If you think you have ED, a good first step is to talk with your doctor. The treatment you need – ranging from lifestyle changes to medication to surgery - will depend on what’s causing it.
With so many possible causes for ED, your doctor has a number of tests they can use to figure out the best treatment for you.
Erectile dysfunction can be treated at any age. Treatment depends on your overall health and the underlying cause of the problem.
It can be embarrassing to discuss sexual matters with your doctor. Yet a doctor’s appointment is neccessary if you want to get treatment for ED. Here’s how to prepare for your doctor visit.
A vacuum constriction device (VCD) is an external pump with a band on it that a man with erectile dysfunction can use to get and maintain an erection.
A penile prosthesis or implant is an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction. Penile implant surgeries take about an hour and are typically done in an outpatient center.
Vascular reconstructive surgery is one way to improve blood flow to the penis to help a man with erectile dysfunction get and keep an erection.
You may already know most of the names: Cialis, Levitra, Staxyn, Stendra, Viagra. Learn more about these medications that can help men with erectile dysfunction.
Alprostadil, available as an injection or a suppository, is a drug that makes the blood vessels expand. That boosts blood flow throughout the body, including the penis, so it helps men with ED have an erection.
Future treatments for erectile dysfunction focus on providing medications that are more effective, work rapidly, and have fewer, if any, side effects than currently available treatments.
Inadequate production of testosterone is not a common cause of erectile dysfunction. But, when ED does occur due to decreased testosterone production, testosterone replacement therapy may improve the problem.
If you have erectile dysfunction, there are many ways your doctor can help you treat it. But you may want to consider complementary or alternative therapies, such as nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, acupuncture, and talk therapy. Just be sure to talk to your doctor first.
You can buy extract of the bark of the yohimbe tree – long used as an aphrodisiac in western Africa -- as a dietary supplement. Its promoters claim it can help erectile dysfunction. But the science shows mixed results.
Horny goat weed is an herb that has been used in China for centuries to treat low libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, and other conditions. Learn how its extract may help increase blood flow to the penis.
Men who smoke are about twice as likely to develop ED as nonsmokers. Smoking hampers circulation to all areas of the body, including the genitals, making it tougher to get and keep an erection.