Sexual impotence, or erectile dysfunction, is a condition characterized by a man's repeated inability to obtain or maintain an erection suitable for sexual intercourse. Erections are managed by two different mechanisms, the reflex and the psychogenic erection. Reflex erections are achieved by directly touching the male shaft. Psychogenic erections are achieved by erotic or emotional stimuli. Sexual impotence can be caused by psychological issues, stress, alcohol abuse, smoking, hormonal deficiency, or diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. When the underlying medical or psychological condition causing the sexual impotence is determined, the proper course of treatment will then be prescribed. Patients will have the option to take either testosterone injections, oral prescriptions, direct injections to the shaft, vacuum pumps, surgery, or in cases of psychological issues, counseling. Apart from those there are other, more unconventional treatments available, like herbal medicine, acupuncture, or experimental medicine.
One of the most popular treatments for sexual impotence is the use of oral phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors such as Viagra (sildenafil), Cialis (tadalafil), and Levitra (vardenafil) which are reliable, non-invasive and conveniently packaged in pill form. PDE5 inhibitors work by relaxing smooth muscle tissue in the blood vessels of the penis enabling their dilation and increasing blood supply to the corpus cavernosum, which helps enable men to obtain and retain an erection. But these pills are not without their complications, and may cause a myriad of side effects. These medications are also hazardous for patients taking nitrate-based drugs or alpha-blockers, because drug interaction with PDE5 inhibitors can be fatal.
But lately, another drug has been increasingly gaining a following among patients with sexual impotence. Yohimbine hydrochloride is a substance derived from the bark of the yohimbe evergreen tree, which grows in West Africa where it traditionally has been used as an aphrodisiac and sexual enhancer. It works by increasing the amount of blood that is allowed to flow into the penis and prevents blood from flowing out of the penis, thereby resulting in an erection. While the substance is naturally occurring in the tree's bark, the latter contains minimal amounts of yohimbine. In the United States it is sold in a standardized form that is available as a prescription drug for the treatment of male sexual impotence. It may come in capsule, tablet, liquid, or powder form.
Yohimbine hydrochloride has not conclusively been proven to be an effective treatment for sexual impotence. However, some studies suggest that it may be most effective on men with mild erectile problems regardless of whether it was caused by an underlying physical or psychological condition. The drug itself does cause side effects like the other medications for sexual impotence. Among these side effects are dizziness; anxiety, irritability, or nervousness; tremors (shaking); headache; or skin flushing. Other, more dangerous side effects are an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives); a very irregular or fast heartbeat; or confusion or unusual behavior. If any of these symptoms occur after ingesting the drug, medical attention should be sought immediately.
Showing posts with label sexual impotence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sexual impotence. Show all posts
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Saturday, October 16, 2010
A Depressed Mind Equals A Depressed Head
The words “mind over matter” are more than just three words randomly strung together to make something that sounds somewhat sensible. “Mind over matter” is more than just a myth, because there are times when a person's state of mind has considerable effects on matters of the flesh. Performance anxiety can make someone do a sub-par job on physical activities, like missing critical free throws and over-extending left jabs. Mental health can have an effect on a person's physical performance, with certain issues having more noticeable effects than others. As an example, there is the connection between depression and sexual impotence.
Impotence is one of those problems that an increasing number of men have difficulty coming to terms with. It takes a significant amount of courage to even consider talking to a physician about the possibility of a problem. It can even be harder to admit to others that the problem is there, whether they are undergoing treatment for it or not. Sexual impotence as seen as being highly damaging to the measure of a man, by modern socio-cultural standards. Fear of failure and extremely stressful situations can wear down a man's ability to “get it up,” but very few can make the problem as long-term as depression can.
In what might be the worst possible case of “mind over matter” than any red-blooded male can imagine, depression can effectively cripple a man's ability to function sexually. The emotional problems caused by depression can have serious effects on the hormones and biochemical transmitters that the body uses to signal or initiate an erection. Obviously, if a man can't attain a proper erection – or has difficulty maintaining it long enough to be of any importance – then he's going to be classified as impotent. Sadly, if the problem is left untreated long enough, there's a very good chance that the condition would just worsen.
Once a man begins to believe he has entered a state of sexual impotence, he may actually become even more depressed. This is because of a psychological loss of gender identity as dictated by socio-cultural factors. With equal rights and women's liberation, men have lost the part of “manliness” that involved being the sole provider for one's family and loved ones, forcing a socio-psychological focus to rest on that other aspect that supposedly defines masculinity. Essentially, society has made men think that to be classified as men, they have to be virile and sexually potent. Once they lose that critical part of their gender identity, then life just starts to go downhill that bit faster for them on a psychological level. This, in turn, not only worsens his relationships but also makes it harder for him to overcome his impotence.
There are drugs to help fight impotence, but those drugs are often best suited to treating men who have problems rooted in the body. Lack of proper circulation, damage to muscle tissue, and a variety of other physical ailments can also cause impotence. Implants and corrective surgery can fix those issues, but they are likely to do little for a man with problems deeply rooted in his own mind. For that, physical repairs may have some appreciable change, but they won't have the same impact that they normally do unless the mind is also given proper treatment and care.
Impotence is one of those problems that an increasing number of men have difficulty coming to terms with. It takes a significant amount of courage to even consider talking to a physician about the possibility of a problem. It can even be harder to admit to others that the problem is there, whether they are undergoing treatment for it or not. Sexual impotence as seen as being highly damaging to the measure of a man, by modern socio-cultural standards. Fear of failure and extremely stressful situations can wear down a man's ability to “get it up,” but very few can make the problem as long-term as depression can.
In what might be the worst possible case of “mind over matter” than any red-blooded male can imagine, depression can effectively cripple a man's ability to function sexually. The emotional problems caused by depression can have serious effects on the hormones and biochemical transmitters that the body uses to signal or initiate an erection. Obviously, if a man can't attain a proper erection – or has difficulty maintaining it long enough to be of any importance – then he's going to be classified as impotent. Sadly, if the problem is left untreated long enough, there's a very good chance that the condition would just worsen.
Once a man begins to believe he has entered a state of sexual impotence, he may actually become even more depressed. This is because of a psychological loss of gender identity as dictated by socio-cultural factors. With equal rights and women's liberation, men have lost the part of “manliness” that involved being the sole provider for one's family and loved ones, forcing a socio-psychological focus to rest on that other aspect that supposedly defines masculinity. Essentially, society has made men think that to be classified as men, they have to be virile and sexually potent. Once they lose that critical part of their gender identity, then life just starts to go downhill that bit faster for them on a psychological level. This, in turn, not only worsens his relationships but also makes it harder for him to overcome his impotence.
There are drugs to help fight impotence, but those drugs are often best suited to treating men who have problems rooted in the body. Lack of proper circulation, damage to muscle tissue, and a variety of other physical ailments can also cause impotence. Implants and corrective surgery can fix those issues, but they are likely to do little for a man with problems deeply rooted in his own mind. For that, physical repairs may have some appreciable change, but they won't have the same impact that they normally do unless the mind is also given proper treatment and care.
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