Erectile Dysfunction - What and how to treat

KOCHI: Shyam (name changed) a 40-year-old male, an IT professional had everything going for him (smart young wife, two bright school going children, a good job with a good pay cheque). Shyam was largely a desk-bound person (working long hours at the office) and was not a big fan of exercise. He also used to enjoy smoking and drinking with his friends after office hours. In course of time, he added several centimetres to his midriff which he was not apologetic about.

Life was bumping along for Shyam when one day he noticed that he was not able to make proper physical contact with his wife because his organ was going limp despite his desire to do perform. He initially dismissed this as a one-off affair and reassured his wife that it was a one-off thing (he attributed it to a drinking binge the previous night) and that he would be fine the next day. The same thing kept happening, again and again, night after night. Shyam’s life was turned upside down, he was at the risk of losing his wife, his job and everything he had worked hard for. He decided to take medical help. He decided to meet a specialist dealing with male sexual problems. He was told by his Doctor that he has erectile dysfunction, a condition now commonly seen in males.He also reassured Shyam that this condition can be treated completely and that he can lead a normal sexual life with effective and proper treatment.

What is Erectile Dysfunction?
 Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is a medical condition where a male is unable to maintain an erection long enough to have a satisfactory intercourse.Instances of ED amongst us are rising alarmingly. Youngsters (software professionals, lawyers, bankers, etc) in our city seems to be victims of this condition. Job-related stress, lifestyle changes and irregular work hours put these youngsters at risk of ED. Infertility and impotence often result from the inability to maintain an erection. A major reason for erectile dysfunction is lack of proper blood flow to the male organ. ED can easily be cured if the reasons are identified early. ED should be taken as a warning sign for impending health disasters like heart attacks or brain strokes. A male should seek medical help as soon as he notices this problem. It can be treated very easily early on in the course of the disease. Couples should seek medical advice if they fail to conceive as early as possible. It is usually a case for couples to approach a gynaecologist to treat infertility; which implies that the women are always thought to be responsible for the problem. In reality, the true cause of their infertility could be because of the male who is suffering from ED. Diabetes is another common cause of ED in our society. What is worrisome is that when a diabetic presents with ED, it is likely that he is at a heightened risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the near future.

Treatment of ED:

The treatment for men with ED includes oral tablets, intra-cavernosal injection (injection into the penis), sound wave therapy and vacuum therapy.> Soundwave therapy (Li- ESWL) is lately finding favour in the treatment of ED.Here the clinicians apply a probe to the male organ to send energy from acoustic waves to different parts of the male organ, This helps new blood vessels form, which would improve blood flow which is vital to getting and maintaining an erection. Each session lasts about 15 to 20 minutes, and while you may feel some tingling, it usually doesn’t hurt. The male after treatment of 6 sessions will all likely hood of a spontaneous natural erection and have a happy feeling thereafter.

Shyam was treated by a team comprising of an Andrologist (a specialist in male genitalia ) and an Endocrinologist (specialist in hormones). He was initially started on oral pills for ED but had to be stopped because of a headache (a common side effect of these drugs). He was then offered sound wave therapy with which he was able to make good contact with his wife. He now exercises regularly and has quit smoking at the behest of his doctors. Shyam has regained his life back promising never to go back to his unhealthy habits.The views expressed by the authors are their own.

Dr  Sandeep Prabhakaran, MS MCH, Chief Andrologist, Department of Male Sexual Dysfunction, Silverline Hospital, Kadavanthra.

Dr Tom Babu, MD DNB (Endo), Consultant Endrocrinolgist, Department of Male Sexual Dysfunction, Silverline Hospital, Kadavanthra.