Radionics

Erectile Dysfunction

Alternative Treatments for
Erectile Dysfunction

Once you and your doctor have determined the cause of your erectile dysfunction, it's time to start treating the problem.

Today, there are many more treatments than ever available for erectile dysfunction before. This also provides you with many more decisions to make as you navigate the erectile dysfunction healing process.

Becoming informed about your options it the key to making sure you have all the information you need while also looking to see what you would be willing to do as a part of your treatment.

Here are the major categories of erectile dysfunction treatments, what they include and how these treatments are administered.

Medications

The most popular and the most prescribed treatment for erectile dysfunction is medication. This generally allows the man to take control of his erections immediately, while also providing privacy in terms of solving the problem.

The three main medications for treating erectile dysfunction are:

• Tadalafil – Cialis
• Vardenafil – Levitra
• Sildenafil – Viagra

Each of these medications works to improve blood flow to the penis and the medications are administered orally in various dosages

How These Medications Work

These medications work by enhancing the effects of nitric oxide in the penis. This naturally occurring substance helps to relax the muscles of the penis in order to restore blood flow.

Once the medication is taken, an erection is not always immediate, however. These medications will provide the right circumstances, but the man will still need physical or mental stimulation to encourage the erection to start.

The good news it that these medications often help you no matter what the cause of the erectile dysfunction. So, for most men, these are the first step to erectile dysfunction freedom.

The bad news is that there are side effects to these medications, just as there are for all medications.

Possible Side Effects

Some men experience headaches from these medications as they do dilate the blood vessels. Those who have heart problems can also cause more troubles with their blood pressure, so your doctor will need to keep this in mind when choosing the right formulation for you.

This is why it's imperative that you talk with your doctor before taking any of these medications. Self-medicating with someone else's prescription can be fatal.

Men who take these medications will not be able to use these erectile dysfunction medications:

• Blood thinners – ex. Coumadin, warafarin, etc.
• Nitrate drugs – nitroglycerin, etc.
• Alpha blockers

Patients with the following conditions will also want to talk to their doctors about whether these medications are right for them:

• Past history of strokes
• Uncontrolled diabetes
• Low or high blood pressure

Some patients may also experience long and painful erections that have troubles subsiding without medical intervention. If a man experiences an erection lasting more than 4 hours, they should see their doctors.

With the three different formulations, some of these medications might work for some men, while others work better for other men. There is no 'best' medication for all cases, so you may end up trying each one or just one medication at different dosages.

Make sure to take these medications as directed and talk to your doctor about the effects you experience.

Another medication that can be helpful to men is Prostaglandin E (alprostadil). This erectile dysfunction medication is hormone-based and is used to relax the penis muscle tissue in order to help blood flow for an erection.

This medication can be administered in two different ways:

• Urethral Administration
By taking a disposable applicator and inserting a small suppository of alprostadil into the tip of the penis, this medication will be absorbed into the muscle tissue. Since the medication does need to be inserted several inches into the urethra, this can be painful for some men, which can make this an undesirable method of treatment. Other side effects include bleeding, fibrous tissue formation, and dizziness.

• Needle injection
Instead of inserting the alprostadil into the penis itself, a fine needle injection can eliminate the pain associated with getting this hormone into the organ. This method will produce an erection within 5 to 20 minutes, and the erection can lest about an hour. This tends to be a highly effective treatment, thought it can be expensive and for men who don't like needles, a little frightening.

Some men who test positively for testosterone deficiencies will have to undergo hormone replacement therapy of sorts, as determined by their doctors and the level of the deficiency. This can include medications as well as injections until the levels are returned to normal.

Penis Pumps

To help encourage blood flow to the penis, penis pumps are often used in erectile dysfunction treatment as well. This battery powered pump is placed over the penis and then the extra air around the penis is sucked away.

As a result, blood flow is enhanced to the penis area, created an erection.

But once the erection is created, you will need to place a tension ring around the base of your erection to ensure it can be maintained for the duration of your sexual experience.

Once you have had sex, you can then remove the tension ring.

For those men who do not want to take medications and who are unable to take medications, this can be a simple and often very effective treatment for erectile dysfunction.

While it can seem a little awkward and even comical at first, this is a tested and proven method of erection assistance. You can find these penis pumps online and in high quality sex shops to buy them in a discreet manner.

These penis pumps can be expensive, but in relation to the cost of medications and other treatments, they're quite reasonable. However, you might need to buy several pumps before you find one that works well for you.

If you find you have troubles maintaining an erection more than you have troubles achieving one, you might want to check out cock rings at the same sorts of retailers. Just as you place that tension ring at the base of your penis after using the pump, these rings are placed in the came location after you have achieved an erection on your own, helping you to maintain your hardness for the duration of intercourse.

