The inability to generate and maintain an erection suitable for sexual intercourse is what medical professionals refer to as erectile dysfunction or ED. About half of men between the ages of 40 and 70 suffer from ED) The most common causes of erectile dysfunction are vascular issues, diabetes, and aging.
What is vasculogenic erectile dysfunction?
The ability to get an erection relies on increased blood flow to the penis, a process mediated by hormones, nerves, higher brain centres and blood vessels/vasculature. Usually, this increased filling obstructs venous outflow causing a build-up of blood in the erectile tissue of the penis resulting in an erection.
Healthy blood vessels can dilate throughout the body in response to chemical signals, increasing blood flow to the tissues they supply. Vascular dysfunction arises when blood vessels lose the ability to enlarge and is associated with various pathologies linked through this common mechanism. Vascular dysfunction causes heart disease, peripheral artery disease and erectile dysfunction. It is related to conditions like diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.
Causes:
Because an erection requires a particular sequence of actions, ED might occur if any of these events are disturbed. The sequence comprises nerve impulses in the brain, spinal column, and region around the penis and the response of muscles, fibrous tissues, veins, and arteries in and around the corpora cavernosa.
- Disease
The most prevalent cause of erectile dysfunction is damage to nerves, arteries, smooth muscles, and fibrous tissues, often resulting from disease. Approximately 70% of ED instances are caused by diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease, chronic alcoholism, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, vascular disease, and neurologic disease. Between 35 and 50 per cent of diabetic males develop erectile dysfunction.
- Lifestyle choices
Choices in lifestyle that contribute to cardiovascular disease and vascular issues also increase the chance of erectile dysfunction. ED can be caused by being overweight and avoiding exercise.
- Surgery
Surgery (particularly severe prostate and bladder surgery for malignancy) can cause ED by injuring nerves and arteries around the penis. Damage to the corpus cavernosum’s nerves, smooth muscles, arteries, and fibrous tissues can cause erectile dysfunction in the penis, spinal cord, prostate, bladder, and pelvic.
- Medications
Numerous popular medications, such as blood pressure medications, antihistamines, antidepressants, tranquillizers, appetite suppressants, and cimetidine (an ulcer medication), can cause erectile dysfunction.
- Psychological Problems
Experts estimate that 10 to 20 per cent of ED cases are caused by psychological variables such as stress, worry, guilt, melancholy, low self-esteem, and fear of sexual failure. Men with erectile dysfunction due to a physical cause usually experience the same psychological symptoms (stress, anxiety, guilt, depression).
- Others
Other potential causes include smoking, which impairs blood flow in veins and arteries, and hormonal imbalances such as an insufficient amount of testosterone.
Symptoms:
Please consult a doctor if you are experiencing any of these persistent conditions:
- having trouble getting and maintaining an erection
- having difficulty keeping an erection going throughout the sexual activity,
- or you notice that you have lowered sexual desire or interest
These are all possible symptoms of vasculogenic ED.
What is linear shockwave therapy?
Linear shockwave therapy (LWST) is a non-invasive therapy for vasculogenic erectile dysfunction. Using low-intensity shockwaves, the treatment attempts to stimulate the lining of blood vessels to repair itself, reversing vascular dysfunction and increasing blood flow to the erectile tissue. This shockwave therapy for ED is safe and effective.
Suitable patients.
LSWT possibly assists men with vasculogenic erectile dysfunction for whom PDE-5 inhibitors are ineffective or contraindicated.
Preliminary clinical data for LSWT is uncertain at this stage.
Sexual dysfunction after prostate cancer treatment.
Renova is a treatment for vasculogenic erectile dysfunction. After radical prostatectomy, the primary cause of ED is neurogenic, and Renova is not an appropriate management option. Men with erectile dysfunction following radical prostatectomy do have many treatment options.
Currently shockwave therapy is not a verifiable treatment and success is by no means certain.
You can read about sexual rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment here.
