Impotence - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Impotency in Male

Impotence, or erectile dysfunction, affects most men at some time during their life. For the majority, this is a temporary phenomenon caused by stress or tiredness. For about 10 per cent, the problem persists, and causes upset and disappointment for both partners.

Cause of Impotency in Men

The causes are broadly split into physical and psychological factors, but the two groups often occur together. Physical causes include poor circulation, diabetes, smoking, excessive alcohol intake and side-effects from anti-depressants or drugs to treat raised blood pressure. Impotence can occur after operations for prostate problems, or pelvic surgery.

If a man has spontaneous morning erections, then the cause is more likely to be psychological and due to anxiety or depression, or 'performance anxiety' due to previous unsuccessful attempts at intercourse.

Treatment options for Impotency

More and more treatments are becoming available, including tablets taken before intercourse, injections into the shaft of the penis to induce an erection, or a pellet introduced into the urethra, the tube leading from the bladder through which urine and semen are transported. Vacuum pump devices may also be used to produce an erection. Lifestyle changes such as giving up smoking or alcohol or a change in medication can also help.

Today with technological breakthrough in the field of medicine, treating erectile dysfunction in men is no longer an issue. Urologists specializing in the functioning of kidney, bladder, prostate, penis and urethra are the right kind of people to approach for a cure of impotency. The treatment might vary from oral medication to implants or surgery etc. depending on the severity of the problem.