Impotence - causes, diagnosis, treatment

Impotence most often affects men in adulthood, but studies show that younger men struggle with it. See what symptoms may indicate that a man is impotent and how this ailment can be treated.

1. What is impotence?

Impotence can be defined in different ways: erectile dysfunction of the penis, lack of genital response, incomplete erection, lack of erection, erectile dysfunction, loss or decrease in sexual activity.

Impotence is a sexual dysfunction, the main symptom of which is no erection or ejaculation despite arousal and satisfying foreplay. Short-term erectile dysfunction is normal and should not be confused with impotence. The most common cause of impotence is improper blood flow, due to which the penis cannot achieve a full and lasting erection. Most men consider it a sign of aging or completely ignore the problem when visiting a doctor.

2. Causes of impotence

Risk factors can aggravate impotence. In addition to biological age, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, hyperlipidemia and smoking are mentioned.

The most common causes of impotence are:

• psychogenic, i.e. fear of sexuality, fear of having a child, [depression] ((https://portal.abczdrowie.pl/depresja), broken relationships between partners, Complex of small members, unconscious homosexual inclinations, psychasthenia, ambition factors, situational stress, male role identification disorder, sexual rigorism, fear of women, religious orthodoxy, low self-esteem;
• neurogenic, for example, spinal injuries, discopathy, diabetes mellitus, stroke, drug addiction, postoperative conditions of the pelvic organs, brain tumors, neurological diseases (for example, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, tetraplegia, paraplegia, polyneuropathy, progressive multiple sclerosis);
• hormonal, for example, a decrease in testosterone levels, an increase in prolactin levels;
• circulatory disorders, such as hypertension associated with smoking, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, changes in the blood vessels of the penis;
• pharmacological, such as antihypertensive drugs, antipsychotics, SSRIs and SNRI antidepressants.

In the case of a somatogenic disorder, an impotent person cannot achieve an erection due to age or disease (Peyronie's disease, malformations of the genital organs, such as phimosis).

In about 25% of men, impotence has a mixed background, for example, hormonal and circulatory, which is more common during andropause. Psychogenic causes are more common in young men - especially in connection with a new, demanding partner.

The experience of penile erectile dysfunction is amazing sense of male value, generates fear and a sense of threat regarding future suitability.

The fear of impotence can be so strong that many men do not allow such a thought, they recognize another reason, for example, loss of libido, mistakes made by his partner. The problem is important because, besides impotence, there may be others sexual dysfunctione.g. ejaculation disorder decreased libido.

It is not always known what was primary and what was secondary. Mental impotence can be suspected when it occurs suddenly, in a specific situation, when tensions and fears arise between partners, and the morning erections of the penis are full. Organic impotence most often develops gradually, morning erection are incomplete or disappear, there is no violation of ejaculation.

3. Erectile dysfunction

Not every erectile disfunction is the beginning of impotence, so you should not panic right away. Disorders caused by overwork and overwork, sleep disturbance or excessive alcohol consumption are much more common. Impotence of a man is not only his problem. It is also the problem of the woman who shares sexual failures with him.

To diagnose the causes of impotence, it is enough to interview the patient, laboratory tests (sugar, cholesterol, testosterone, prolactin, creatinine) and ultrasound of the testicles and prostate. Only in more diagnostically difficult situations, it is necessary to use more specialized methods, such as Doppler sonography. Currently, a test injection into the cavernous body of the penis has become a common diagnostic method. The problem is that many men have a strong fear of such an injection, although it is less painful than intramuscular. However, this is a risky method in terms of complications. When using this method, the appearance of fibrosis at the injection sites, bruising, thickening and curvature of the penis is possible.

4. Treatment of erectile dysfunction

Men who have erection problems they often seek help by taking miracle drugs, believing in the magical power of aphrodisiacs, or a special diet. Effective treatment of impotence should be based on identifying its causes. Appropriate methods are selected depending on the source of the disturbance.

In the case of psychological impotence, individual psychotherapy or marital therapy, partner training methods, relaxation techniques, hypnosis, as well as oral drugs (such as anxiolytics) and injections into the cavernous body of the penis are used.

In the case of somatic impotence, pharmacotherapy (eg, hormonal drugs, Viagra), a vacuum pump, physiotherapy, surgical procedures to open the blood vessels of the penis, and, if necessary, penile prosthetics (implants) are used. Do not give up sexual satisfaction and live with the vision of an ineffective lover. You need to contact a sexologist. Sometimes it is enough to change your lifestyle, quit smoking and alcohol, to return an erection to normal.

5. Epidemiology

Erectile dysfunction is one of the most common sexual disorders in men, as it occurs in almost every second man aged 40-70 years. About 10 percent of these men are completely unable to get an erection. However, it is rather difficult to assess the scale of the problem in detail, because few men go to the doctor, only about 10 percent. Available statistics from studies conducted in the United States indicate that 52% of respondents complain of erectile dysfunction of varying severity, varying degrees of severity. men 40-70 years old.

Erectile dysfunction is great psychological problemthat hinders or even destroys private and intimate life, life in society. Men feel dissatisfied and inferior. However, modern medicine solves these problems. Looking for convenient solutions in the form of modern forms of treatment. Specialist consultation and reliable diagnostics facilitate the selection of suitable treatments, which are currently highly effective.

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