Erectile Dysfunction can be a sign of a serious health condition that needs treatment

Author: Dr. Lieberman

In the United States, approximately 50 million men suffer from erectile dysfunction. As our population continues to grow and age, this number is expected to increase. In fact, the worldwide prevalence of erectile dysfunction was 152 million in 1995 — and is expected to increase to 322 million in 2025, according to the Web site edguidance.com. 

These numbers are alarming, no doubt. What’s perhaps more alarming, however, is the amount of misinformation that men have regarding this condition. When a man faces the inability to have an erection when he wants to, he will often dismisses this problem as being “in his head.” Now this can be true, but psychological issues such as stress and anxiety are usually not the only factors at work. Problems getting or keeping an erection can be a sign of a serious health condition that needs treatment, such as heart disease … poorly controlled diabetes … vascular disease …hypertension. By ignoring your E.D. you may be also ignoring a much larger threat to your overall health!

Treating an underlying health problem may be enough to reverse your erectile dysfunction. If treating an underlying condition doesn't help your erectile dysfunction, medications or other direct treatments may work. The key with treatment, however, is the credentials of the person providing it. Long story short — you should only consult trained medical doctors. Start with your primary care physician. Don’t be embarrassed and talk honestly and candidly about your situation. Usually, he or she will refer you to a board-certified urologist, like myself, who specializes male sexual dysfunction.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of seeing a urologist that specializes in male sexual dysfunction. He or she will be able to address your E.D. with all modalities of treatment, including both medical and surgical alternatives. And when it comes to surgical alternatives for E.D., make sure to evaluate the level of experience that your urologist has in this area. This is extremely critical. Choose someone like myself who has a record of successfully performing penile implant surgery for many, many years. In fact, I have the most widespread experience in penile implant surgery in the Lehigh Valley, performing implant surgery on a regular basis.