Understanding Erectile Dysfunction and Its Causes

Health care professionals will then focus on improving sexual function. Choosing an ED treatment is a personal decision. If you have a partner, you may want to talk together about treatments that work for you as a couple. Your health care professional may suggest lifestyle changes to help improve your ED symptoms, including Health care professionals may suggest counseling if mental health or emotional issues are affecting your ED. Counselors can help you lower anxiety and stress about sex. Your counselor may fildena 200 mg ask you to bring your partner to sessions for more support.

What You Need to Know About Penile Prosthesis

But you don’t have to live with these feelings. ED is common, and it doesn’t reflect your worth as a person. Erectile dysfunction is a sensitive topic for many people. The following tips can help you support your partner if they have erectile dysfunction: Tell your partner you care about their feelings and well-being. Find appropriate times to talk to your partner that won’t make them feel vulnerable.

Follow a healthy eating plan

Remind your partner that they’re not alone. ED is common, and treatment is available. Therapists and support groups can help your partner process their feelings. Focus on the benefits of regular exercise, healthy foods and cutting back on substances that may cause ED. Your partner will feel supported if you have accurate, up-to-date information on erectile dysfunction and its treatment options.

Are there any natural remedies for erectile dysfunction?

Offer to go with your partner to their appointments. You can help your partner ask questions, take notes and relay information to a healthcare provider that can help them in making a diagnosis. Respect their privacy if they prefer to see a provider alone. Sexual intercourse isn’t the only way to increase intimacy between partners. You can show your partner you care through physical contact such as holding hands or back rubs, spending time with them, kissing, writing notes, being patient and being a good listener. Your health care professional may review any medicines you are taking to see if a medicine you need for another health condition is causing ED. They may suggest taking a different dose of medicine or switching to another medicine. Do not stop taking any medicines on your own. Talk with your health care professional first. Health care professionals may also prescribe other types of medicines for your ED. Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors are oral medicines that improve blood flow to the penis.

Treatment Option	Description	Effectiveness	Benefits	Limitations
Vacuum Erection Devices	External pump creates vacuum to induce erection	Moderate	No drugs required, reversible	Discomfort, mechanical failure
Penile Implants	Surgical insertion of device	High	Permanent solution	Surgery risks, costs
Psychosexual Therapy	Counseling for psychological issues	Varies	Addresses underlying causes	Time-consuming, requires cooperation
Lifestyle Changes	Exercise, diet, quitting smoking	Moderate	Improves overall health	Requires consistency

These medicines may help you get and keep an erection.

Product	Dosage	Quantity + Bonus	Price
Levitra Generic	60mg	60 + 4 Pills	198.85€ 189.38€	Buy
Cialis Generic	20mg	20 Pills	54.72€ 52.11€	Buy
Cialis Super Active	20mg	10 Pills	55.64€ 52.99€	Buy
Viagra Generic	100mg	10 Pills	28.91€ 27.53€	Buy
Cialis Super Active	20mg	60 + 8 Pills	230.32€ 219.35€	Buy
Viagra Soft Tabs	100mg	90 + 6 Pills	205.31€ 195.53€	Buy
Kamagra Gold	50 mg	360 + 6 Pills	713.95€ 679.95€	Buy
Levitra Soft Tabs	20mg	20 Pills	74.68€ 71.12€	Buy
Viagra Oral Jelly	100mg	110 + 9 Sachets	284.63€ 271.08€	Buy
Kamagra Oral Jelly	100 mg	21 Sachets	95.92€ 91.35€	Buy
Cialis Generic	5mg	90 + 6 Pills	115.91€ 110.39€	Buy
Apcalis SX Oral Jelly	20mg	10 Sachets	58.75€ 55.95€	Buy
Cialis Original	20mg	4 Pills	41.99€ 39.99€	Buy
Super Kamagra	160 mg	32 + 4 Pills	218.25€ 207.86€	Buy
Levitra Generic	20mg	120 + 10 Pills	224.15€ 213.48€	Buy
Levitra Soft Tabs	20mg	120 + 8 Pills	288.52€ 274.78€	Buy
Viagra Generic	150mg	90 + 6 Pills	147.18€ 140.17€	Buy

If you have ED and low testosterone, health care professionals may prescribe testosterone with PDE5 inhibitors. You may be given testosterone as an oral medicine, a patch, or a gel.

