Impotence
Viagra Impotence Treatment
Alternative names:
Male impotence; Sexual dysfunction - male; Erectile dysfunction
Definition:
Impotence is the inability to achieve and maintain penile erection sufficient to complete satisfactory intercourse.
Considerations:
Occasional impotence occurs in about half of adult men in the U.S., and chronic impotence affects about 1 in 8 American men. The chances of impotence increases with age.
Impotence can be classified as primary or secondary. A man with primary impotence has never had an erection sufficient for intercourse. Secondary impotence is the loss of erectile function after a period of normal function. Except for impotence caused by injury or sudden illness, secondary impotence usually comes on gradually.
Treatment of secondary impotence is usually more successful than that of primary impotence because, despite current impotence problems, there is some history of normal penile function in the past.
AGING ALONE DOES NOT CAUSE IMPOTENCE!
There are several components required for an erection:
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A responsive emotional state of mind |
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A normally functioning pituitary |
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Adequate testosterone |
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Intact brain and nervous system |
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Adequate penile blood supply |
Premature ejaculation (when orgasm comes on too quickly to satisfy either partner) is different from impotence. The couple should seek counselling for this problem.
Male infertility is quite different from impotence. A man who is unable to maintain an erection may be perfectly normal in every other way and very capable of fathering a child. An infertile male may be able to have intercourse normally, but he may be unable to father a child.
Common causes:
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Medication use (especially antihypertensives) |
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Smoking |
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High blood pressure |
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Hormonal deficiency caused by disease (diabetes) or injury |
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Liver disease, usually caused by alcoholism |
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Circulation problems (arteriosclerosis, anemia, or vascular surgery) |
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