Diagnosing erectile dysfunction starts with a physical check-up and asking questions about your medical and sexual history. If you have other health problems that might be connected, your doctor may suggest more tests or refer you to a specialist.
Some tests for possible health issues include:
Physical Exam
This involves checking your penis and testicles and looking for nerve damage.
Blood Tests
A small sample of your blood is sent to a lab to check for signs of heart disease, diabetes, low testosterone, and other conditions.
Urine Tests, Also Called Urinalysis
These can show signs of diabetes and other health issues, like blood tests.
Ultrasound
This uses sound waves to look at the blood vessels that bring blood to the penis. A special device called a transducer is used to create a video image of the blood flow. Sometimes, a medicine is injected into the penis to help show how well blood flows.
A mental health check may also be done to look for depression or other mental health issues that could be causing the problem.
Treatment for erectile dysfunction depends on the reason for it, how severe it is, and any other health problems you have.
There are several treatment options to consider. Also read Erectile dysfunction treatment singapore for more detailed information.
Your healthcare provider can explain the benefits and risks of each treatment.
What you prefer and what your partner wants can also be part of the decision.
Oral Medicines
There are several medicines taken by mouth that can help with erectile dysfunction.
These include:
Sildenafil (Revatio, Viagra).
Tadalafil (Adcirca, Cialis, others).
Vardenafil.
Avanafil (Stendra).
These medicines relax the muscles in the penis and help increase blood flow when you’re sexually stimulated.
They don’t cause an erection on their own, but they can make it easier to get one with sexual stimulation.
People who can get and keep an erection without help don’t need these medicines.
These pills won’t improve their sex life.
Each type of medicine has different dosages, how long it works, and possible side effects.
Common side effects include redness, a stuffy nose, headaches, changes in vision, back pain, and stomach upset.
These medicines may not work right away or for everyone.
They might be less effective after prostate surgery or for people with diabetes or other conditions. Talk to your doctor to find the best medicine and dosage for you.
Before taking any medication for erectile dysfunction, including over-the-counter supplements or herbs, make sure you get your healthcare provider’s approval.
Some of these medicines can be harmful if you:
Take nitrate drugs such as nitroglycerin (Nitro-Dur, Nitrostat, others), isosorbide mononitrate (Monoket), or isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil, Bidil).
These are used to treat chest pain.
Have heart disease or heart failure.
Have very low blood pressure, called hypotension.
Other Treatments
Other options for treating erectile dysfunction include:
Self-Injection Therapy
You use a small needle to inject alprostadil (Caverject, Edex) into the base or side of your penis. The dose is for an erection that lasts no longer than an hour.
These injections may also contain other medicines (BiMix, Tri-Mix).
Possible side effects include light bleeding at the injection site and an erection that lasts too long, called priapism. Rarely, hard tissue can form where the injections are given.
A healthcare provider will show you how to give the injections.
Because a very fine needle is used, the pain is usually minimal.
Intraurethral Medicine
You put medicine into the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine out of the body. A special applicator is used to put the medicine at the tip of the penis. The medicine helps increase blood flow to cause an erection.
The erection usually starts within 10 minutes and lasts between 30 and 60 minutes.
Side effects can include a burning feeling in the penis and slight bleeding in the urethra.
Testosterone Replacement
For people with low testosterone levels, this treatment might help with erectile dysfunction. It is often used along with other treatments.