Erectile Dysfunction: Causes and Treatment
By Connie Limon

• Do not take Viagra, Levitra or Cialis with nitrate medications such as heart drugs nitroglycerin (Nitro-Bid, others), isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur) and isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil).

Other modes of treating erectile dysfunction may include:

• Needle-injection therapy which involves using a fine needle to inject alprostadil into the base or side of the penis, which will generally produce an erection in five to 20 minutes that lasts about an hour. Pain from injection site is usually minimal. Some side effects may be bleeding from the injection or a prolonged erection and formation of fibrous tissue at the injection site. The injections can also be expensive.

• Self-administered intraurethral therapy involves using a disposable applicator to insert a tiny suppository about half the size of a grain of rice into the tip of the penis. Needles are not involved; however, you may still experience pain or discomfort and minor bleeding in the urethra.

• Hormone replacement therapy can be used for the small number of men who may have testosterone deficiency.

• Vacumn devices involve the use of an external vacuum and one or more rubber bands that are placed in a hollow plastic tube, available by prescription, over the penis. A hand pump is used to create the vacuum in the tube and pull blood into the penis. Upon achieving an adequate erection, a tension ring is slipped around the base of the penis to maintain the erection. The vacuum device is then removed. The erection usually last long enough for adequate sexual relations. The tension ring is removed after intercourse.

• Vascular surgery is usually used for men whose blood flow has been blocked by an injury to the penis or pelvic area, and even when erectile dysfunction is caused by vascular blockages. Long term success of this surgical treatment is unclear.

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