IMPOTENCE (ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION)
Erectile dysfunction, sometimes called "impotence," is the repeated inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. The word "impotence" may also be used to describe other problems that interfere with sexual intercourse and reproduction, such as lack of sexual desire and problems with ejaculation or orgasm. Using the term erectile dysfunction makes it clear that those other problems are not involved.
Erectile dysfunction, or ED, can be a total inability to achieve erection, an inconsistent ability to do so, or a tendency to sustain only brief erections. In older men, ED usually has a physical cause, such as disease, injury, or side effects of drugs. Any disorder that causes injury to the nerves or impairs blood flow in the penis has the potential to cause ED. Incidence increases with age: About 5 percent of 40-year-old men and between 15 and 25 percent of 65-year-old men experience ED. But it is not an inevitable part of aging.
ED is treatable at any age, and awareness of this fact has been growing. More men have been seeking help and returning to normal sexual activity because of improved, successful treatments for ED. Urologists, who specialize in problems of the urinary tract, have traditionally treated ED; however, urologists accounted for only 25 percent of Viagra mentions in 1999.
How Does an Erection Occur?
The penis contains two chambers called the corpora cavernosa, which run the length of the organ (see figure 1). A spongy tissue fills the chambers. The corpora cavernosa are surrounded by a membrane, called the tunica albuginea. The spongy tissue contains smooth muscles, fibrous tissues, spaces, veins, and arteries. The urethra, which is the channel for urine and ejaculate, runs along the underside of the corpora cavernosa and is surrounded by the corpus spongiosum.
Erection begins with sensory or mental stimulation, or both. Impulses from the brain and local nerves cause the muscles of the corpora cavernosa to relax, allowing blood to flow in and fill the spaces. The blood creates pressure in the corpora cavernosa, making the penis expand. The tunica albuginea helps trap the blood in the corpora cavernosa, thereby sustaining erection. When muscles in the penis contract to stop the inflow of blood and open outflow channels, erection is reversed.
What causes ED?
Since an erection requires a precise sequence of events, ED can occur when any of the events is disrupted. The sequence includes nerve impulses in the brain, spinal column, and area around the penis, and response in muscles, fibrous tissues, veins, and arteries in and near the corpora cavernosa.
Damage to nerves, arteries, smooth muscles, and fibrous tissues, often as a result of disease, is the most common cause of ED. Diseases—such as diabetes, kidney disease, chronic alcoholism, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, vascular disease, and neurologic disease—account for about 70 percent of ED cases. Between 35 and 50 percent of men with diabetes experience ED.
Also, surgery (especially radical prostate and bladder surgery for cancer) can injure nerves and arteries near the penis, causing ED. Injury to the penis, spinal cord, prostate, bladder, and pelvis can lead to ED by harming nerves, smooth muscles, arteries, and fibrous tissues of the corpora cavernosa.
In addition, many common medicines—blood pressure drugs, antihistamines, antidepressants, tranquilizers, appetite suppressants, and cimetidine (an ulcer drug)—can produce ED as a side effect.
Experts believe that psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, guilt, depression, low self-esteem, and fear of sexual failure cause 10 to 20 percent of ED cases. Men with a physical cause for ED frequently experience the same sort of psychological reactions (stress, anxiety, guilt, depression).
Other possible causes are smoking, which affects blood flow in veins and arteries, and hormonal abnormalities, such as not enough testosterone.e needles, moxibustion and the TDP lamp (therapeutic infrared lamp).
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ACUPUNCTURE and IMPOTENCE
Acupuncture is grounded in the idea that the body contains 14 energy pathways, running from head to foot. Physical problems, such as erectile dysfunction, occur when an imbalance is present along any of these pathways. Acupuncture is the insertion of fine needles that help to re-regulate the flow of energy, which in turn, eliminates the condition. In the case of impotence, the needles are inserted around your extremities as well as around the back and stomach areas. As the energy in the body is re-routed, issues with erectile dysfunction should dissipate.
Does It Work?
In an ongoing study at the Hospital Leinz in Vienna, Austria, researchers tested 13 men, using acupuncture as a means to cure impotence. The study resulted in eight of the 13 claiming that they had been cured of their impotence and required no further treatment. An additional 1/3 of the patients said their impotence was improved, but they still required additional assistance, such as Viagra, to become completely free of symptoms.This treatment is subjective, depending upon the reason for the condition. Acupuncture may be more helpful in treating erectile dysfunction caused by psychological factors than physical ones, as the treatment tends to ease symptoms of stress and anxiety. With regards to any physical causes of the disorder, medical intervention still may be necessary.
Natural Alternatives
Trying acupuncture is one natural way to cure impotence. However, for those who want to pursue other non-medical avenues, there are other steps you can take to alleviate the symptoms of erectile dysfunction. The most common suggestion is to change your lifestyle. Leading an unhealthy lifestyle that includes drinking heavily, using drugs, being sedentary and indulging in poor eating habits might contribute to erectile dysfunction, particularly in older men. Nitric acid supplements are another way to build up to achieving erection. It should be noted that this supplement won't give you an instant erection; rather, taking it over time will contribute to your ability to get and maintain an erection once it has built up in your system. There are also a number of other vitamins and supplements on the market today that serve as a natural remedy for impotent men.
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© 2010 Dr. Jason Tsai, D.O.M., A.P.,
Licensed in the State of Florida.