About the Author

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is common, especially as you get older. It can cause embarrassment, low self-esteem and other more serious psychological conditions. But you shouldn’t feel ashamed or embarrassed to have ED. It may be your body’s way of telling you that something isn’t right. It’s important to have an open conversation with a healthcare provider about your symptoms and how they affect your quality of life. Injectable medicines and suppositories can enhance erections. An injectable medicine causes a quick, automatic erection by increasing blood flow to the penis. Some people with ED prefer a suppository, a solid piece of medicine that you insert into the urethra. Your health care professional will teach you how to give yourself an injection or insert a suppository. Some people say certain alternative medicines help their ED symptoms. For safety reasons, talk with your health care professional before using dietary supplements, such as vitamin or mineral supplements, or any complementary or alternative medicines or medical practices.

Medication	Prescription Needed	Typical Dose Range	Storage Conditions	Special Precautions
Viagra	Yes	25-100 mg	Room temperature	Avoid nitrate use
Cialis	Yes	5-20 mg	Keep dry, cool	Long-lasting effect
Levitra	Yes	5-20 mg	Protect from light	Avoid high-fat meals
Stendra	Yes	100-200 mg	Store in a dry place	Take on an empty stomach

Vacuum erectile devices (VEDs) pull blood into the penis for an erection.

What other treatments are available for erectile dysfunction?

Do or did you experience erections at night or during the morning? What sexual positions do you regularly engage in? The provider may also ask to talk with your sexual partner. Your partner may be able to offer additional insight on potential causes. The provider may order tests to confirm their diagnosis and determine the cause of your ED.

Intracavernosal injection

It depends on what your healthcare provider suspects is causing erectile dysfunction. Tests that measure if the nerves in your penis respond to vibrations (penile biothesiometry). Drugs that temporarily make your penis erect (vasoactive injection). Before testing, your provider will explain what’s involved with a test and answer any questions you have. If you don’t feel comfortable, you can decide not to do the test at any time.

Learn More

The first step in treating erectile dysfunction is identifying the underlying cause. A healthcare provider will help determine the best treatment for you. Vigorous cardiovascular exercise for at least 45 minutes three times per week may help reverse some cases of mild ED. Cardiovascular exercises may include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, bicycling and jumping rope. For men with mild ED, quitting smoking can lead to improvement after several months. a plastic tube to put around your penis an elastic ring that helps you to keep an erection You may need to practice with or adjust your VED.

• Lifestyle changes can improve ED symptoms significantly.
• Regular exercise boosts blood flow and sexual health.
• Quitting smoking enhances erectile function.
• Limiting alcohol intake can prevent worsening ED.
• Maintaining a healthy weight reduces risk factors.
• Managing stress improves overall sexual performance.

Sometimes, VEDs can make your penis feel cold or numb. Your penis could look purple or bruised. Bruises are usually painless and will disappear in a few days. VEDs may weaken ejaculation but this doesn’t affect the pleasure of climax or orgasm.

• Vacuum erection devices create a vacuum to draw blood into the penis.
• They use a constriction ring to maintain the erection.
• Non-drug treatment options are effective for some men.
• Proper use is important for safety and effectiveness.
• They are drug-free, non-invasive alternatives.
• Can be used with other ED treatments.

Most people with ED do not need surgery.

Should I Get Surgery for Erectile Dysfunction?