Surgery

When you have significant problems with the nerves or the arteries in your penis, you might need to have surgery to fix these issues. But take heart, this is rare and not the first thing a doctor will suggest when you have troubles with erectile dysfunction.

Surgery is often the best course of treatment when you've had some sort of injury to the penis area or when you have suffered from cancer that required a surgery during the treatment.

Another type of surgery that is more common, though still not something to consider before less invasive treatments, is the penile implant.

This is a surgery in which the surgeon places a device into the shaft of the penis in order to create an erection for as long as the man decides he wants to maintain that hardness. The device is inflatable, so the man has complete control over his erections permanently.

The cost of this surgery can be quite high and not all insurance companies will cover this treatment, so it might be best left as a last, last resort.

In addition, as with any surgery, you need to remember that there is a chance of infection, excessive bleeding, and other problems as a result.

Therapy And Counseling

Whether your doctor feels the cause of your erectile dysfunction is simply physical or entirely emotional, it can be helpful to have some sort of counseling as you manage ED.

In terms of treatment, therapy can help you learn to deal with stressors and conflict in your life that might be cutting off blood flow to your penis.

Cognitive Therapy

When you undergo cognitive therapy, this will work on breaking down any fears and hesitations you might have about sex in your life. This is a program in which you will have specific goals to achieve as well as specific steps in which to achieve them.

These types of therapy arrangements are for limited time periods, which can work well for people who don't have a lot of mental health coverage on their insurance plans and for those who don't want to spend their entire lives in therapy.

Therapeutic Medications

Some psychologists may prescribe medications to help with severe depression or anxiety, but these medications can also lead to ED, so you will need to be monitored closely to see if the benefits of healing your mind are in line with healing your erectile dysfunction.

Some patients will be able to take smaller doses of these medications without losing any sexual performance or desire.

Sex Counseling

When you begin to realize that your relationship might be the source of some of your erectile dysfunction problems, you might want to head to therapy together. In this way, you can learn how to communicate with each other about your needs, while also learning how to deal with conflict when it does arise.

Alternative Treatments

Just as with so many other medical fields, the treatment of erectile dysfunction has also begun to see alternative therapies become standard practice. These treatments may be used in conjunction with other treatments you might have in place, but make sure to check with your doctor before starting any new treatment.

Herbal Supplements

Before we talk about herbal supplements for erectile dysfunction, there's something you need to keep in mind. There are numerous supplements out that that claim to help with erectile dysfunction, but are actually more harmful than helpful.

When in doubt, stick to the rule of – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Here are some of the latest erectile dysfunction supplements that are being recommended:

• Gingko
This is a supplement that has been linking with improving blood flow in the brain to improve the memory. Thus, it makes sense that it might also be able to help with blood flow in the rest of the body.

• Ginseng
Considered to be an energy enhancer, ginseng too has been linked with increasing blood flow and helping stamina.

• L-arginine
Just as with the medications that are designed to help enhance the effects of nitric oxide, this is what L-arginine does as well.

• DHEA
A building block of testosterone, this supplement is thought to help those with lagging libido issues.

• Maca
Thought to be another sexual response stimulator, maca has a long history of being used to enhance performance.

Because many of these medications have the same qualities as prescription medications, you will want to talk to your doctor before adding them to your daily routine.

Acupuncture

The Chinese believe that our body is made up of energy and routes of energy. When one of these routes (called meridians) is disrupted, it can have physical consequences, like erectile dysfunction.

By inserting needles into certain points of the body, an acupuncturist can help to get the energy flowing again, while also allowing you to feel completely relaxed and calm.

Needles aren't for everyone, but this treatment is thought to be highly effective as well as providing minimal risk to your health. Acupuncture also does not interact with medications you might be taking.

However, acupuncture can be expensive and it can require multiple sessions order to see the maximum effectiveness.

Tantra Sexual Practices

Sexual energy is thought to be a part of your body, though many people are out of touch with this energy. By following tantra practices, you can learn how to tap back into this energy to prevent and to treat erectile dysfunction.

When utilizing tantra, you might learn how to breathe into your genital area in order to restore the energy as well as the blood flow.

By learning to be in touch with your body, will begin to understand how your body feels before, during and after orgasm, allowing you to take steps that make sense for your body – i.e. certain physical touches.

This practice also helps couples get a better understanding of their sexual relationship, and it creates a renewed sense of trust and understanding.

For those who might be uncomfortable with sex or who have had troubles with erectile dysfunction, this can help to heal the mind as well as the soul and the body.

What Treatment Is Best For You?

Choosing the right treatment should come down to a few questions:

• What is the success rate?
• How much will it cost?
• What do I need to do?
• Can I maintain the steps I need to take?

When you consider each of these ideas, you will be able to find an erectile dysfunction treatment that not only helps your erection issues, but that also allows you to continue to experience a healthy and satisfying sex life.
 

Table of Contents