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 Erectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve an erection. This is commonly referred to as impotence in men. It affects approximately 25 million men in the United States and 150 million worldwide. This dysfunction only occurs in men, and is easily treated with certain medications such as Cialis and Viagra. Although, to find out if someone has ED it is important to know about the causes and symptoms of erectile dysfunction .
What are the causes of erectile dysfunction?
Lifestyle can have a lot to do with the cause of erectile dysfunctions . Alcohol, drugs, and being over-weight can affect the ability to get an erection. Another large factor for ED is age. As men grow older they tend to have more difficulty with sexual activity. Hormonal disorders, cardiovascular disorder, and mental disorders can also contribute to erectile dysfunction.
A way to distinguish if a patient's problem with achieving erections is mental or physical is done by a simple test. If the patient never has an erection, the problem is most likely physical. This can be easily fixed with erectile dysfunction medications. Although, if the patient sometimes, but rarely, has an erection the problem is most likely mental. This could be lack of arousal by the partner or from mental disease or defect. The inability to achieve an erection is sometimes a sign of an underlying medical problem.
What are some symptoms of erectile dysfunction ?
The main symptom of erectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve an erection. Although, it is also a sign if you are unable to sustain an erection throughout intercourse, this is also a sign of erectile dysfunction . Some men also have trouble achieving a full erection or a long lasting one. These symptoms are sign to go contact your family doctor and consult them about possibly needing some treatment for your erectile dysfunction .
 Although, the medication will only help if you are physically incapable of achieving an erection; men who have trouble mentally achieving an erection will have to consider sex therapy or couples counseling. Medications such as Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra help treat erectile dysfunction and are proven to work. Many test can be taken that will measure the degree of erectile dysfunction a man has. These tests can include: penile nerves function, nocturnal penile tumescence, and penile biothesiometry. These tests use various techniques so that the doctor can determine if the patient is even in need of treatment; if so, what kind and how much.
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