The Importance Of Identifying The Causes and Symptoms of Erectile Dysfunction

For many men, erectile dysfunction is one of their greatest fears. Masculinity is defined as many things by different people, but suffering from erectile dysfunction, or ED, is a blow regardless of other defining factors. Fortunately there are many ways to treat and reverse ED. But before treatment can begin, you must first determine if you are indeed showing signs of ED and distinguish the cause or causes.

Symptoms of Erectile Dysfunction

The most obvious symptom of erectile dysfunction is failure to achieve an erection. The technical boundaries for ED are failure to achieve the erection more than fifty percent of the time. This means that the occasional mishap is nothing to worry about, and failing to perform even every third time may still not be a medical problem.
The other primary symptom of ED is failing to maintain the erection. You might initially not have a problem, but as intimacy increases, you're unable to perform consistently. Again, if this is happening more than half of the time, you should visit with your doctor to work toward a diagnosis.
To determine if you are indeed suffering from ED, your general physician will first complete a full physical profile and ask many questions about your overall lifestyle including your sex life. He may then refer you to an urologist who specializes in diagnosing and providing treatment for erectile dysfunction.
The urologist has a litany of tests at his disposal. He will most likely perform a blood count and test for hormone levels in the blood stream. He might also test the function of your thyroid and liver. A duplex ultrasound might be what finally determines the cause of your erectile dysfunction, or there are dozens of other tests available that can also determine the cause of the problem.

Causes of Erectile Dysfunction

ED can be caused by many things. One thing that does not cause ED is old age. Impotence is considered unusual and something worth speaking to the doctor about at any age. It is never normal.
One cause of ED that doctors will often check for first is your lifestyle. If you drink, smoke or take other drugs - both prescriptions or not, these chemicals in the body might be causing your ED. A lack of exercise or poor nutrition might also be contributing, and a great deal of ED is linked, if not entirely caused, by stress and other physiological things.
Once these have been ruled out, the physical possibilities are tested. Hormone levels can play a part so blood will be taken and examined. One of the more common reasons for ED is blocked or leaking vessels in or near the groin. There are many tests that can determine if and which vessels are the cause. Nerve damage is also a possibility as well as an enlarged prostate.
There are many possible problems leading to ED. Only a doctor can make a complete diagnosis. If you are having difficulty in intimacy, consult your doctor to be on your way to a complete recovery.