Viagra was first introduced to the world in 1998. In the 20 years or so since Viagra hit the market, the number of men who have been diagnosed with erectile dysfunction has skyrocketed by 250%. Now that men are more aware of the variety of treatment options that exist, and the stigma surrounding erectile dysfunction is retreating, those who would previously have struggled in silence now seek help. But it isn’t just Viagra that is available to help men to overcome this problem.
There are a number of things that men can do to overcome erectile dysfunction. In many cases, the root cause is psychological rather than physical, and so counselling is the best long-term solution. However, psychological treatments take time. There are, however, other things that you can do in the short-term to try and help alleviate the problem. In the meantime, you can read more about erectile dysfunction in this article from International Andrology London.
Viagra
The ‘little blue pill’ as it is commonly known, Viagra is the typical erectile dysfunction medication. Drugs like Viagra belong to a class of drugs known as phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors. These medications work by increasing blood flow to the penis. Viagra is one of the most effective treatments out there, with a success rate of roughly 80%. However, it is not suitable for everyone. If you take nitroglycerin pills for heart disease, for example, then you won’t be able to take these erectile dysfunction pills.
Lifestyle Changes
In some cases, your doctor will recommend that you begin by making some lifestyle changes. These can often be effective in solving the problem without having to resort to more dramatic measures. If you are overweight, your doctor will likely recommend that you try and lose weight. They may also suggest that you modify your diet in some way.
In addition, exercising every day can make a big difference and is a great way of improving your overall mental and physical health anyway. Reducing stress is important, especially as most of the time, men suffer from erectile dysfunction because of stress-related issues.
Reducing your alcohol intake and stopping smoking can both make a difference to erectile problems and are also both good measures to take to improve your overall health.
Other Medications
Depending on the root cause of the erectile problems, there are a number of other medications which might be used. If your doctor suspects that your problem is caused by high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or the narrowing of blood vessels in the penis, they may prescribe you medication to lower your blood pressure or cholesterol level.
In some cases, erectile dysfunction can also indicate a hormone deficiency, particularly testosterone, and so supplements are sometimes prescribed. Finally, erectile dysfunction is a side effect of many different types of medication and so sometimes switching other medications will be necessary.
Erectile dysfunction is a problem that most men will suffer from at some point in their lives. Usually, it is nothing to worry about, but persistent problems can indicate an underlying physical or psychological issue. Now that men are more aware of the variety of innovative treatment options that exist like PRP for Erectile Dysfunction, and the stigma surrounding this problem is retreating, those who would previously have struggled in silence now seek help.