Symptoms of erectile dysfunction are characteristic but not always specific manifestations, through which a man can suspect an erection disorder and consult a specialist (urologist) for further examinations and an accurate diagnosis.
Patients often ask, "How do I know if I have erectile dysfunction?" One of the simplest and most accessible methods for anyone is to complete an online questionnaire of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). This form is effective both for self-diagnosis and for evaluating a man's condition during a specialist consultation.
Erectile dysfunction is most commonly associated with nerve damage, endocrine disorders (deficiency of sex hormones, diabetes), increased lipids, and other organic disorders. However, somatic pathologies are not the only cause of this rather unpleasant male health problem. Many recent scientific studies confirm that psychological causes of erectile dysfunction are predominant among patients under 40 years of age.
Previously, psychological aspects were considered the only cause of erectile dysfunction. Indeed, this factor is the most prevalent among patients under 40 years of age. However, as recently discovered, after 40, the organic nature of the disease begins to predominate. It is necessary to carefully consider the etiology of the pathology in each specific patient, distinguishing between psychological and organic causes of erectile dysfunction, as the treatment of these two types of the disease potentially differs from each other.
Mixed causes of erectile dysfunction include a combination of both organic and psychogenic nature of the pathology. This is a fairly common etiology of the disease's formation since no process in the human body can occur in isolation, without influencing other organs and tissues. Most often, such a variant of the pathology is encountered against the background of long-standing chronic pathologies of the cardiovascular, endocrine, and nervous systems, and, undoubtedly, upon the detection of a malignant tumor.
There are many causes of erectile dysfunction – it's a multifactorial disease that often arises due to the action of several circumstances. The patient himself can't always determine the specific moment with which he could associate the onset of the disorder, which significantly complicates differential diagnosis. The doctor needs to conduct a sufficiently large number of laboratory and instrumental examinations to exclude various pathologies.
Erectile dysfunction has many different pathogenetic mechanisms, but numerous studies have shown that the most common form is arteriogenic (vascular). Unfavorable risk factors play a significant role in the development of this disease, having a certain impact on the vascular wall – excessive body weight, sedentary lifestyle, chronic stress, alcohol abuse, and smoking.
It is also worth noting that men who did not smoke often start smoking after the development of ED, while smokers tend to quit smoking after developing erectile dysfunction.
The prostate (prostate gland) is a unique male organ dependent on the production of androgens. It is located under the bladder, surrounds the urethra, and produces seminal plasma, which is part of the seminal fluid. Beneath it are also located the Cowper's glands, which moisten the urethral canal, and the spongy body of the penis.
When any pathology develops, the shape of the gland often changes; it starts to press on all surrounding tissues, and the inflammatory process can easily spread to adjacent areas. Therefore, patients often worry whether prostate problems can cause erectile dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction is a serious organic and psychological issue that significantly lowers the quality of life for any man. But what is erectile dysfunction? It encompasses a whole range of different sexual sphere pathologies when a patient cannot achieve an adequate erection, maintain it throughout the entire sexual act, or complete it with ejaculation. A combination of several of these definitions may also be observed. Due to the change in terminology, men question the difference between erectile dysfunction and impotence.
Diabetes is a common disease of the endocrine system that can occur in patients as either a hereditary or an acquired pathology. It is characterized by either a lack of insulin produced by the pancreas or ineffective use of this hormone in the body. As a result, the patient's body cannot regulate the amount of glucose in the bloodstream, periodically falling into states of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia (increased or decreased sugar levels).