ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Description

  • Erectile dysfunction or impotentia coeundi is the inability to achieve or sustain an erection sufficient in rigidity or duration for sexual intercourse which is present for a minimum of 6 months 
  • Affects 40 % of men older than 50 years exerting substantial effects on quality of life

Etiology

Organic (most common)

  • Vascular: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, smoking
  • Neurogenic: stroke, brain or spinal cord injury, dementia, Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis
  • Endocrine: hypogonadism, hyperprolactinemia, thyroid disorders
  • Medications: Antihypertensives (beta-blockers, thiazide diuretics), Antidepressants (SSRIs), Dopamine antagonists (e.g. antipsychotics)
  • Iatrogenic: surgery or radiotherapy (radical prostatectomy, pelvic radiation)
  • Trauma: pelvic fracture and urethral injury
  • Alcohol abuse
  • Peyronie disease

Psychogenic

  • Depression, anxiety (performance-related), relationship issues, trauma from prior experiences, stress

Mixed organic and psychogenic

Types

  • Difficulty developing an erection
  • Difficulty maintaining an erection
  • Reduced rigidity of the erection
  • Symptoms last for a minimum of 6 months
  • Causes clinically significant distress in the individual
  • Not due to another mental disorder, severe relationship distress, substance abuse, or an organic disorder
  • Lack of nocturnal erections suggests an organic etiology (neurogenic or vascular)

Investigation

  • According to DSM V criteria usually, a clinical diagnosis is made
  • Lab Tests: ↓ testosterone, ↓ LH, ↓ FSH, ↑ SHBG, ↑ prolactin, ↑ TSH, ↑ fasting glucose or hemoglobin A1C, abnormal lipid profile
  • Nocturnal penile tumescence measurement (phallography): measurement of spontaneous nightly erections in erectile dysfunction (primarily performed in a sleep laboratory) to differentiate between organic from psychogenic erectile dysfunction
  • Duplex Doppler ultrasound or arteriography- to identify suspected arterial inflow or venous leaks after injection of a vasodilatory agent

Treatments

  • Identify the underlying etiology
  • Psychotherapy
  • Counselling
  • Sensate focus exercises for performance anxiety

Medical therapy:

  • Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors are considered the only first-line therapy; Contraindicated in patients taking nitrates due to profound hypotension
  • Testosterone replacement if patient's serum testosterone is low (e.g. in hypogonadism)
  • Intracavernous injection therapy or prostaglandin E1 (alprostadil) are second-line therapies
  • Mechanical: Vacuum pump (hollow cylinder that is placed onto the penis) with penis ring (outflow obstruction of the existing erection) is also considered a second-line therapy

Ayurvedic Treatment

  • Treat according to the cause

Internal Medicines 

  • Kalyanaka kashaya
  • Saptasara kashaya
  • Manasamitra vataka
  • Bringarajaasava
  • Vidaryadi gritha
  • Gokshura choorna
  • Aswagandha choorna
  • Vasanta kusumakara rasa
  • Aswagandha rasayana
  • Shilajith
  • Poorna chandrodaya rasa

Procedure 

  • Snehapana – Kalyanaka Gritha
  • Virechana – Kalyana guda
  • Mustadi Rajayapana vasti
  • Ext Application - Bala Aswagandhadi taila

Department

Male Infertility

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