Erectile dysfunction: diagnosis and treatment

Erectile dysfunction is defined as the partial or total inability to achieve and / or maintain an erection sufficiently rigid to allow sexual intercourse. It is one of the situations that most dramatically affects couples in their day-to-day relationships because it entails a significant impact on the self-esteem of the individual and their partner.

Unfortunately for many people this condition is becoming more frequent. It is estimated that 60% or more of men over 50 consult for an erection disorder. However, this situation does not distinguish ages since younger men also present different degrees of erection alterations. It is clear that the older is more likely to have erection problems.

Causes

There are several causes why erectile dysfunction may appear. Previously, it was believed that it was an age problem or simply psychological, which is why many patients assumed that only because they were many years old they could not have good erections and, if you were young with erection problems, it was simply because you had a psychological problem. Nowadays, physiology is well known, that is, how the penis and erection work. This has allowed us to know what happens internally when there is erectile dysfunction.

The most important thing to know is that the penis is an organ with many blood vessels and, therefore, all diseases that affect the blood vessels of the body will also affect the penis. In fact, today it is of great interest to analyze patients suffering from erectile dysfunction, because this may be the warning so we can diagnose serious diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure or arteriosclerosis. Of course, the psychological aspect is always present as a possible cause or accompanying the dysfunction, and this can also and should be treated.

The diagnosis

We do not stop insisting that consulting for erectile dysfunction has much more importance than simply solving the sexual problem. Some patients assume that it is a condition with which they simply have to live and that is not real, nor is it fair for the patient in their environment. By consulting you give your doctor and, above all, yourself the opportunity to prevent greater ills. We also urge all doctors who are consulted or, who suspect that their patient suffers some degree of erectile dysfunction, to give much importance to this symptom. In addition, it is widely demonstrated how the state of well-being and quality of life of those patients who improve the quality of their erections and therefore their interpersonal relationships is improved.

Taking into account the high frequency of this condition and the relationship it has with other important diseases, all doctors should be able to diagnose and guide these patients. The specialist who knows the methods to diagnose and treat this situation is the andrologist. Nowadays there are very specific methods to diagnose and, in addition, the treatments are very varied and must be well oriented to achieve the best effect. In our centers we firmly believe in the multidisciplinary analysis of our patients and in our Andrology Unit we can provide all the necessary resources for the diagnosis, treatment and most effective follow-up possible for each patient in a personalized way.

Currently, we rely on the most advanced laboratory tests, image analysis and penile function from the neurological and vascular point of view. This through non-invasive tests and easy to perform for the patient.

Treatment

Existing treatments for all patients are not effective. However, a very high percentage of patients manage to recover sexual activity with some of the currently available treatments. The alternatives are very varied and each one adjusts to each patient. The scientific advances in the pharmaceutical and technological area are very important and offer today very important support to the patient and the treating doctor.

On the one hand, the pharmaceutical industry has evolved in the research, production and marketing of drugs for safe and easy use for the patient, decreasing the risks and increasing the effectiveness both in the control of diseases that produce erectile dysfunction on their own ( disorders metabolic, hormonal deficits, arterial hypertension, diabetes , among many others) as in the direct control of the quality of the erection with drugs taken, diluted in the mouth or placed directly on the penis. The vacuum devices , which manage to supply the penile blood filling mechanism every day are more ergonomic and simple to use and, the implants of penile prostheses with minimally invasive surgeries, very fast recovery, practically ambulatory and allowing the patient an erection very natural whenever you want. For all these reasons, we suggest that patients with any degree of erectile dysfunction or any other sexual dysfunction consult and be treated in a specialized and global manner as we can do in our centers and thus achieve among all improve the quality of life of many more people and its surroundings.