Myths and Facts on Impotence

By Kent Pinkerton www.e-impotence.com

Are you experiencing problems getting an erection? Do you have issues regarding intimacy with your partner? If this is the case, then you can be experiencing penile erectile dysfunction or impotence. Contrary to popular belief, impotence is not a disease. It is a condition caused by certain physical disorders like diabetes and low blood pressure. It can also be caused by stress and trauma. There is still much to understand about this condition. To help you get a clearer picture of what impotence does to a man, here are some myths and facts on impotence.

Myth: Encountering erectile dysfunction is inevitable as I age.

Not necessarily. Though the level of sexual stimulation in men changes as they age, it does not mean that they are considered medically impotent. Older men may need a longer time in order to become aroused or they may need more physical stimulation. They also have a higher risk of getting health problems like hypertension and diabetes which can contribute to causing erectile dysfunction.

Fact: Smoking causes impotence.

Unfortunately, this is no myth. Medical research has proven that smoking does cause impotence by decreasing the blood flow into the penis. Nicotine, the chemical that makes smoking addictive, restricts the flood of blood into the penis by blocking key arteries. Aside from blocking the arteries, nicotine also impairs the valve mechanisms that store blood within the penis.

Myth: If prescription drugs can not help me with impotence, then everything is lost.

Not necessarily true. There are other methods that are available now that can help in treating impotence. These methods are safe and effective but should be recommended and/or administered by certified doctors. One popular method for treating impotence these days is impotence injections.

Myth: Young men do not experience impotence.

This is completely false. In fact, it is said that one out of 10 men over the age of 21 are bound to encounter erectile dysfunction. The causes of these cases are more likely due to the mental health of the patient rather than his physical well-being.

Myth: My partner will leave me once I become impotent.

Though erectile dysfunctions may have a negative effect on couples, there are many treatments available now to address this problem. Reports have shown that couples who have undergone these treatments have experienced a great improvement in the quality of their relationship.

Types of Impotence

Impotence can be of several types :

Arteriogenic
Where the arteries supplying blood to the penis do not bring in enough blood to cause an erection. This can occur because of a narrowing of the arteries such as occurs in the elderly, diabetics and those with high blood pressure or because of injury to the genital region which causes a block in the artery to the penis. The last is very common in the young. The injury can be major and sudden as after a vehicular accident causing a fracture of the pelvis or pubic bones, or low grade and gradual. This is very common in bicycle and other riders and occurs because sustained friction in that region causes a clot-like substance (thrombus) to develop in the artery. This clot gradually grows and ultimately blocks the artery completely.

Arteriogenic impotence resulting from injuries is very common but often unsuspected because of ignorance of the causative conditions. Many such patients are to be found in orthopedic and urology wards. The impotence is often discovered much later, after the more obvious wounds and fractures have healed. Ironically, it is most often discovered by the patient himself and not by the doctor.

Venogenic
Where the veins of the penis leak blood and prevent the development of a rigid erection. In a normal man during full erection the veins close down almost completely and practically no blood flows out from the penis. This allows blood to accumulate in the sinuses of the penis, thus raising pressure and allowing for the development of rigidity or hardness.

Venogenic impotence is extremely common. It is said to account for as much as 30-70 percent of all impotence. Some men have venogenic impotence from birth (primary). Such men have never had a rigid erection all their lives. Others develop venogenic impotence suddenly after years of normal sexuality (secondary).

Neurogenic
The nerve supply to the penis is very delicate and complicated. A proper conduction of impulses along these is basic for the initiation and maintenance of an erection. It is these nerves that activate the arteries and the veins and alter the dynamics of blood flow within them.

Many things can go wrong with the nerve supply to the penis. Injuries to the back, especially if they involve the vertebral column and the spinal cord can cause impotence. So also can injury to other nerves supplying the penis such as occurs after pelvic or perineal trauma. A wide variety of operations performed for other conditions can cause incidental injury to the nerves of the penis and cause impotence. These include operations on the rectum, prostate, urethra, spine, retroperitoneum, urinary bladder etc..

Of course, disorders of the nervous system such as multiple sclerosis, myelitis, tumour etc. are wont to cause impotence if they involve the nerve supply to the penis.

Another disease affecting the nerves to the penis is diabetes mellitus. Impotence is extremely common among diabetics. In fact, as many as 50 per cent of all diabetics are impotent. Impotence in diabetics is almost always organic in origin. Appropriate therapy for diabetes can never restore erectile function because the basic diabetic process can never be reversed. Only the blood sugar levels and the complications of diabetes can be controlled. Modern andrology, however, can offer a cure to nearly all patients with diabetes-related impotence. This is another fact that is, unfortunately, not known to most people.

Many drugs also cause neurogenic impotence by affecting the neurotransmitters at the nerve endings. Notable among these are anti-hypertensives and psychotropics although the list is very large. Often, it is not known that the medicine (which is prescribed for some unrelated disease, such as duodenal ulcer) is the culprit.

Endocrinologic (or hormonal)
This occurs when there is an imbalance or insufficiency of sex hormones in the blood stream. It accounts for about 5 to 10 per cent of all organic impotence. Generally, hormonal changes affect the libido (or sex drive) rather than the quality of the erection. A variety of disease conditions can cause these changes.

Mixed
Sometimes, more than one factor can be operative in the same patient. Such patients generally have systemic disease. Notable examples are diabetes, kidney failure and liver failure.

Another group where mixed factors operate is where long standing impotence has led to secondary psychiatric disorders such as depression etc.. Here, the basic causative factor is organic but being unrecognised and untreated (or maltreated) it eventually takes its toll on the mind, often because the patient thinks or has been led to believe that the condition is incurable and that it's all in this mind.

Psychogenic
When there is no organic factor and the problem lies purely in the mind, it is labeled a case of psychogenic impotence. But before such hasty and convenient labeling it is necessary to prove by andrological investigation that no organic or bodily cause exists.

Only then can treatment proceed in a scientific and systematic manner.

Impotence Treatments

Impotence Treatments
By Kent Pinkerton www.e-impotence.com

Impotence falls into two broad categories, impotence caused by a physical condition and that caused by a psychological condition. Sometimes impotence due to a physical condition may be worsened by a psychological component. The treatment of impotence should always include treatment of the underlying cause as well.

Impotence may be treated with counseling, drugs, surgery, mechanical aids, or some combination of these. Psychological impotence lends itself best to counseling, though anyone with impotence can benefit from counseling on coping mechanisms and available treatment options. As far as drugs go, some drugs may cause impotence and replacing or removing them from an individual’s treatment plan may take care of the problem. If testosterone deficiency is the cause, replacement therapy can be started. Some drugs such as Viagra and Cialis, can be taken by mouth and act by relaxing smooth muscle in blood vessels, allowing them to carry more blood to the penis. Other drugs that also relax smooth muscle in blood vessels can be injected into the side of the penis with a tiny needle, or inserted into the tip of the male urethra in pellet form using a special applicator.

Surgical treatment options for impotence include different types of penile implants, surgery to slow down the flow of blood out of the penis, and surgery to improve the flow of blood into the penis. In some people, the use of a vacuum device or a penile splint may help the penis stay upright.

There are several lifestyle changes that may both treat impotence and prevent it. These include quitting smoking, losing weight, being physically active, treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and reducing stress. Besides improving sex drive and the ability to enjoy sexual intercourse, such changes can also help improve other underlying medical conditions.