Erectile dysfunction: A red flag for some medical conditions

Erectile dysfunction isn’t just about sex. It shouldn’t be ignored, experts say.

“New onset of erection problems is often an early sign of cardiovascular disease,” says urologist Daniel Shoskes, MD. “Erectile dysfunction can signal compromised blood flow in other parts of the body.” (see Erectile dysfunction - a harbinger of heart attack)

It can also be a sign of other medical conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and low testosterone.

Of course, besides medical conditions, there are other possible causes for ED, Cleveland Clinic reports:

Some prescription medications, which can cause difficulty getting or maintaining an erection

Use of alcohol, tobacco or other controlled substances, which can cause erection problems

Injuries to the spinal cord and surgeries on the spine or pelvic area, including procedures to treat prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate gland

Multiple treatment options are available, and your doctor will work with you to find something that works for your lifestyle. Treatment options include:

Oral medications. These include sildenafil citrate (Viagra®), tadalafil (Cialis®) and vardenafilHCl (Levitra®).

Penile injections or suppositories.

Hormone replacement. This treatment is appropriate if low testosterone is to blame.

Vacuum pumps. These should only be pumps recommended by your doctor because others may not be safe to use.

Penile implants

“ED isn’t always caused by a medical issue,” Dr. Shoskes says. “Sometimes it is a psycho-emotional issue, but we often use pills to treat it anyway because they are safe and effective for a wide swath of the population.”

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