Weak Erection Treatment
What is weak Erection? A men’s clinic expert explains
Weak Erection or Erectile dysfunction (impotence) is the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sex.
Having erection trouble from time to time isn’t necessarily a cause for concern. If erectile dysfunction is an ongoing issue, however, it can cause stress, affect your self-confidence and contribute to relationship problems. Problems getting or keeping an erection can also be a sign of an underlying health condition that needs treatment and a risk factor for heart disease.
If you’re concerned about erectile dysfunction, talk to your doctor — even if you’re embarrassed. Sometimes, treating an underlying condition is enough to reverse erectile dysfunction. In other cases, medications or other direct treatments might be needed.
Weak Erection Causes
Male sexual arousal is a complex process that involves the brain, hormones, emotions, nerves, muscles and blood vessels. Erectile dysfunction can result from a problem with any of these. Likewise, stress and mental health concerns can cause or worsen erectile dysfunction.
Sometimes a combination of physical and psychological issues causes erectile dysfunction. For instance, a minor physical condition that slows your sexual response might cause anxiety about maintaining an erection. The resulting anxiety can lead to or worsen erectile dysfunction.
Physical causes of erectile dysfunction (Weak Erection)
In many cases, erectile dysfunction is caused by something physical. Common causes include:
- Heart disease
- Clogged blood vessels (atherosclerosis)
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Metabolic syndrome — a condition involving increased blood pressure, high insulin levels, body fat around the waist and high cholesterol
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Certain prescription medications
- Tobacco use
- Peyronie’s disease — development of scar tissue inside the penis
- Alcoholism and other forms of substance abuse
- Sleep disorders
- Treatments for prostate cancer or enlarged prostate
- Surgeries or injuries that affect the pelvic area or spinal cord
- Low testosterone
Psychological causes of erectile dysfunction
The brain plays a key role in triggering the series of physical events that cause an erection, starting with feelings of sexual excitement. A number of things can interfere with sexual feelings and cause or worsen erectile dysfunction. These include:
- Depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions
- Stress
- Relationship problems due to stress, poor communication or other concerns
Weak Erection Risk factors
As you get older, erections might take longer to develop and might not be as firm. You might need more direct touch to your penis to get and keep an erection.
Various risk factors can contribute to erectile dysfunction, including:
- Medical conditions, particularly diabetes or heart conditions
- Tobacco use, which restricts blood flow to veins and arteries, can — over time — cause chronic health conditions that lead to erectile dysfunction
- Being overweight, especially if you’re obese
- Certain medical treatments, such as prostate surgery or radiation treatment for cancer
- Injuries, particularly if they damage the nerves or arteries that control erections
- Medications, including antidepressants, antihistamines and medications to treat high blood pressure, pain or prostate conditions
- Psychological conditions, such as stress, anxiety or depression
- Drug and alcohol use, especially if you’re a long-term drug user or heavy drinker.
Erectile Dysfunction Symptoms
The symptoms of erectile dysfunction can vary from person to person. If you have ED, you might:
- Be unable to get an erection at all
- Get an erection sometimes
- Have trouble keeping an erection long enough for sex
- Lack desire for sex
Erectile Dysfunction Diagnosis
When you see a doctor for ED symptoms, they’ll try to find out whether you have another health condition that could cause the problem. They’ll ask about your medical history, including questions about your sex life. You might have:
- A physical. It will include an examination of your penis and testicles.
- Blood and pee tests. These check for problems like diabetes, heart disease, and low testosterone.
- A mental health exam. This can reveal whether you have stress, depression, or other issues that could lead to ED.
- An ultrasound. This allows your doctor to see whether blood flow problems are affecting your penis.
Erectile Dysfunction Treatment
The treatment for your ED will depend on what’s causing it, as well as what you and your partner think will work best. Your doctor can help you decide. Treatments include:
Medications. You take drugs like sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn) and tadalafil (Cialis, Adcirca) as pills before you have sex. They work by increasing blood flow in your penis. This helps you get an erection once you’re sexually excited.
Your doctor might prescribe testosterone if your levels of this hormone are low. It won’t help if circulation or nerve problems cause your ED.
You can inject an ED medicine called it alprostadil into your penis to help it fill with blood and quickly cause an erection. It’s sometimes used in combination with other drugs. You may also insert alprostadil into your urethra (the small hole in your penis where urine comes out) as a suppository. That’s a solid form of the medicine that gets dissolved by your body heat.
Lifestyle changes. Your doctor might suggest that you lose weight or start an exercise routine to improve your ED symptoms. They might also recommend that you stop smoking, drinking alcohol, or using marijuana or other drugs.
Counseling. If stress, depression, or relationship problems contribute to your ED, talking to a counselor could help.
Vacuum device. Also called a penis pump, this is a tube that fits over your penis. It includes a pump, which you use to suck air from the tube. This pulls blood into your penis to make it erect. You place an elastic ring around the bottom of your penis to keep it erect, and take off the vacuum tube. After sex, you remove the ring to end the erection.
