JEDDAH, 21 May 2008 — Erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence, which doesn’t have to be a part of getting older, was the subject of a panel discussion organized as part of Viagra’s 10th anniversary recently. The panel included Dr. Amr M.A. Jad, consultant urologist and andrology and head of Saudi Andrology Group and of the Gulf section of African-Gulf Society for Sexual Medicine, and Dr. Khaled Lotfy Dabees, an Egyptian urology lecturer and general secretary of African Society of Impotence Research, and member of American urological Association.
“ED can occur at any age, but it is more common in men older than 65,” Dr. John Dean, London-based specialist in sexual medicine, said in his presentation.
Alcohol and tobacco use, fatigue, brain or spinal cord injuries, hypogonadism (which leads to lower testosterone levels), liver or kidney failure, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, radiation therapy to the testicles, stroke and some types of prostate or bladder surgery are among the physical causes of ED.
Medical problems that can cause ED include diabetes (high blood sugar), hypertension (high blood pressure) and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
“If you can’t keep your blood sugar or your blood pressure under control, you can get ED. It’s important that you take your medicines for these problems just the way your doctor tells you,” he added. “Sometimes your hormones get out of balance and this causes ED,” he said, adding that some medicines can cause ED. “If this is true for you, your doctor may take you off that medicine or give you a different one.”
Drinking too much alcohol, excessive smoking and abusing drugs can also cause ED. “Problems in your relationship with your sexual partner can also cause ED. Improving your relationship with the partner may help,” he added.
Feeling nervous about sex, perhaps because of a bad experience or because of a previous episode of impotence; feeling stressed including stress from work or family situations; being troubled by problems in the relationship with the partner; feeling depressed; Feeling so self-conscious that you can’t enjoy sex or thinking that your partner is reacting negatively to you can also cause ED.
Explaining how ED can be diagnosed, he said: “Samples of your blood and urine may be tested for diseases and disorders. Other tests may also be needed. Your doctor will determine which tests are right for you.”
ED’s treatment depends on what is causing it. “After your doctor checks you for medical problems and medicines that might cause erectile dysfunction, he or she may have you try a medicine to help with ED.”