They can diagnose ED, determine its cause and recommend the most appropriate treatment for you. Sign up for our Health Essentials emails for expert guidance on nutrition, fitness, sleep, skin care and more. Learn more about the Health Library and our editorial process. Cleveland Clinic’s health articles are based on evidence-backed information and review by medical professionals to ensure accuracy, reliability and up-to-date clinical standards. What Is Erectile Dysfunction ( Updated 6/2018. If you have tried all other options and your ED does not improve, you and your health care professional may consider surgery to implant a device—called a prosthesis—to make the penis erect, either using a pump in the scrotum or a rod that you can control on your own repair arteries to increase blood flow to the penis, a procedure that works best for younger men Your health care professional will describe the benefits and possible side effects of surgery.

Erectile Dysfunction Medications

Oral medications that help increase blood flow to your penis, including sildenafil (Viagra®), vardenafil (Levitra®), tadalafil (Cialis®) or avanafil (Stendra®). Oral medications start to work within an hour. Penile low-intensity focused shockwave therapy (LiSWT). This noninvasive treatment improves blood flow by using sound waves. It can take two months to see improvement.

Patient & Visitor Support

Medications you inject directly into your penis to create an erection, including alprostadil (Caverject®), papaverine (Papacon®), phentolamine (Regitine®) or a combination of multiple medications. Injectable medications start to work within 10 minutes. Penis pumps start to work almost immediately. Testosterone replacement therapy, which is available as a gel, injection, patches and pellets. Testosterone replacement therapy starts to work within four weeks.

The Best Practice: Treat Erectile Dysfunction with a Urologist

A penile implant is a procedure in which a surgeon places a device into your penis to make it hard. The device doesn’t affect sensation, peeing or orgasm. ED will not likely go away on its own without changes to your lifestyle or some kind of treatment. The outlook for ED is good and it’s a very treatable condition. Though there aren’t cures for some causes of ED, many treatment options can help you get and maintain an erection hard enough for sexual intercourse. ED medicines that you take by mouth, through an injection, or as a suppository can have side effects, including erections that last longer than 4 hours, known as priapism vision or hearing loss after taking oral ED medicines Call your health care professional right away if you develop these problems. Lifestyle factors can often lead to ED or make its symptoms worse. Sometimes, changing a daily habit could help prevent or improve your ED.

Schedule an Appointment

Erectile Dysfunction (Impotence) ( Updated 8/26/2020. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (U.S.) Definition & Facts for Erectile Dysfunction ( Updated 7/2017. At Cleveland Clinic, we offer specialty care that’s focused on you. Health care professionals treat the underlying cause of erectile dysfunction (ED) when possible. Sometimes, the exact cause of ED is not known. If you smoke cigarettes, one of the best things you can do for your ED and your overall health is to quit smoking.

Metrics & Citations

Certain lifestyle changes can help lower your risk of developing erectile dysfunction, including: Being more physically active, especially doing cardiovascular exercises like running, jogging or bicycling. Eating healthy foods with low saturated fats, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Talk to a primary care physician or a urologist if you suspect you have erectile dysfunction. They can help diagnose ED, identify its cause and recommend the best treatment option for you. A urologist is a healthcare provider who specializes in diagnosing and treating conditions that affect your reproductive system and urinary system.

For You

Go to your nearest emergency room if you’re taking medication for vardenafil best price erectile dysfunction and have a painful erection that lasts longer than two to four hours. This may be a sign of priapism, which can cause permanent damage to your penis without treatment. Is it normal to have erectile dysfunction? How do you know I have erectile dysfunction? What ED treatment option do you recommend?

Reduce stress

Can erectile dysfunction cause other conditions that affect my sexual health? Can you recommend a support group for people who have erectile dysfunction? Am I a candidate for a penile implant procedure? Erectile dysfunction can cause you to feel many different emotions. You may feel embarrassed, frustrated, guilty, ashamed, angry or “less than.” This can lead to more serious long-term emotions, like anxiety and depression.