Healthy Living looks at man’s ability to perform sexually

Some health problems are a lot more difficult to talk about than others. Considering the fact that a man’s ability to perform (sexually) may still be a bit taboo in our society, it certainly isn’t a part of everyday conversations. Tonight on Healthy Living, our medical professional explains why, men should not be ignoring erectile dysfunction.

Marleni Cuellar, Reporting

Before the term erectile dysfunction or ED was used, this very common condition was called impotence. The terminology is not the only thing that has changed, over the past few decades, ED is now widely regarded as a highly-treatable condition. But, this still doesnot change the hesitation men feel in seeking a doctor’s advice for treatment.

Dr. Daniel Godinez, Internist

Dr. Daniel Godinez

“Typically patients don’t come to doctor to say: I have erectile dysfunction. Usually they come for other things, part of the problem is that having erectile dysfunction affects the self-esteem of the individual. A person a man, is not able to have or sustain an erection to have satisfactory sexual relations.”

The common thought is if a man has problems having or maintaining an erection then it’s a relationship or mental problem – and if it happens once or twice – that may be the case. ED, though,  is when it happens repeatedly, even though the mind is willing – the body is not.

Dr. Daniel Godinez

“Occasionally you find patients who have psychological problems such as anxiety or depression or plain physical or mental tiredness; but in truth that is the minority of persons. We realize that the problem is much more common than it was before. In times pass people were afraid to talk about this problem and men were much more willing or even acknowledge that they have this problem. Many studies have suggested that in men older than 40 that the problem is up to 40% of men; and in men older than 70 the problem is 70% have to some degree difficulty with erections. What is important to know is that erectile dysfunction represents just a symptom of some other problem underlying that is more serious. As you know, there are many causes for ED and most of them are physical not emotional or mental.”

Hence the reason, if you think you have ED, checking in with a doctor is crucial. Erectile dysfunction is a most often a symptom. A symptom of a far more serious underlying condition.

Dr. Daniel Godinez

“The fact that diabetes is not well controlled can easily lead to this condition, diabetes can affect the flow in blood vessels and obviously you need a good blood supply to have an erection and it also affects your nerves which you also need an intact network of nerves to achieve a satisfactory erection. There are other conditions also, that includes problem with heart disease what we call coronary disease; we also have patients who have certain side effects of certain medications can lead to erectile dysfunction and finally something that is very common is a condition called sleep apnea; that is the classic patient who snores in the night and has problem sleeping because of that and that can lead to erectile dysfunction.”

All these conditions affect the blood flow and nervous system, which affects the entire body not just the pelvic region. Rest assured that there are many medications available to treat ED, even surgery for more serious cases but lifestyle changes can also help, lose weight, quit smoking, cut back on alcohol & manage your diabetes.

Dr. Daniel Godinez

“From the point of view of function there are more interested of erectile dysfunction but from the point of view of survival and life expectancy of course heart diseases become more important.”