Erectile Dysfunction Specialist

What is erectile dysfunction?

Men have erectile dysfunction when they can't have an erection or can't maintain an erection long enough to have sexual intercourse. Most men occasionally have temporary erection difficulties, often due to fatigue, stress, or relationship problems. But if you keep having erectile dysfunction, you need medical attention to improve the problem.

What causes erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction often develops due to an underlying health condition, such as:

• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Low testosterone
• Cardiovascular disease
• Peyronie’s disease
• Neurologic disease
• Diabetes
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Obesity

The problem often occurs when blood flow in the penis is limited, or you have damaged nerves. You need a healthy nerve response to send blood into your penis, and the extra blood causes a firm erection.

Of all the possible causes, clogged arteries are one of the most common. Fatty plaque can build up in any artery in your body, including those carrying blood to your penis.

How is erectile dysfunction treated?

Your provider begins by treating any underlying conditions contributing to your erectile dysfunction. In most cases, normal sexual function returns after they take care of the cause.

However, Raritan Family Healthcare also offers treatments that directly treat erectile dysfunction and allow you to have erections. They provide therapies such as:

Oral medications

Sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil (Cialis®), vardenafil (Levitra®), and avanafil (Stendra®) are oral medications that trigger an erection after you become sexually aroused.

Injected and intraurethral medications

A medication called alprostadil causes an erection shortly after you inject it into your penis or insert a suppository into your urethra.

Hormone replacement therapy

Some men develop erectile dysfunction when they have low levels of testosterone. If that's the underlying problem, your provider prescribes hormone replacement therapy to restore normal levels.

Vacuum erection device

The device uses suction to increase blood flow into your penis and cause an erection. The device consists of a simple plastic tube that you place over your penis. Then a pump creates the vacuum, and you place a ring on your penis to sustain the erection.

If you need help with erectile dysfunction, don't hesitate to visit Raritan Family Healthcare. Call the nearest office or book an appointment online today.