Erectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection. Peyronie's disease causes excessive curvature of the penis, making erections painful.
La disfuncion erectil It is the repeated inability to achieve or maintain a erections firm enough to maintain a sexual relationship.
The incidence of erectile dysfunction increases with age, affecting 5% of men aged 40 and between 15 and 25% of men aged 65.
Erectile dysfunction is treatable at any age.
To understand the causes of erectile dysfunction, it is necessary to know that a normal erection requires the participation of four factors:
- Blood vessels that function properly (not affected by smoking, arteriosclerosis, etc.)
- A preserved penile innervation (not affected by pelvic surgeries, or by diabetes)
- A suitable hormonal environment (in which testosterone, the male hormone, can exert its action normally)
- An appropriate psychological state
Any alteration of these factors can explain the cause of erectile dysfunction.
Some diseases can damage the nerves, arteries, and tissues of the penis (organic erectile dysfunction), such as diabetes, chronic alcoholism, arteriosclerosis, and neurological diseases. Pelvic surgery, primarily for the treatment of prostate cancerIt can damage the nerves and arteries of the penis. Medications to lower blood pressure, antihistamines, antidepressants, and tranquilizers can cause erectile dysfunction.
Other times the underlying cause may be psychological, such as stress, depression, anxiety or guilt, or fear of failing in the sexual relationship (psychogenic erectile dysfunction).
The diagnosis of erectile dysfunction is based on the medical history, the patient's background, laboratory tests, and other tests for specific cases, such as the nocturnal penile tumescence test, which differentiates psychogenic from organic erectile dysfunction.
Treatment may consist of psychotherapy, administered by an experienced sexologist, in cases of psychogenic erectile dysfunction. When the cause of the erection difficulty is organic (vascular, neurogenic, hormonal, or mixed), treatment may also require the use of oral medications or medications injected directly into the penis.
In cases that do not respond to the aforementioned treatments, there is the option of having a penile implant, or penile prosthesis, placed. This is a simple procedure in which hydraulic cylinders are implanted inside the corpora cavernosa through a small incision. These cylinders can be activated and deactivated at will. Ninety-five percent of men who receive this type of implant are satisfied with the result and would recommend it to others.
