By Dr De-Gaulle Moses Dogbatsey
IN my practice as a pharmacognosist for several years, I have seen a lot of men, and erection problems constitute about 70 per cent, and that is usually one of their biggest burdens.
Erection problems are common, and they can happen to men of all ages. They typically involve issues with at least one of the phases of male sexual response: desire, arousal, orgasm and relaxation.
Be aware of the warning signs and visit Medi-Moses Prostate Centre if erection problems start to occur more frequently. Although erection problems can be painful and difficult to experience, effective treatments are available. When men become sexually aroused, hormones, muscles, nerves and blood vessels start to work with one another to create an erection. Nerve signals sent from the brain to the penis stimulate muscles to relax. This, in turn, allows blood to flow to the tissue in the penis. These signals received by the brain may be coming from the five senses – visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), tactile (touching), nasal (smelling) and tasting senses picked up the eye, ear, skin, nose and the sweet tongue that delivers the message. An erection is a complex mechanism of actions performed by nerves, vessels, muscles, hormones and enzymes to be able to raise, straighten and harden an otherwise soft -sleeping penis, and all these signals begin from the brain.
ED
At some point in a man’s life, he may have difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection. Erection problems occur when you can’t achieve or maintain an erection that’s firm enough to have sexual intercourse.
Erection problems are also known as Erectile Dysfunction (ED), impotence and sexual weakness. For most men, these problems occur occasionally and are not a serious issue.
According to research, there is no cause for concern if erection problems occur up to 20 per cent of the time. However, if you are unable to achieve an erection at least 50 per cent of the time, you may have a health problem that requires medical attention.
Causes
The causes of ED can be physical, psychological or a combination of the two. Physical causes of erection problems are more common in older men. they occur because of disorders that can affect the nerves and blood vessels responsible for causing an erection,
Physical causes include medical conditions such as heart disease, arteries, hypertension or high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, diabetes, obesity, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic kidney and liver disease, alcoholism, Pyronine’s disease or penile scarring that results in a curved penis. Other physical causes include certain medications such as beta blockers (drugs used for hypertension), diuretics, muscle relaxers or antidepressants, substance abuse, long- term use of tobacco or cigarettes and trauma or injury to the spinal cord or genital region.
Prevention
Many of the physical causes of erection problems are related to lifestyle choices. You may want to consider the following lifestyle changes: Stopping tobacco or cigarettes use and drinking less alcohol or stopping alcohol intake completely. Healthy lifestyle behaviours such as getting regular exercise and eating a healthy diet can help prevent ED. ED is caused by a lack of blood flow, so circulatory health is key. A common way to improve blood flow is through exercise. Some cardio-base exercises to try are running, biking, swimming and aerobics. Avoiding unhealthy fat, excess sugar and a large amount of salt are also important.
Psychological causes
The psychological causes that can distract a man of any age from becoming aroused include worry over not being able to achieve or maintain an erection, prolonged emotional distress related to economic, professional or social issues, relationship conflicts and depression. Young men
In my long years of practice dealing with men, I have seen increasing numbers of young men ranging from 18 to 30 years suffering from ED. The numbers suggest that ED in young men occurs more often now than previously reported. In 2013, the Journal of Sexual Medicine reported that 26 per cent of men aged 17 to 40 experienced trouble having an erection. These cases range from moderate to severe.
Treatment
Severity of ED is often graded on a three-point scale: mild, moderate and severe. Severe ED is also known as complete ED. Options for treating erection problems may include oral medications such as sildenafil (Viagra) and Tadalafil (Cialis).
Herbal treatment options include using 100 per cent herbal formulation such as Medi-Plus and Afro Moses capsules from Medi-Moses Clinic and
Herbal Centre.
The writer is a pharmacognosist and CEO of the Moses Prostate Centre
