Erectile dysfunction ED is a sexual disorder in men. Increasing age increases the risk of ED, for which the causes are predominantly physical. But in some cases - especially in younger men - psychological factors can also provoke the disorder e. Often erectile dysfunction is a result of atherosclerosis, and thus a serious alarm signal for stroke or heart attack in men over the age of Following a diagnosis of erectile dysfunction, the patient should enlist the advice of an internist and a cardiologist.
From a medical perspective, erectile dysfunction is when a man cannot, in the majority of attempts over a period of more than 6 months, achieve or sustain sufficient erection of the penis for coitus. The penis is either not hard enough or relaxes too quickly. Temporary, suddenly occurring or single episodes of sexual impotence are not usually considered a disorder that requires treatment. In the majority of cases, erectile dysfunction is due to several causes, and with advancing age, physical factors are of greatest importance.
Besides diseases such as diabetes diabetes mellitus , multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and high blood pressure hypertension , other possible causes are injury to the spongy body of the penis and longtime alcohol or nicotine consumption. In addition, excess weight, calcification of the blood vessels, lack of exercise or an unbalanced diet can lead to erection problems. Also disorders of the musculoskeletal system e.
Although the male sex hormone testosterone or the lack of it hypogonadism primarily plays a role in sexual desire libido , in case of severe and persistent deficiencies erectile problems may also be caused. In order to clarify the causes of sexual problems, there should first be a medical history interview with the urologist, which must also include any special risks or medicines taken.
After subsequent physical examination, possible injuries can be detected using sonography, and a blood sample can provide clues of hormonal disorders e. In special cases, intracavernous auto-injection therapy is performed with pharmacoduplex sonography. Here, a vasodilator drug is injected with a very fine needle directly into the erectile tissue, after which the blood flow in the penile arteries is measured with color ultrasound.
