Erectile Dysfunction - DKSH x Cialis (Part 1)

What is Erectile Dysfunction?

Let's look at the term Erectile Dysfunction. What is the definition of erectile dysfunction to doctors? Erectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve or maintain a normally rigid erection. If you are a cucumber, good for you. If you are tofu, see a doctor as soon as you can. If you are in between, it is also good to get some medical attention as soon as you can. Let us remember that erectile dysfunction is a symptom, not a cause.

“Only Old Men Get Erectile Dysfunction”

That is an urban legend. If you remember the first answer we gave, erectile dysfunction is a symptom. It is not a cause. When doctors want to determine the cause, the age gives us a clue as to what the cause is. So, when we see younger men with erectile dysfunction, we tend to think about more congenital problems or mechanical problems or acute psychiatric problems. Another common cause for young people – you will be surprised – is actually over-the-counter medications. Things like medicines for blocked nose – so the chemical that actually unblocks the nose, constricts the blood vessels, right? And that in turn can cause erectile dysfunction as a side effect.

Erectile Dysfunction on Sexual Debut?

ED discovered on sexual debut is so common. I see that all the time. A lot of the times it is because they have never actually retracted the foreskin. So, guys who are not circumcised, they never retract the foreskin, the head is extremely sensitive. So, think about it – if you have never ever walked barefooted, and the skin on the sole and feet is so sensitive. When you first start to walk barefooted, you are going to go ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch. So, it’s the same thing for the penis head. For 20 or 30 years, it has been protected by the foreskin. The first time it actually touches something else, the first time it sees daylight, it is going to be very, very sensitive. Because of those noxious stimuli back to the brain, they cannot maintain an erection.

What are the Causes of Erectile Dysfunction in Older Men?

For older guys, we start thinking more along the lines of hormonal deficiencies, especially testosterone deficiencies, blood vessel blockage issues, especially associated with chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure and high cholesterol. And of course, if the prostate is enlarged, that itself can also cause erectile dysfunction.

How Common is Erectile Dysfunction?

Let's talk about the prevalence of erectile dysfunction first. As a very rough way of remembering it, the prevalence about equates the age. So, 30% of guys in their thirties, 40% of guys in their forties and so on. But it is an upward sloping exponential curve, so probably about 80% for guys in their sixties to seventies.

Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Related to Erectile Dysfunction?

The prevalence of BPH also increases with age. So, for guys in their sixties or seventies, you are probably looking at a prevalence rate of about 40 to 50%. So, if you combine this together, older men in their sixties and seventies who suffer from both ED and BPH is easily above 50%.

How is this Prostate Enlargement Associated with Erectile Dysfunction?

Every man has a prostate. Every man, as we get older, the prostate will enlarge, it is something completely unavoidable. As the prostate enlarges it causes many symptoms. For example, a poor urine stream, getting up multiple times at night to go to the bathroom.

But one of the symptoms it causes is erectile dysfunction. Sometimes when a more elderly gentleman sees me for erectile dysfunction that the underlying cause is actually BPH or an enlarged prostate. The problem last time was a lot of the treatments we used to treat the symptoms of enlarged prostate actually cause ED or worsen the ED.

Fortunately, these days we have treatments. It's actually just a pill to be taken every day that can treat both the BPH, the enlarged prostate, as well as the erectile dysfunction. So, it's killing two birds with one stone.