What about Sexual Aids

What is erectile dysfunction (ED)?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. Estimates suggest that one of every 10 men will suffer from ED at some point during his lifetime. It is important to understand that in most cases, ED is a symptom of another, underlying problem. ED is not considered normal at any age, and may be associated with other problems that interfere with sexual intercourse, such as lack of desire and problems with orgasm and ejaculation.

How common is erectile dysfunction?

Approximately one in 10 adult males will suffer from ED on a long-term basis.

Many men do experience occasional failure to achieve erection, which can occur for a variety of reasons, such as drinking too much alcohol, stress, relationship problems, or from being extremely tired. The failure to get an erection less than 20% of the time is not unusual and typically does not require treatment. However, the failure to achieve an erection more than 50% of the time generally means that there is a problem and treatment is needed.

ED does not have to be a part of getting older. While it is true that some older men may need more stimulation, they should still be able to achieve an erection and enjoy intercourse.

What causes erectile dysfunction (ED)?

ED can be caused by a number of factors, including:

Vascular disease: Blood supply to the penis can become blocked or narrowed as a result of vascular disease such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
Neurological disorders (such as multiple sclerosis): Nerves that send impulses to the penis can become damaged from stroke, diabetes, or other causes.
Psychological states: These include stress, depression, lack of stimulus from the brain and performance anxiety.
Trauma: An injury could contribute to symptoms of ED.

Chronic illness, certain medications, and a condition called Peyronie's disease can also cause ED. Operations for the prostate, bladder, and colon cancer may also be contributing factors.

For some men, depression can accompany the condition of erectile dysfunction (ED). It is common for men with ED to feel angry, frustrated, sad, unsure of themselves, or even less “manly.” Such feelings may lead to a lack of self-esteem and, in severe cases, to depression. Depression that accompanies ED is treatable. The first step in addressing your concerns about ED-related depression is to be honest with yourself, your partner, and your doctor. After depression has been brought out into the open, coping with it will be easier and less stressful.

Medication

ED can be treated in many ways, including oral medication.

Medications such as sildenafil (Viagra®), vardenafil (Levitra®), or tadalafil (Cialis®) may help improve sexual function in men by increasing blood flow to the penis. Men who are on medicines that contain nitrates such as nitroglycerine should not take oral ED medications. The combination of nitrates and these specific medications can cause low blood pressure (hypotension).

The most common side effects of these medications are indigestion, nasal congestion, flushing, headaches and a temporary visual disturbance.

1. Sildenafil (Viagra®)

Sildenafil is a medicine used to treat erection problems (erectile dysfunction). Sildenafil is also sometimes used to treat pulmonary hypertension(high blood pressure in the blood vessels that supply the lungs).If you have erection problems sildenafil works by temporarily increasing blood flow to your penis when you get sexually excited. It usually takes 30 to 60 minutes for sildenafil to work for erectile dysfunction. You can take it up to 4 hours before you want to have sex.

Who can take sildenafil

Most men aged 18 and over can take sildenafil for erectile dysfunction. Most adults and children aged 1 year and over can take sildenafil for pulmonary hypertension.

Who may not be able to take sildenafil

Sildenafil is not suitable for some people. To make sure it's safe for you, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before taking sildenafil if you:

have ever had an allergic reaction to sildenafil or any other medicine
are taking medicines called nitrates for chest pain (angina)
have a serious heart or liver problem
have recently had a stroke, heart attack or a heart problem – your doctor should carefully check whether your heart can take the additional strain of having sex
have low blood pressure (hypotension)
have a rare inherited eye disease, such as retinitis pigmentosa
have sickle cell anaemia (an abnormality of red blood cells), leukaemia (cancer of blood cells) or multiple myeloma (cancer of bone marrow)
have a deformity of your penis or Peyronie's disease (curved penis)
have a stomach ulcer
have a bleeding problem like haemophilia

Common side effects

Common side effects of sildenafil happen in more than 1 in 100 people. If you're taking it for erection problems you're unlikely to get side effects as you're only taking it for a short time.

Headaches

Feeling sick (nausea)

Flushing including hot flushes

Indigestion

Stuffy nose

Feeling dizzy

2. Tadalafil (Cialis®)

Tadalafil is a medicine used to treat erection problems (erectile dysfunction) and symptoms of an enlarged prostate (benign prostate enlargement). It's also sometimes used to treat pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the blood vessels that supply the lungs).

It comes as tablets that you swallow with water. It can be taken with or without food. It usually takes 30 to 60 minutes for tadalafil to work for erectile dysfunction. You can take it once a day, at least 30 minutes before you want to have sex.

Who can and cannot take tadalafil

Tadalafil can only be taken by adults aged 18 and over. Tadalafil is not suitable for some people.

Do not take tadalafil if you:

have had an allergic reaction to tadalafil or any other medicines in the past
are taking medicines called nitrates for chest pain
have a serious heart and liver problem
have recently had a stroke or a heart attack
have low blood pressure or uncontrolled high blood pressure
have ever lost your vision due to reduced blood flow to the eye

Check with your doctor before taking tadalafil if you:

have sickle cell anaemia (an abnormality of red blood cells), leukaemia (cancer of blood cells) or multiple myeloma (cancer of bone marrow)
have Peyronie's disease (curved penis) or a similar problem with your penis
have liver or kidneys problems
have a heart problem – your doctor will advise you whether your heart can take the additional strain of having sex

Common side effects

Common side effects happen in more than 1 in 100 people. The side effects may increase with an increasing dose:

headaches
feeling sick (nausea)
red or flushed face
indigestion
stuffy nose
muscle aches

15.08.2022