Surgery. Most men don’t get surgery for ED. But in some cases, doctors will do an operation to repair your arteries to boost blood flow to your penis. Or they can implant a bendable or inflatable rod inside your penis that you adjust to make it erect.
Erectile Dysfunction: Diet and Home Remedies
Diet, lifestyle, and home remedies may help prevent or treat erectile dysfunction (ED).
If you want to avoid medications, devices, or surgery, there are other, more natural ways to help erectile dysfunction.
Raising your activity level and changing what you eat may make a difference. Some men also try alternative or at-home therapies for their ED.
It’s important to discuss your plans with your doctor before you try a natural or alternative approach.
Diet and Foods Related to Reduced Risks for ED
Researchers who took part in the Massachusetts Male Aging Study found that what you eat could reduce your chances of ED.
The following foods were linked to a lower risk:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Fish
Other research has suggested that specific foods like dark chocolate, pistachios, watermelon, pink grapefruit, and tomatoes may help symptoms.
Also, men who have a chronic vitamin B12 deficiency and eat more processed meats and refined grains are more likely to develop ED.
Exercise and Erectile Dysfunction Risk
Recent research has shown that exercise, specifically moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity, can improve symptoms of ED.
Simply walking may be a good activity to try. According to one study, 30 minutes of walking a day was associated with a 41 percent decrease in risk for ED.
But the advantages of exercise may be lower in men who have heart disease or other underlying medical conditions.
Talk to your doctor about how much physical activity you should incorporate into your daily and weekly routine.
Counseling and Erectile Dysfunction
Seeing a psychologist or other mental health professional could help improve your ED symptoms. You may want to bring your partner along for counseling sessions to discuss ways to encourage each other. If you don’t know where to start to look for counseling, ask your doctor or urologist for a specific recommendation.
Alternative Supplements
Some men take supplements or try other forms of alternative medicine to treat their ED.
Check with your doctor before taking any supplement. Some products can be dangerous, especially if you have other medical conditions or take certain medications.
Beware of Products Labeled “Herbal Viagra”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warnings about some products labeled as “herbal Viagra.” These products are not the same as the prescription medication known as Viagra (with the active ingredient sildenafil). You should know that many of these supplements can cause unwanted side effects and haven’t been proved to work.
Some common supplements for ED include:
- Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
- L-arginine
- Ginseng
- Propionyl-L-carnitine
- Yohimbe
- Ginkgo
- Horny goat weed (epimedium)
- Zinc
Acupuncture and Erectile Dysfunction
Some men report an improvement in ED symptoms after having acupuncture. This ancient form of medicine involves using tiny needles to stimulate certain points on the body. While study results are mixed on whether acupuncture really works for ED, the therapy is considered safe and may help you feel better overall.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies for Erectile Dysfunction
Some common lifestyle and home remedies for ED include:
- Quitting smoking Using tobacco is a risk factor for ED. Quitting can improve your overall health and may reduce your ED symptoms. Ask your doctor about ways to quit.
- Losing weight Being overweight or obese can lead to erectile dysfunction. In fact, a man with a 42-inch waist is 50 percent more likely to develop ED than a man with a 32-inch waist. Eating a healthy diet and getting enough physical activity can help you keep your weight under control.
- Performing pelvic-floor exercises Moves to strengthen the muscles of your pelvic floor may help reduce symptoms of urinary incontinence. Some men also report improvements in ED.
- Adopting a healthy sleep schedule Some research has shown that sleep patterns may affect testosterone levels in men. Adequate rest and a regular sleep schedule may help your overall sexual health.
- Getting help for drug or alcohol dependence Using illicit drugs or drinking too much alcohol can lead to ED and other health problems. Quitting can be difficult, but your symptoms are likely to improve.
- Changing or lowering the dose of your meds If certain medications are causing your ED symptoms, talk to your doctor about lowering your dose or trying a different drug to help your condition.
- Practicing good oral hygiene Some research has shown gum infections (known as gingivitis) may be linked to problems getting an erection. Be sure to brush and floss your teeth every day. Also, see your dentist for a professional cleaning at least once a year, or whenever you have concerns about the health of your gums.
- Reducing stress levels Stress is a known risk factor for erectile dysfunction. Activities to reduce stress, such as yoga, meditation, or breathing exercises, may also help your ED.
Weak erection clinic Pretoria, Weak erection treatment, weak erection exercise, men’s clinic weak erection advice, weak erection foods, erectile dysfunction medication
Finding Support When You Have Erectile Dysfunction
Finding a good support system is key for overcoming ED. Talking to your partner may be a good place to start.
A trained professional will be able to help you work through many of the psychological effects of ED.
Sometimes, communicating your struggles in writing can be an effective way to cope. Several online support groups are available for men with ED.
Men’s Clinic Weak Erection FAQS
What is the main cause of erectile dysfunction?
How can you fix your erectile dysfunction?
If you smoke, quit. If you have trouble quitting, get help.
Lose excess pounds. Being overweight can cause — or worsen — erectile dysfunction.
Include physical activity in your daily routine. …
Get treatment for alcohol or drug problems. …
Work through relationship issues.