Erectile
Dysfunction
On
this
page:
Erectile
dysfunction,
sometimes
called
"impotence,"
is
the
repeated
inability
to
get
or
keep
an
erection
firm
enough
for
sexual
intercourse.
The
word
"impotence"
may
also
be
used
to
describe
other
problems
that
interfere
with
sexual
intercourse
and
reproduction,
such
as
lack
of
sexual
desire
and
problems
with
ejaculation
or
orgasm.
Using
the
term
erectile
dysfunction
makes
it
clear
that
those
other
problems
are
not
involved.
Erectile
dysfunction,
or
ED,
can
be a
total
inability
to
achieve
erection,
an
inconsistent
ability
to
do
so,
or a
tendency
to
sustain
only
brief
erections.
These
variations
make
defining
ED
and
estimating
its
incidence
difficult.
Estimates
range
from
15
million
to
30
million,
depending
on
the
definition
used.
According
to
the
National
Ambulatory
Medical
Care
Survey
(NAMCS),
for
every
1,000
men
in
the
United
States,
7.7
physician
office
visits
were
made
for
ED
in
1985.
By
1999,
that
rate
had
nearly
tripled
to
22.3.
The
increase
happened
gradually,
presumably
as
treatments
such
as
vacuum
devices
and
injectable
drugs
became
more
widely
available
and
discussing
erectile
function
became
accepted.
Perhaps
the
most
publicized
advance
was
the
introduction
of
the
oral
drug
sildenafil
citrate
(Viagra)
in
March
1998.
NAMCS
data
on
new
drugs
show
an
estimated
2.6
million
mentions
of
Viagra
at
physician
office
visits
in
1999,
and
one-third
of
those
mentions
occurred
during
visits
for
a
diagnosis
other
than
ED.
In
older
men,
ED
usually
has
a
physical
cause,
such
as
disease,
injury,
or
side
effects
of
drugs.
Any
disorder
that
causes
injury
to
the
nerves
or
impairs
blood
flow
in
the
penis
has
the
potential
to
cause
ED.
Incidence
increases
with
age:
About
5
percent
of
40-year-old
men
and
between
15
and
25
percent
of
65-year-old
men
experience
ED.
But
it
is
not
an
inevitable
part
of
aging.
ED
is
treatable
at
any
age,
and
awareness
of
this
fact
has
been
growing.
More
men
have
been
seeking
help
and
returning
to
normal
sexual
activity
because
of
improved,
successful
treatments
for
ED.
Urologists,
who
specialize
in
problems
of
the
urinary
tract,
have
traditionally
treated
ED;
however,
urologists
accounted
for
only
25
percent
of
Viagra
mentions
in
1999.
How
does
an
erection
occur?
The
penis
contains
two
chambers
called
the
corpora
cavernosa,
which
run
the
length
of
the
organ
(see
figure
1).
A
spongy
tissue
fills
the
chambers.
The
corpora
cavernosa
are
surrounded
by a
membrane,
called
the
tunica
albuginea.
The
spongy
tissue
contains
smooth
muscles,
fibrous
tissues,
spaces,
veins,
and
arteries.
The
urethra,
which
is
the
channel
for
urine
and
ejaculate,
runs
along
the
underside
of
the
corpora
cavernosa
and
is
surrounded
by
the
corpus
spongiosum.
Erection
begins
with
sensory
or
mental
stimulation,
or
both.
Impulses
from
the
brain
and
local
nerves
cause
the
muscles
of
the
corpora
cavernosa
to
relax,
allowing
blood
to
flow
in
and
fill
the
spaces.
The
blood
creates
pressure
in
the
corpora
cavernosa,
making
the
penis
expand.
The
tunica
albuginea
helps
trap
the
blood
in
the
corpora
cavernosa,
thereby
sustaining
erection.
When
muscles
in
the
penis
contract
to
stop
the
inflow
of
blood
and
open
outflow
channels,
erection
is
reversed.
 |
|
Figure 1. Arteries (top) and veins (bottom) penetrate the long, filled cavities running the length of the penis—the corpora cavernosa and the corpus spongiosum. Erection occurs when relaxed muscles allow the corpora cavernosa to fill with excess blood fed by the arteries, while drainage of blood through the veins is blocked. |
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Please
go
to
next
page
for
causes
of
erectile
dysfunction
What
causes
erectile
dysfunction
(ED)? |