Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to get or sustain an erection firm enough to have sexual intercourse good enough for partner satisfaction. It's also sometimes referred to as impotence.

ED can be caused by only one of these factors or several. That's why it's important to work with your doctor so that they can rule out or treat any underlying medical conditions.

Causes:

There are many possible causes for ED and they can include both emotional and physical disorders. Some common causes are:

It is important to diagnose any Erectile Dysfunction symptoms early-on so to ensure minimal medical intervention.

Here is a basic Diagnostic Framework:

Clinical trials have demonstrated that stem cells can restore enough erectile function to allow previously impotent men to engage in spontaneous sexual activity. Stem cell therapy has also resulted in patients regaining erectile function to engage in sexual activity.

Stem cell Regenerative Therapy

Hypothesis is that stem cells can differentiate into a wide variety of cells including endothelial cells, Schwann cells, smooth muscle cells, and neurons. These have beneficial effects, leading the host tissue to initiate a regenerative or healing response to diseased or injured tissue responsible for ED.

One reported case series of seven men treated using Stem Cell Therapy. In this series, 6 out of 7 diabetic patients ranging from 57 to 87 years age regained morning erections. Another phase 2 trial with 12 patients with post Radical Prostatectomy patients have shown significant improvement by 6 months.

It is said Stem cell therapy achieves at least 50% improvement in patients with erectile dysfunction (impotence) after initial administration.

Male Infertility & Identification and Treatment Methods

Male infertility means a male's inability to cause pregnancy in a fertile female.

Approximately 15% of couples are unable to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse.

Definition

A varicocele is when veins become enlarged inside your scrotum (the pouch of skin that holds your testicles). These veins are called the pampiniform plexus. Varicoceles often produce no symptoms but can cause low sperm production and decreased sperm quality, leading to infertility.

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About

Stem Cell Therapy and its advanced research has indicated promising results in the treatment of Erectile Dysfunction. This is considered to be a type of #regenerativetherapy with the hypothesis that the stem cells can differentiate into a wide variety of cells including endothelial cells, Schwann cells, smooth muscle cells, and neurons. Interestingly, Stem cells have beneficial effects lead the host tissue to initiate a regenerative or healing response to diseased or injured tissue responsible for Erectile Dysfunction.

Prevalence

Worldwide prevalence of ED is between 10% and 20%, and it is strongly correlated with aging. Among younger men, 8% of 20- to 29-year-olds and 11% of men ages 30-39 experience ED. Also, about 52% of men ages 40-70 experience ED and 71% of men over 70 experience ED.

Failing to address these issues on time may lead to further health vulnerabilities like increased stress levels, delay in addressing any underlying cardio-vascular diseases and more.

Book an appointment to address on priority.

Erectile Dysfunction itself is often related to an underlying problem, such as heart disease, diabetes, liver disease, or other medical conditions. Other factors like depression, anxieties, stress, relationship problems, and other mental health concerns can also interfere with sexual wellbeing.

The Men;s Attitudes to Life Events and Sexuality (MALES) study assessed the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) and related health issues in the general male population in Europe and North and South America, and examined the attitudes and behavior of men in relation to these health issues.

In Phase I, 27,839 men (20-75 years) from eight countries (United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Brazil) were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire.

Phase I compared the prevalence of hypertension, angina, increased cholesterol, diabetes, and depression/anxiety in men with ED vs men with no ED. Prevalence was significantly higher in men with ED for all co-morbidities assessed (p - 0.0001).

Rosen RC, Fisher WA, Eardley I, et al. The multinational Men's Attitudes to Life Events and Sexuality (MALES) study: I. Prevalence of erectile dysfunction and related health concerns in the general population. Cur Med Res Opin. 2004;20(5):607 617.

Graphical view of the PENIS

Erectile problems related to serious health issues:

It is important to know and build awareness about Erectile problems and its possible hidden or underlying health signals. Erectile problems can also be a key indicator of serious health issues.

Recommended Treatment includes:

• Lifestyle changes
• Risk factor modification
• Education Counseling

PDE 5 Inhibitors

Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors (PDE5Is) are now widely used in the management of Erectile Dysfunction(ED). Their ability to improve symptoms of ED was discovered while researchers were examining their potential use for high blood pressure and angina. PDE5 inhibitors is usually used to treat ED caused by poor blood flow to the penis.

Treatment for ED Caused by Physiological Factors

It is important to note that PDE 5 Inhibitors is typically used to treat ED caused by physiological factors and not psychological ones especially stress and anxiety.

The four major types of PDE5 inhibitors available include:

PDE5 inhibitors have a vasodilating effect on the penis, primarily, helping the blood vessels relax and increasing blood flow. It is important to note that these drugs have to be administered only under the guidance of a physician.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a major health problem that seriously affects the quality of life of patients and their partners. Gene therapy approaches are discussed in terms of the possible role of gene therapy for the treatment of ED, potential targets for gene transfer, vectors to carry targeted genes, and gene strategies for ED in certain disease states, such as diabetes, ageing, arterial and venogenic insufficiency, and cavernous nerve injury.

Recent preclinical and clinical trials have demonstrated that gene therapy strategies may be feasible for these purposes. Gene therapy offers a minimally invasive option to treat men who do not respond to traditional pharmacologic therapies or do not want surgery. It is believed that gene therapy will become a therapeutic treatment in the near future.

Genes that stimulate smooth muscle cell relaxation, such as neuronal, inducible, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase, or that inhibit smooth muscle cell constriction can restore erectile function in aging, diabetic, and other model systems.

The future of erectile dysfunction gene therapy may lie in the use of tissue specific and regulated gene expression, advanced viral vectors, or the combination of multiple genes to fine tune smooth muscle relaxation. Maxi-K ion channels, are transferred to the penile tissues. Tunica albuginea has slow turnover rate facilitating the study of prolonged gene action. Maxi-K ion channel activators increase potassium currents and thereby increasing the relaxation of smooth muscles.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

This is a mental health condition that disrupts how you see and feel about your own body and appearance. This has a societal bearing, wherein, people experience low esteem, or low confidence, accompanied by a sense of shame about their body, especially their genitalia. This affects their sense of wellbeing in the long run, bringing in many disorders like stress, anxiety and personality disorder.

Penile Dysmorphic Disorder

Penile dysmorphic disorder, sometimes abbreviated as PDD, is a manifestation of body dysmorphic disorder where the main bodily area of fixation is the size of the penis. PDD on its own is not a recognized disorder. In such cases, the size or shape of the penis causes them discomfort and under confidence. An individual with penile dysmorphic disorder often has a debilitating or excessive fear of judgment by others.

Perceived Fears and Inhibitions

In cases of PDD, the person has a perceived notion of what is normal. Even though the organ functioning is normal, the appearance becomes the bane. The person experiences a sense of body shaming, and a gnawing feeling that the person cannot fit in, does not look good or is not normal. The person is so troubled, disturbed and affected, that it becomes an obsession to deal with. It is of serious concern, when the person takes to different means of addressing it. One approach is to go to cosmetic upliftment that is not recommended, taking medicines that is unnecessary or meeting quacks! This is highly dangerous and one is recommended not to pursue this path.

One has to learn to accept some shortcoming in one's personality and accept it, rather than approaching it with doubt, and taking up wrong means to address, when in reality, the problem does not require any form of medical intervention at all.