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Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction in Minneapolis – St. Paul, MN

Erectile Dysfunction

 

Middle aged man seeking treatment of erectile dysfunction in Minneapolis – St. Paul, MN

Your erectile dysfunction treatment could be as easy as a habit shift or simple therapy

Erectile dysfunction is more common than you’d think. Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects about 40% of men at age 40. It increases with age, with about 70% of men affected 70 years old or older.1

ED can affect any age, and usually shows up in older men—but it’s NOT a normal part of aging.

It’s usually a signal that another system in your body is having problems. The good news? If you and your doctor can track down what’s contributing to your erectile problems, you’re on the path to getting it fixed.

What are some causes of erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction is complex. Your nervous system, circulatory system, and endocrine (hormone) system need to work together for you to have and keep an erection. If one or more of these systems is having a problem, it can show up as problems with getting or keeping an erection.

That’s why you want to see a healthcare professional, and not merely try home treatments. There may be an underlying problem that’s not obvious. It can also become worse if it goes untreated.

Many men, especially middle-aged men, think that—if they’re having erection issues— it’s related to testosterone lowering with age. But while testosterone DOES decrease a small amount each year for men, it’s not enough to give you ED until it gets to a certain level. Men naturally experience a drop off of hormones when they age just as women do with menopause.

If your testosterone levels are low or deficient, that’s probably a treatable problem.

So which causes of erectile dysfunction could you unknowingly be contributing to? If you’re having ED, ask yourself …

  • Do I smoke?

    Smoking damages your blood vessel structure, and your blood vessels need to be in good shape to successfully keep an erection. There’s a very strong correlation between how much you smoke and how bad your ED is. Simply quitting can give you considerably better erections.2

  • Do I struggle with my weight?

    Too much body fat wreaks havoc on the hormones you need to function sexually at your best.
    It can decrease testosterone and or testosterone deficiencies can be part of the cause for excess body fat. Too much body fat puts you at risk for diabetes, which can cause damage to your blood vessels.3

  • Do I have another disease that reduces blood flow to my penis?

    High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and clogged blood vessels (atherosclerosis) have been correlated with ED. Let your doctor know if you have any of those diseases. Also be sure to inform them if you’ve had a stroke, heart attack, or angina.

  • Do I look at pornography excessively?

    Increased pornography use has frequently been correlated with decreased erectile function.4 Escalating use of pornography can bring up your threshold for stimulus and arousal, making erections more difficult to start and maintain and be a part of unrealistic expectations.

  • Do I take depressants?

    Depressants, like alcohol, prescription or recreational drugs are known to depress your nervous system. This means they effectively reduce your blood pressure and your threshold for stimulation and arousal.5 Clearly, they can act as one roadblock to anyone who wants an erection.

  • Do I have a past or present injury in my groin/pelvic area?

    Both one-time injuries and gradual injuries can affect your erections and performance. Let your doctor know if you had either. A one-time injury might look like a penile fracture, prostate surgery, or a spinal cord injury. Gradual, compounding injuries can look like extended time horseback riding, extended time bike riding, extended time sitting for work, extended driving like over the road trucking or radiation treatment to the groin area.

  • Do I take medications with known ED side effects?

    Medications that affect your hormones, your heart and blood pressure and your inflammation process may affect your erections. While many medications have ED as a side effect, some common offenders include Valium, Zantac, Bumex, Lasix, Catapres, Ibuprofen, Benadryl, Zoloft, Prozac, and Ativan.6

  • Do I struggle with mental health?

    This can be a big area. Anxiety and/or depression can lead to higher cortisol levels. And if your cortisol levels chronically stay high, your body produces less testosterone.7 This can dramatically lower your libido, sex drive and ability to have an erection. Remember it’s important to do routine self care.

What are the steps toward treating erectile dysfunction?

Discover and reduce your risk factors

One of the easiest ways to start boosting your sexual function is merely taking care of basic health concerns and taking care of yourself. Hit the ground running by starting with things you can control. 

Managing weight and mental health play a huge role in fighting ED. And while they might not seem like they’re directly related to your sexual health, managing alcohol, smoking, pornography use can tremendously improve your ability to get and keep an erection.

Get assessed

Seeing a medical professional who specializes in hormone optimization can help you pinpoint exactly what’s going on. A wholistic hormone specialist can also help you with challenging life changes, like improving mental health, nutrition, stress reduction and options to help quit smoking. They can also review your medications and order tests to get a better picture.

Don’t make ED treatment a guessing game. Speaking to a hormone specialist that regularly treats people suffering from this will save you time, money, and energy!

Get treatment

Erectile dysfunction can seem like a straightforward problem, but it’s usually a part of a cluster of issues. Getting treatments can not only improve your sex life but also your general energy and mood. And always boost your treatment’s effectiveness by continuing to reduce your risks.

ED causes can be extremely varied. This makes treatment options very broad as well. Your treatment could range from a simple lifestyle change to bioidentical hormone replacement therapy or extracorporeal shockwave therapy. The best option is to get assessed by an expert.

Ready to say goodbye to erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction is too frustrating to let it stick around in your life. Our medical professionals are ready to help you at MedStudio. We treat people facing exactly what you’re dealing with at our Low T clinic.

Set up a 30-minute discovery session this week so you can get closer to the plan that will improve your sex life. And this call or visit is FREE. You can give us a call at (952) 243-5240. You can also click here to schedule online. We look forward to hearing from you!

References:

  1. http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/endocrinology/erectile-dysfunction/
  2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15610111/
  3. https://www.obesityaction.org/community/article-library/men-is-obesity-affecting-your-sex-life/#:~:text=Overweight%2Fobesity%20can%20cause%20E.D.,%2C%20hypercholesterolemia%2C%20hypertriglyceridemia%20and%20inflammation.
  4. https://www.practiceupdate.com/content/eau-2020-consumption-of-pornography-by-men-impairs-erectile-function/103931
  5. https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/depressants/
  6. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004024.htm
  7. https://www.goodrx.com/blog/how-depression-and-anxiety-can-lead-to-erectile-dysfunction/#:~:text=Over%20time%2C%20chronic%20stress%20
[Please talk to a doctor about your medical concerns. We at MedStudio aim to give you the education you’re looking for, but this article is not medical advice or diagnosis.]
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