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
Turn your phone into a full-featured Ayurveda clinic
Reference library, prescription studio, classical texts and everyday productivity tools — all in one app. Try Bhishak with a trial subscription; unlock the full experience once you’re in.
Get it on Google Play