If you and your partner are concerned about erectile dysfunction, then you are probably not alone; the sexual condition has been identified as the most common sexual problem affecting men older than 40. The erectile function weakens as the sexual condition progresses from mild to complete impotence if not managed with the right erectile dysfunction treatment.
ED is the inability to achieve and maintain a penile erection enough for sexual satisfaction. Symptoms of erectile dysfunction might include persistent trouble getting an erection, keeping an erection, or reduced sexual desire. It is the most common chronic abnormality affecting men, and its prevalence increases with age. The sexual condition is also the most frequently detected problem in elderly males. According to a study, it has been reported that erection problems mostly affect men older than 40 years of age. The older the men get, the more they become affected by ED. Men start dealing with erection issues and severe orgasmic impairment throughout their ageing process.
Causes of Erectile Dysfunction
There are so many erectile dysfunction causes, some of them are as follows:
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- Medical conditions like clogged arteries, heart and blood vessel disease, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes
- Surgeries or injuries
- Treatments for prostate cancer
Obesity increases the risk of multiple health complications, including erectile dysfunction. Vascular conditions can originally cause erectile dysfunction. Therefore, patients struggling with erectile dysfunction should be screened for these medical conditions and other common diseases, including low testosterone levels.
Psychological stress and smoking are also major reasons for erectile dysfunction. Addressing stress with the help of a psychiatrist or psychologist can help improve erectile function. Moreover, stopping smoking can help reduce the risk of erection problems in men.
The effect of ageing on sexual health
The vascular supply to the reproductive organ (Penis) is compromised in ageing men. Many researchers also suggest that the ageing process is often related to increasing degrees of atherosclerotic vascular alterations in the arteries of the penis.
Age and changes in the morphology of the reproductive organ
Penile erection function is a neurovascular phenomenon that requires an intact vascular endothelium; consequently, any difficulty that interferes with the arterial vasculature may have a direct impact on the sexual performance of men. The vascular endothelium is an active and dynamic tissue that plays a key role in regulatory functions such as local homeostasis, perfusion maintenance, inflammatory responses, vascular tone regulation, and coagulation.
Studies suggest that the normal ageing process and its associated risk factors could cause damage to endothelial tissues that ultimately results in endothelial dysfunction.
Epidemiology
What is an exact erectile dysfunction age? All epidemiologic studies establish an increasing age-associated prevalence and severity of erection problems. Many types of research state that the prevalence of ED is higher in the older age groups, peaking in males 70 years and older.
Sexual problems frequently develop in older adults and are infrequently discussed with urologists, which is not good for the overall health of older adults. Discussing erectile dysfunction treatments remains embarrassing and difficult for many primary health care specialists and patients, who find it difficult to raise sexual health issues with their health care professionals or urologists.
However, after 60 years of age, the rate of ED rises, independently of comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease (CAD). Additionally, older men are often affected by several health issues and take prescription or nonprescription medications that worsen sexual health. To preserve good sexuality, it is also important for older adults to try things to improve their quality of life.
The prevalence of ED is higher in older men because symptoms of erectile dysfunction relate to the same underlying risk factors as vascular disorders and include hyperlipidaemia, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and smoking. All these health conditions are common in ageing men.
Treatment options for Erectile Dysfunction
Phosphodiesterase drugs, including Sildenafil, vardenafil, tadalafil, and Avanafil, are oral medications that reverse erectile dysfunction by boosting the effects of nitric oxide, natural substances your body produces to relax the muscle in the penis. Sildenafil is a popular erectile dysfunction medication used to resolve erection issues in men. This erectile dysfunction medicine is most effective when taken on an empty stomach an hour before sex.
Other erectile phosphodiesterase inhibitors also treat mild to moderate erectile dysfunction cases. Some evidence shows that erection problems can not only be treated by some erection dysfunction pills such as phosphodiesterase-inhibitors (PDE5-1) but also by directly focusing on the risk factors. These risk factors include improving obesity through weight loss, hyperlipidemia correction, and smoking cessation. Once the risk factors improve, there is an increase in endothelial health. The relationship between ED and endothelial dysfunction has been established. Minor risk factors such as oxidative stress, hyperhomocysteinemia, hypoxia, and inflammation are also responsible for causing ED in men.
According to data, it has been concluded that ED may be an early manifestation of endothelial dysfunction in the presence or absence of cardiovascular risk factors. Thus, men who have erectile dysfunction are considered to be at high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, and ED may be considered a sentinel symptom in patients with cardiovascular events.
Also Read: 6 Natural Treatments for Erectile Dysfunction
