How to recognize Erectile Dysfunction?
When a person suffers from ED it is getting harder for him to achieve and then keep an erection firm enough for having a sexual intercourse. Most men get trouble with erections from time to time, but in few men it’s the regular and more bothersome issue. But there are certain signs which point to erectile dysfunction and not just temporary issues.
Symptoms of ED
1. You may not have it
Erectile dysfunction is a recurrent inability to achieve and provide penile erection good enough for sexual activity. Inability to achieve erection, not just being unable to keep it, is the most evident sign of ED. Controversially, it means that an occasional failure to keep erection is not a reason for concern.
2. How can you evaluate your erections?
- Mild stage of ED – achieving a productive erection 7-8 times in 10 tries;
- Moderate stage of ED – achieving a productive erection 4-5 times in 10 tries;
- Severe ED stage – achieving a productive erection 0-2 times in 10 tries.
3. Not only you have this conditions
Statistics indicate more than 50% of males over 40 years had episodes of ED – the issue can start at an even younger age.
4. As your age increases, you need to test for ED more often.
Testing for ED
The proven fact is that the likelihood of ED development enhances with age. In compliance with the American Urological Association, 4 in 10 men aged above 40 go through ED, 6 in 10 men have it at the age and older 65 and 8 in 10 males at the age above 75.
1.1 Erection Hardness Score (EHS) is the best way to self-diagnose ED
Erection Hardness Score (EHS) as one of regular ED tests was offered by The National Institutes of Health in 1998. EHS might be a helpful test to evaluate ED – the man’s disability to get or maintain an erection hard enough for having a sexual intercourse. According to EHS, there are five stages of erections a man can have:
- 1 – Penis does not enlarge at all;
- 2 – Penis is bigger, but not firm;
- 3 – Penis is firm, but not hard enough for penetration;
- 4 – Penis is hard enough to penetrate, however, not totally firm;
- 5 – Penis is totally hard and fully rigid.
For many males, EHS test is a handy solution since it’s not time-consuming and simple to apply. With just one question, a person can easily assess his erection hardness and get the ready with the first answer for an in-person examination with a physician.
IIEF is another test considered as the standard for assessing a patient’s erections. The IIEF is the 15-item self-showed questionnaire which evaluates 5 points: erectile option, orgasmic option, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction and overall satisfaction from having sex. The IIEF lets clinicians to testing erectile dysfunction and determine how severe the case may be.
II. How does a man get an erection?
To figure out the causes behind ED, it helps to understand how an erection happens corporeally. In the case you’re not aroused, the penis turns to be limp. During sexual arousal, the nerve messages discharge the chemical enhancing blood flowing into the penis. The blood fills two chambers of spongy tissue (a.k.a. the corpus cavernosum) located right in the penis.
How does erection appear
The “smooth muscles” in these chambers then loosen for the blood to enter and stay in them. The blood pressure makes the penis firm, giving you an erection. After you’ve had an orgasm, the blood streams out of the chambers and erection subsides.
The essential substances for great erections:
- Collagen is the major part in providing firm tissues in the body, including your genitalia;
- Oxygen-rich blood is the essential part for erectile health;
- Testosterone and various male hormones. The standard levels of hormones, specifically testosterone, are essential for erectile option.
III. Causes of Erectile Dysfunction
3.1 Vascular reasons of ED
1) Atherosclerosis
ED might be triggered by atherosclerosis –thickened walls of the arteries cause the arteries to narrow and lose elasticity, restricting the regular blood stream. The tinier arteries located in the penis are commonly impacted by atherosclerosis – damage to the lining of the arteries – as even a small number of narrowing in such arteries can impact on blood’s circulation.
2) Hypertension
ED can in addition be triggered by the most common cardiovascular factor – hypertension. The AHA (The American Heart Association) gives a detailed explanation as to why hypertension can provoke ED: the condition damages arteries, impairing the blood stream essential for achieving an erection.
3.2 Physical triggers of ED
It’s always worth consulting the physician about persistent erection issues as the reason of ED can be attributed to a number of critical medical conditions:
- Obesity and metabolic syndrome;
- Any complications after prostate disorder;
- Parkinson’s disorder;
- Diabetes provokes neuropathy, being a widespread neurological cause of ED;
- Injuries in the pelvic location/spinal cord;
- Multiple sclerosis;
- Heart disorder and narrowing of arteries;
- Increased cholesterol level;
- Hormonal disorders including thyroid conditions and testosterone deficiency;
- Hypertension;
- Smoking, alcohol and substance abuse, especially cocaine and heroin use;
- Peyronie’s disorder;
- Surgical complications (radical prostatectomy, cystectomy, rectal cancer surgery);
- Radiation therapy to the pelvic regions;
- Traumas of various origin.
