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Erectile Dysfunction

Overview

Erectile dysfunction is a serious issue that many men suffer from due to a variety of causes. An erection involves many parts of the body starting with a stimulus. Once those nerves are stimulated, the brain sends messages to nerves located in the penis that signal the blood vessels to relax and allow the blood to flow. Erectile dysfunction is the term for when any part of this process is disrupted and the sexual function is hindered on a consistent basis. There are several forms of this condition mainly broken down into two categories: the inability to form an erection or the inability to keep an erection. The cause of erectile dysfunction varies drastically from emotional stress to vascular disease and numerous other causes in between. To treat this, many men turn to prescription medication; however, there may be more serious underlying causes which also need to be corrected. Once these underlying forces are analyzed and rectified, sexual dysfunction is also corrected in most cases.

Causes of Erectile Dysfunction

Due to the many different parts of the body involved in the erection process, there are a variety of possible and compounding causes of erectile dysfunction. There are three main categories that cover these causes, and they are Hormonal, Physical/Vascular, and Psychological.

Hormones and Erectile Dysfunction

Hormone imbalances are many times thought only to be connected to women. However, this is a very false association; many men suffer from either low male hormones or high estrogen. Multiple problems are associated with both imbalances, one of them being erectile dysfunction when low male hormones levels are present.

Physical/Vascular Health and Erectile Dysfunction

The body’s overall physical health is important for a successful erection. Weight, diabetes, various medical conditions, tobacco use, nerve damage, or drug use can all play a part in causing erectile dysfunction. However, one of the most serious causes is poor vascular health. Healthy vessels in the penis are especially critical since they are smaller than most others in the body. For blood to properly flow through, these small vessels cannot be restricted.

Psychological Effects of Erectile Dysfunction

Psychological factors are the least common cause of long-term erectile dysfunction; however, if present, they are very hard to treat without physiological help. The most common mental factors include stress, anxiety, abuse, low self-esteem, depression, or guilt.

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Symptoms

You may be suffering from erectile dysfunction when the following symptoms occur on a regular basis:

• Lower than usual sexual drive
• Difficulty/inability to get an erection
• Difficulty/inability to keep an erection

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Treatment Plan

The type of treatment is extremely important when it comes to erectile dysfunction due to the fact that there could be a very serious underlying cause. The first step is to talk to the doctor and try to find the root of the problem. Dr. Allibone M.D. analyzes a detailed medical history and takes adequate tests to discover the problem and then develops a treatment route based on those results.

If hormonal issues are present, the wellness clinic will use a variety of methods to raise the male hormones and decrease estrogen levels if necessary to create the correct balance. These methods will differ based on each individual patient and can vary from the administration of bioidentical hormones to changing a diet plan. Once the male and female hormones are back to a healthy balance the performance issues improve.

If the cause of the problem is discovered to be poor vascular or physical health, treatment plans will be created to fix the exact problem. The Houston Wellness Clinic offers advanced treatments for vascular health including the extraction of lipids as well as chelation therapy. These methods aid in the recovery of vascular health and will not contribute to the problem by adding medication with threats of additional side effects. If other physical issues are present, the doctor will address these on an individual basis.

Physiological problems are the hardest to treat medically. Many times these need to be addressed on a personal level depending on the situation. However, the doctor has herbal treatments that may be discussed to aid in increasing mood or sexual desire.

Overall, the Houston Wellness Clinic will first carefully analyze the underlying forces creating the problem then use an individualized plan to treat it. Each patient’s body is different; therefore, the cause as well as the treatment plan for erectile dysfunction will be unique to that person. Using this method will drastically increase the chance of creating a long-term fix with no negative side effects.

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