To help avoid symptoms if ED, it's best not to drink large amounts of alcohol before having sex.

If you smoke, smoking can cause cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and can damage blood vessels. This may prevent blood flow to the penis and can cause ED.

Information extracted from: www.viagra.com

The two common medications being consumed to treat ED are Viagra from Pfizer which costs around RM38 per tab of 100mg and Cialis from Eli Lilly 4mg which costs around RM40 per tab.