Impotence: No laughing matter
Given that within 6 months of its introduction on the market in 1998, Viagra had already generated 6 million prescriptions. It seems timely to take a look at a condition that regularly causes frustration and distress for millions of men: impotence.
If you’re finding that as you get older it’s sometimes harder for you to achieve and maintain an erection, you’re not alone. An estimated 52 percent of men between the ages of 40 and 70 experience erectile dysfunction (ED) some or all of the time.
Similar to the explanation women received for years regarding PMS-”it’s all in your head”-standard medical thought held ,until recently, that in 90 percent of cases, ED was caused purely by psychological factors.
In recent years, medical understanding of erections have increased, and we now know that in most cases ED is related to a mix of physical and psychological factors. What that means, practically speaking, is that your virility is a reflection of your overall physical and psychological health.
A penis that seems inappropriately flaccid is giving you a cue to take a closer look at the state of your well-being. It’s an attitude well represented by the reply my friend John* made when I asked him what strategies he’s developed to deal with impotence: “I ask God, I want to know, what’s going on?”
Your Personal Distant Early Warning Signal. What’s going on might be serious. ED can give early warning of a number of conditions, including the following:
* arteriosclerosis (Erections involve a large flow of blood into the penis; blocked penile arteries are a frequent factor in ED, and indicate that arteries elsewhere in the body are clogged as well.)
* diabetes
* hormonal disturbances
* malnutrition
* multiple sclerosis
* Parkinson’s disease
* prostate enlargement/prostate surgery
* sexually transmitted diseases
* thyroid imbalances
* trauma to the head or spinal cord
An inability to “get it up,” even if it occurs only sporadically, means it’s time for a complete check-up. ED is also strongly associated with other lifestyle and medical factors:
* excess alcohol consumption (affects prostate health and hormone
balance)
* cigarette smoking (a contributing factor in arteriosclerosis)
* prescription drug use (Over 200 commonly used drugs can cause impotence.
If you’re taking any medications, consult your doctor about adjusting the dose to stop the side effect of impotence.)
* bicycle riding (To minimize the potential of developing ED due to cycling, use one of the new seats designed with a gap in the middle to avoid damage to nerves critical in the erection process; also, use a bike that doesn’t have a top tube-falling on it can cause trauma and ED. Stop riding if you experience numbness or tingling in the crotch.)
Finally, emotional factors can play a powerful role in ED. To help you determine whether emotional or physical issues are predominant in your ED, ask your doctor for a Nocturnal Penile Tumescence (NPT) test kit. The NPT measures the frequency, rigidity, and length of erections that occur in sleep. The inhibitions that might keep your erection at bay while you’re awake aren’t in the forefront during sleep. If it turns out that you’re continuing to have normal erections while asleep, then your ED is most likely emotional rather than physical in origin.
ED: Sometimes It Can Work For You
The emotional factor in ED can have a hidden silver lining, by giving you important information about yourself and your partner. As John puts it, “As I get older, I know what I want, I know what pleases me. At 22, it was everyone. At 43, it’s one in a thousand.” For John, his response in bed is one “good way to check out how much I like the person. Maybe I’m not really interested in her.” John also feels that how a woman responds to an episode of ED tells him a lot about what kind of person she is: “It’s kind of a measuring stick-if she’s okay with that then I like her.”
John likes to respond to his episodic ED by focussing more on other types of intimacy with his partner. He explains, “I like kissing, eye contact, tenderness, touching. I don’t always want to get off, I just want to feel loved, to feel like I’m in my mother’s womb. That’s the most primal urge of all. Sometimes I just need that touching. There are many women I follow into a boudoir, and sex is just one of my reasons for doing it.”
According to Tom Lue, MD, writing in Contemporary Diagnosis and Management of Male Erectile Health, the main causes of emotionally based ED are anxiety and fear of failure, depression, marital or relationship conflict, ignorance and misinformation about normal anatomy and sexual function, religious scruples about sex, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders.
Again, emotionally based ED is a distant early warning signal. Taking it seriously, even if it is “all in your head” can lead to valuable self-knowledge and healing of emotional issues before they become severe enough to affect your physical health.
The Viagra Option
The drug Viagra® (sildenafil citrate, made by Pfizer Inc., New York City) has been fervently embraced as a “cure” for impotence. This drug helps enough blood to flow into the penis to cause an erection. If you’ve read this far, though, you’ve probably realized that Viagra might not be your most satisfactory solution for impotence, especially over the long term. If you value your total health and well-being, do you really want to take Viagra for impotence when the real problem is malnutrition, for instance? And how important is it to prove you can perform to a partner you don’t respect or like?
Viagra also has some potentially serious side effects. It’s not safe to use it in combination with any drugs containing nitrates. At high doses, it can damage the retinas, and many individuals who use it report light sensitivity or the appearance of a bluish tinge in their visual field. Headaches and sudden blood pressure falls have occurred in some individuals. Some Viagra users have experienced persistent erections that don’t subside within a couple of hours (priapism). Unless treated immediately, priapism can damage the penis and cause permanent impotence. A number of heart attacks, some fatal, have been associated with Viagra use. However, the exact cause of these heart attacks has not been established.
Viagra can be a helpful aid in breaking the vicious circle of impotence caused by performance anxiety. It is also of great value to men with impotence caused by certain kinds of spinal cord injuries.
A Holistic Approach to ED.
A more holistic approach to ED than Viagra provides is an approach that respects the message your symptom is trying to deliver. While more effort is involved than popping a pill, it’s worth it if your longterm health is important to you:
* Get a complete check-up to rule out illness.
* If it turns out that you’ve developed arteriosclerosis, diabetes, enlarged prostate, multiple sclerosis or another condition, effective holistic and nutritional treatments are available either on a stand-alone basis, or as a complement to traditional medical care. Many people have found these alternative treatments most effective for reversing these conditions. Consult a qualified naturopathic physician to get started on your healing journey.
* If your ED is emotionally based, a number of techniques can help you resolve the issues: counseling, keeping a personal journal, meditation, yoga, regular relaxation.
Good nutrition plays an important role in the health of the penis, prostate, and other sexual organs (not to mention the rest of your body).
A diet based on organically grown whole foods, including plenty of vegetables and fruits along with beans, whole grains, and organic animal foods is your best bet. Writing in the August 1999 issue of Alternative & Complementary Therapies, Stephen Holt M.D., F.A.C.P., also suggests a nutritional supplement protocol for optimal sexual functioning:
* Vitamin E, 600 IU daily (consult your doctor before using vitamin E if you are on blood thinning drugs)
* Vitamin C, 100 milligrams daily
* Vitamin B complex, one tablet of average potency formula daily
* Phosphatidylcholine, 1000 milligrams daily
* Zinc, 20 milligrams daily
* EPA (fish oil constituent), 450 milligrams daily
* DHA (fish oil constituent), 300 milligrams daily
* Not his real name.