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Sexual health is a great indicator of overall health. When something isn’t functioning as it should, it can signal a larger problem. Erectile Dysfunction is absolutely an aspect of physical, emotional, and relational health for men that needs to be considered and discussed.
ED is defined as the inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual intercourse. ED is incredibly common, with some reports showing that it affects 52% of men. In fact, 40% of men may have some form of ED by the age of 40, and that statistic increases as we age, with 70% of men reporting ED by the age of 70. In spite of its common occurrence in men of all ages, ED is still a topic that few men are willing to discuss, either because they are embarrassed or unwilling to admit that it’s a problem.
But talking about ED, especially with a doctor, is very important, because it can affect a man’s life intensely. The most common cause of erectile dysfunction is lack of blood flow in the penis. This can be due to the same plaque build-up that occurs in blood vessels due to high cholesterol, as well as a slew of other reasons. Frighteningly, most of the time, ED is a symptom of other physical issues, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease. Seeking treatment for ED is a good start for many men that will help them in maintaining general health throughout their lives.
Over the past two decades, pharmaceutical companies have brought an increasing level of attention to erectile dysfunction and its prevalence, especially through advertising for medications like Viagra and Cialis. You’re probably familiar with the image of an older but still very active man and his highly attractive woman friend doing something romantic like dancing, cutting flowers, or getting a massage together, while a voiceover says that these pills can help bring back the romance.
ED drugs are certainly the most commonly prescribed methods of treating the condition, and they have brought relief to many patients, but not without a price. Viagra can cost up to $50 a pill, which means that if you use one pill a week, you’ll spend $2,600 in a year alone. Relying on these pills for sexual ability can also mean taking the spontaneity out of sexual activity, which can be difficult for intimate partners. Plus, they come with a slew of side effects that can be uncomfortable and even dangerous.
At Well Life Family Medicine, we believe that men experiencing erectile dysfunction should have a safe and less expensive way to improve their sexual health while keeping the romance alive in their relationships. This is why we offer a number of inexpensive and effective treatments for impotency.
We recommend the platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection, also called the Priapus Shot or P-Shot, for a variety of conditions, including join pain, nerve problems, and muscle pain. But it can also provide relief of erectile dysfunction symptoms. The platelets and specialized growth factors are drawn from your own blood and can be used to regenerate and stimulate blood vessels and connective tissue. We create your specialized PRP solution and then inject it directly into the affected area (which is why we call this treatment the “Man Shot”). The injection uses your own body’s healing capacity to help with blood flow and decrease the symptoms of ED. A single shot can start to work immediately, although many men won’t feel the full effects for three or four weeks. The PRP shot may also increase penis size as an added bonus.
Mpulse is a painless, non-invasive, and totally drug-free way for men experiencing ED to increase their ability to get erections and even their penis sensitivity. The low-intensity shockwave therapy can increase blood flow by opening blocked blood vessels in the penis and even stimulating growth of new blood vessels. It may sound magical to say that soundwaves can fix blood vessels, but numerous clinical trials have shown that this shockwave therapy can even reverse damage to the blood vessels in the penis that causes ED. Furthermore, even men who don’t experience erectile dysfunction can see an improvement in the strength and sustainability of erections after having the procedure done. Many men experience an improvement in their sexual potency after a single 15-20 minute treatment, although most feel the full effect after a series of 6-12 treatments. And the positive benefits can last as long as two years.
Sometimes the symptoms of erectile dysfunction can be aggravated by low testosterone. While we don’t recommend our patients use them alone to treat ED, testosterone pellets can supplement other treatment plans. These pellets can help increase sex drive in men, especially those with low testosterone.
If you’re ready to bring back the romance without spending a fortune on pills that won’t last, schedule an appointment with us today. If you still have questions, we might have answered them in our FREE downloadable below.