The explosion of the little blue pill on the scene several decades ago helped save many a relationship. We’ve come a long way, baby, since then in treating erectile dysfunction. But now it’s 2020, and you should know about other erectile treatments beyond the blue pill.
ED Defined
Erectile dysfunction is not being able to get or keep and erection that stays firm enough to have sex. Erectile dysfunction is a common sexual problem that affects as many as 30 million men. All men can have a problem with an erection occasionally, but when it’s progressive or it begins to happen more and more when attempting to have sex, it isn’t normal.
It can be caused by a host of issues including some of the following:
- Stress or emotional reasons
- Damaged nerves
- Red flag symptoms for conditions like high blood pressure, high blood sugar from diabetes, and heart disease
- Age
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Drugs and alcohol
Common Treatments For ED
The oral medications for ED are known to many of us, namely Cialis®️, Viagra®️, and Levitra®️. While they are mostly effective and have been around for a number of years, there are some men who should not take them.
One example is heart patients who take coronary vasodilators. They should avoid these meds since they lower blood pressure and can lower it too much.
In addition, there are some men who don’t respond as well to oral medications. For those men, there are other treatments for ED.
Other Erectile Treatments
For those men who cannot take oral meds or the meds have not proven successful, there are several other ways to treat ED.
Vacuum Erectile Devices
This is a plastic tube that fits over the penis and a pump at the other end which makes a low pressure vacuum around the tissue causing an erection. An elastic ring is placed at the base of the penis keeping it hard for up to 30 minutes.
Penile Injection
With this treatment, a drug is injected into the side of the penis with a diabetic syringe and thin needle. The success rate is as high as 85%, but it is suggested that men have the first shot in Urology Specialists of Oregon‘s office by an experienced professional. If the erection lasts longer than 2 hours, seek medical help.
Inflatable Implants
A surgeon implants two cigar shaped cylinders filled with saline attached to a pump. Men can squeeze the pump filling the cylinder with saline and stimulating blood flow to the penis. It doesn’t go down until the valve is released. This allows for for a natural looking and feeling erection.
Intraurethral Therapy
With IU therapy a tiny medicated drug pellet is inserted into the urethra. With this method no shot is needed, but it should also be tested in the physician’s office first.
Discuss the pros and cons of each treatment with your physician, and ask about other new therapies and treatments being studied.
Contact Urology Specialists of Oregon if you want to find out if any of these erectile dysfunction treatments are right for you.
For further questions or to schedule an appointment, please call (541) 322-5753 or request an appointment online.
