Diabetes Diet
Diabetes Facts
Other
Diabetes & Impotence
Diabetes is a common cause, with approximately one-half
of all diabetic men experiencing erectile dysfunction at some point in
their lives. Since diabetes has adverse effects on both blood vessels
and nerves, the erectile dysfunction is likely a result of both. Maintaining
optimal glucose control minimizes the risk of erectile dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction affects both the sufferer and the partner. The disorder has been associated with a decreased quality of life and health. Self-esteem is decreased. It is associated with an increased conflict in relationships. The NHSLS study had important findings regarding impact on patients, reporting that men with erectile dysfunction had low physical/emotional satisfaction and low general happiness.
Treatments
Treatment of erectile dysfunction has advanced significantly. It has moved
out of the urologist's office, and family physicians are now often the
first-line management for many cases. Part of this advance has been the
advent of PDE5 inhibitor medications which are well-tolerated, have a
good safety profile and work well. The PDE5 inhibitor medications are
described in detail in following sections.Viagra, Levitra and Cialis are PDE5 inhibitors.
Traditional treatments
Herbal medications for erectile dysfunction have existed for centuries.
Sometimes they are marketed as general aphrodisiacs, others are advertised
more directly as treatments for erectile dysfunction.
The FDA (the USA Food and Drug Administration) does caution that many of the herbal remedies for erectile dysfunction haven't had the same level of testing as some of the other pharmacological agents.
That said, some of the medications for erectile dysfunction are derived from natural sources. For example, Yohimbine is a classic drug for erectile dysfunction and is derived from the bark of a tree in Africa. Yohimbine is described in more detail in a later section.
Analysis of some of the compounds in other herbal products for erectile dysfunction have shown interesting results. When the compounds are studied with spectrometry, some contain traces of chemicals that are similar in structure to the PDE5 inhibitor medications such as Viagra or Cialis.