Archive for the ‘viagra alternatives’ tag
What to do if Viagra won’t do
Erectile dysfunction (ED) — impotence — is an extremely common problem that affects up to 22% of American men, mostly in the older age groups. Once considered primarily a psychological disorder, it is now clear that most cases of impotence have a physical basis. The leading causes are the chronic diseases that damage blood vessels and nerves vital for normal erectile function; diabetes, atherosclerosis, and hypertension head the list (see last month’s Harvard Men’s Health Watch). The medications used to treat these problems and other ailments can also contribute to impotence. Hormonal abnormalities are less common, but they are particularly important to detect since they can be corrected. That’s also true of the psychological problems that cause up to 15% of impotence; table 1 summarizes some of the differences between psychological and physical impotence.