Erectile dysfunction is defined as the partial or total inability to achieve and/or maintain an erection rigid enough to permit sexual intercourse. It is one of the situations that most dramatically affects couples in their day-to-day relationships because it has a significant impact on the self-esteem of the individual and his or her partner.
Unfortunately for many people, this condition is becoming more and more frequent. It is estimated that 60% or more of men over 50 years of age consult for an erection disorder. However, this situation does not distinguish between ages since younger men also present different degrees of erection disorders. It is clear that the older the man, the greater the possibility of having erection problems.
There are several causes of erectile dysfunction. Previously, it was believed that it was a problem of age or simply psychological, so many patients assumed that just because they were old they could not have good erections, and that if you were young and had erection problems, it was simply because you had a psychological problem. Nowadays, physiology, that is, how the penis and erection work, is very well known. 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, nowadays it is of great interest to analyze patients suffering from erectile dysfunction, because this can be the warning for us to diagnose serious diseases such as diabetes, arterial hypertension or arteriosclerosis. Of course, the psychological aspect is always present as a possible cause or accompanying dysfunction, and this can and should also be treated.
How is the diagnosis of erectile dysfunction made by a professional?
We keep insisting that consulting for erectile dysfunction has much more importance than simply solving the sexual problem. Some patients assume that it is a condition that they simply have to live with, and that is neither real nor fair to the patient in their environment. By consulting you give your doctor and, above all, yourself the opportunity to prevent greater evils. We also urge all physicians who are consulted or who suspect that their patient suffers from some degree of erectile dysfunction, to give great importance to this symptom. In addition, it has been widely demonstrated how the state of well-being and quality of life of those patients who manage to improve the quality of their erections and, consequently, their interpersonal relationships, is improved.
Taking into account the high frequency of this condition and the relationship it has with other important diseases, all physicians should be able to diagnose and guide these patients. The specialist who is most familiar with 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. At the Instituto Medico Tecnologico we strongly believe in the multidisciplinary analysis of our patients and in the Andrology Unit we can provide all the necessary resources for the most effective diagnosis, treatment and follow-up possible for each patient in a personalized way.
Currently, we rely on the most advanced laboratory tests, imaging and analysis of penile function from the neurological and vascular point of view. This is done through non-invasive and patient-friendly tests.
The various treatments for erectile dysfunction
Existing treatments are not effective for all patients. However, a very high percentage of patients manage to recover sexual activity with one of the treatments currently available. The alternatives are very varied and each one is adjusted to each patient. Scientific advances in the pharmaceutical and technological area are very important and offer today a very important support to the patient and the treating physician.
On the one hand, the pharmaceutical industry has evolved in the research, production and marketing of drugs that are safe and easy to use for the patient, reducing risks and increasing efficacy both in the control of diseases that cause erectile dysfunction by themselves (metabolic disorders, hormonal deficits, arterial hypertension, diabetes, among many others) and in the direct control of the quality of erection with drugs taken, diluted in the mouth or placed directly in the penis. Vacuum devices, which manage to replace the penile blood filling mechanism, are becoming more ergonomic and easier to use, and penile prosthesis implants with minimally invasive surgeries, of very fast recovery, practically ambulatory and that allow the patient a very natural erection every time he/she wishes. For all these reasons, we suggest patients with any degree of erectile dysfunction or any other sexual dysfunction to consult and be treated in a specialized and comprehensive manner as we can do in our centers and thus achieve together to improve the quality of life of many more people and their environment.