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Erectile Dysfunction Treatment
How are erection problems treated?
Treatment for an erection problem depends on the cause of the problem. The cause may be mental or physical. Or it might be a combination of both.
Many doctors take a step-by-step approach to treating erection problems. They use the least invasive treatments first.
Treatment can include:
- Avoiding tobacco and drugs and limiting alcohol.
- Talking about the issue with your partner, doing sensual exercises, and getting counseling.
- Looking for and then stopping medicines that may be causing your condition. In some cases, a different medicine can be tried.
- Taking testosterone or another treatment to fix a hormone problem, such as low testosterone, if tests show that you have one.
- Taking pills that help you get an erection. These pills are called PDE-5 inhibitors. They include sildenafil (such as Viagra), tadalafil (such as Cialis), and vardenafil (such as Levitra). Check with your doctor to see if it is safe for you to take one of these medicines with your other medicines. These pills can be dangerous if you have heart disease that requires you to take nitroglycerin or other medicines that contain nitrates. You also should not take certain alpha-blockers with these medicines. (Alpha-blockers are used to lower blood pressure and to treat an enlarged prostate gland.) There is a risk of a dangerous drop in blood pressure.
- Using medicines that are injected or inserted into the penis.
- Using vacuum devices. These devices have a tube that you place around the penis. You pump the device to create a vacuum that leads to an erection.
- Having surgery to place an implant in the penis.
Some men try complementary therapies for erection problems. If you don't want to use medicine, or if medicine doesn't work for you, you may want to talk with your doctor about some of these options. They include acupuncture, ginseng, and zinc. Most of these treatments need more research before doctors can know for sure if they work.
It's important to involve your partner in your decision, no matter which treatment you choose.
Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery Program
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