Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to obtain or maintain an erection of the penis, which is sufficient to be able to have good sexual intercourse. Erectile dysfunctions are very common and can occur at any age. Their occurrence, however, increases with age and especially men over 60 years have to deal with it.

Cause

Cause

Erectile dysfunction may have a physical or mental cause, or a combination of both. The distinction is usually not difficult to discern.
Physical causes:

Mental causes:

Symptoms

Symptoms

Some men cannot have an erection at all, while in other men the penis becomes slightly stiffer, but not hard enough for penetration. In other cases, the erection can weaken during sexual intercourse. Some men have one time a normal erection and the other time no erection at all. How the problems manifest themselves, depends entirely on the cause.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis

The doctor will first analyze the medical history and do a physical examination. To arrive at the diagnosis of erectile dysfunction, further examination can be done:

Mental causes can be examined by excluding physical causes. Therefore, a piece of perforated tape is applied around the penis at bedtime. When an erection is encountered at night, the tape tears, which is proof that there’s no physical cause for the erectile dysfunction.

Treatment

Treatment

The following treatment methods can be applied:

Prognosis

Prognosis

The ultimate success of medical treatment depends to a large extent on the expectations of the man and how he and his partner are able to adapt to the treatment.

Considerations

Considerations

Facts

Facts