Erectile dysfunction: a problem that affects more than two million men in Spain
Written by:By erectile dysfunction we understand the difficulty or incapacity that a male presents to maintain satisfactory sexual relations due to erection problems.
Erectile dysfunction affects a greater number of people each day and can be considered in most cases as a vascular disease.
Multifactorial disease
The causes that cause erectile dysfunction are not usually unique, it is therefore a multifactorial pathology.
As in almost all diseases there are genetic causes, present from birth, there is also a psychological component that in some cases can act as a cause of it.
In addition there are acquired causes, within these we can say that the age and the associated aging can make progressively the penile arteries and veins do not work as they should. Likewise, certain diseases such as diabetes, hypertension or ischemic heart disease can contribute to the development of erectile dysfunction; the drugs that are used in these diseases and in some others would also be another risk factor. Finally we would have habits such as smoking, alcohol, drug abuse, which further complicate the prognosis of these patients.
An appropriate treatment for each case
As we can see, we are dealing with a complex pathology, with multiple causes that need to be identified in order to try to give a personal solution to each patient.
Although the problem is complex, there is treatment, generally the treatments currently available are used progressively and always after making a previous diagnosis.
Among the available treatments are oral therapy, intracavernous drugs, vacuum systems, transurethral drugs and, of course, penile prosthesis implant surgery, which as a last resort definitively resolves the problem of erectile dysfunction. Recently, therapies such as shock waves that seem to get an improvement in the situation of erectile penile tissue and consequently in erectile dysfunction are being tested.
Although, as we have already mentioned, it is a complex problem, approached in a correct way, it has a solution. The first thing would be to perform a treatment as close to the reality of each patient and from there provide each one with what they need; We must not forget the psychological aspect especially in younger patients in which a significant percentage of these problems are for this reason, it is something to take into account; In this aspect, the joint work with psychotherapists is a very important factor.
The message that each patient must take from the consultation is that their problem has a solution , since fortunately we have multiple alternatives, and if they do not work and the patient is willing to solve their problem, we have the implant of penile prosthesis that as we have already mentioned definitively solves the problem.
