Erectile Dysfunction Specialist

What is erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction, or ED, means having problems getting or maintaining an erection. You may still hear it referred to as impotence, and it’s a cause of severe psychological distress for many men.

Most men experience the odd episode of erectile dysfunction, but that’s perfectly normal and nothing you should be concerned about. However, if it’s happening regularly, it may indicate there’s an underlying health problem that needs investigating, such as low testosterone.

What are the symptoms of erectile dysfunction?

If you’re having problems achieving or maintaining an erection on a regular basis and it’s getting you down, that indicates you should seek advice from the team at Vitality Center of Charlotte. For example, if at least one out of every four times you want to achieve an erection you experience a problem, or your ED carries on longer than a month, it’s worth finding out what’s behind it.

Other symptoms you may experience include:

• Taking longer to achieve an erection
• Finding it more difficult to sustain an erection in certain positions
• Erections are weaker or less rigid
• You have to work hard to maintain your erection
• Experiencing fewer or weaker morning erections
• Climaxing or ejaculating when not fully erect

If you’ve experienced these symptoms, it’s best to get help sooner rather than later, before the emotional fallout starts to affect your happiness and self-esteem.

What causes erectile dysfunction?

ED can have several physical causes, including:

• Low levels of testosterone
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Overconsumption of alcohol
• Drug abuse
• Injury to the penis, prostate gland, bladder, or pelvis

Erectile dysfunction can also have psychological causes, such as:

• Stress
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Low self-esteem

Simply being nervous about your ability to perform can cause erection problems, which then makes the situation worse: The more you worry about being able to achieve and maintain your erection, the more stressed and fearful you are, making the whole process more difficult.

What treatments are available for erectile dysfunction?

You’re probably familiar with the range of medications available for erectile dysfunction. Drugs such as sildenafil (Viagra®) work by relaxing the smooth muscle and promoting blood flow to the penis. These medications can be highly effective, but they only provide short-term relief, rather than addressing the root cause of your erectile dysfunction.

Your team at Vitality Center of Charlotte aims to find the cause of your erectile dysfunction and treat it if it’s due to an underlying health problem, lifestyle issues, or medication. The team also has testing facilities on-site so they can quickly check for conditions such as low testosterone. Testosterone replacement therapy can boost your testosterone levels in a safe and manageable way and can be highly beneficial in resolving erectile dysfunction.

If you’re having erection problems, call Vitality Center of Charlotte today, or book an appointment online.