Impotence and Diabetes
By admin at 13 February, 2009, 12:19 pm
Estimates show that about 35-75% of men with diabetes will experience at least some degree of erectile dysfunction, also known commonly as impotence, during their lifetime. This is much higher than the percentage of men who are not afflicted with diabetes.
Men with diabetes tend to develop erectile dysfunction up to 10 to 15 years earlier than men without diabetes. As men with diabetes age, erectile dysfunction becomes even more probable. Those over the age of 50 have an increased likelihood of having difficulties with an erection and it has been shown to occur in approximately 50-60% of men with diabetes. Those over the age of 70, show a 95% likelihood of having some difficulty with erectile function.
Why Do Men With Diabetes Have Impotence?
The causes of erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes are complex and normally concern problems in the nerves, blood vessels and muscle function.
In order to achieve an erection, healthy blood vessels, nerves, male hormones, and a desire to be sexually stimulated are needed. Diabetes can damage the blood vessels and nerves that control erection. Unfortunately, even if you have normal amounts of male hormones as well as the desire for sex, a firm erection might still not be possible because of one of the other functions is not working properly. Diabetes affects so many different systems in the body that even one is diagnosed as having mild diabetes, the effects on one’s sex life can still be great.
Which Treatments Are Available for Men With Diabetes and Impotence?
Men with diabetes having trouble with achieving and/or maintaining an erection can take oral medicine like Viagra, Cialis or Levitra which help to increase blood flow to and within the penis allowing most patients to achieve an erection the natural way. These drugs work on all patients the same regardless of a patient having a pre-existing condition. The only problems lie in the side effects, and these vary depending on the pre-existing condition.
However, because people with diabetes also often have problems with their heart, these medications may not be appropriate, and may even cause dangerous interactions with the medicine taken for your heart. Please talk with your doctor to help decide which treatment is best for you.
Additional treatments that should also be considered for men with diabetes include intra-cavernous injection therapy, vacuum constriction devices, intra-urethral therapy, and sex therapy. All of these treatments have their “up sides” and their “down sides,” so please choose with caution.
So which treatment is best? It depends on many factors including a man’s health and his ability to tolerate the treatment. Have your doctor refer you to a specialist (urologist) to work with you and determine the best treatment for your situation depending on all of the factors. In some cases the side effects can be minimal, as with the penis vacuum mechanisms, but the psychological factors of feeling inadequate might be too much for a patient to take. And, on the other side, though pills like Viagra are normally the easiest treatment psychologically, the physical side effects can be great if you have a pre-existing condition like diabetes.
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