Viagra and it's Origin
The word VIAGRA immediately conjures images of successful male sexual health.
However, Viagra is just a simple drug that acts to effectively
correct Erectile Dysfunction which is the main reason for Impotence in
men. You would be aware that there is a difference between
the Generic and Brand Drug Names. Viagra is the brand name,
while "Sildenafil Citrate" is the drug name. Sildenafil Citrate
acts to block an enzyme called Phosphodiasterase-5 which is
responsible for Erectile Dysfunction.
Male erecti
le dysfunction is the inability to maintain an erection that
is sufficiently hard or that fails to last long enough for
satisfactory sexual intercourse for both partners. Premature
ejaculation is not necessarily a sign of erectile dysfunction.
Low sex drive can be associated with erectile dysfunction,
particularly if there is an underlying hormonal disorder, but in
the majority of cases, the patient seeks advice because libido
is maintained while performance is not. It is a common problem
that men suffer, causing progressive difficulty with increasing
age.
Overall, approximately 1 man in 10 is affected by ongoing
erectile dysfunction.
An erection occurs in stages. To start an erection, the brain
sends messages that control hormone levels, the nerves and the
blood vessels. If any factors interfere with this messaging
system, one of these parts of the system will fail and a poor
quality erection will result.
The first visible part of an erection is called the tumescent
stage. During this stage, the cavernosal bodies (corpora
cavernosa) in the shaft of the penis start to fill with blood
and the penis becomes swollen but is not usually hard enough for
sex. As these cavernosal bodies fill up with blood, they squash
the veins within the penis against the fascia (membranes) inside
the penis. Blood is trapped within these blood vessels, which
makes the penis hard and erect.
Erectile dysfunction can have either a physical or a
psychological cause. Most commonly, both causes contribute to
difficulties. Psychological causes include stress, depression or
any form of anxiety. Erectile difficulties can in themselves
cause a psychological state ('performance anxiety') that
increasingly interferes with the erectile process. Although
psychological factors often contribute to the problem in all age
groups, physical causes become more common with increasing age.
As a general rule, erectile dysfunction due to psychological
causes has a more sudden onset than that caused purely by
physical factors, which develops more progressively.
Common physical causes include diabetes (which can result in
erectile dysfunction in men as young as the early 40s) narrowed
or blocked arteries , hormone deficiencies, certain medicines,
neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis or spinal
cord injuries , previous abdominal and pelvic surgery, including
prostate operations.
The choice of therapy depends on the underlying cause, and
includes: treatment of specific psychological causes, such as
depression, psychosexual counseling, hormone treatment,
treatment with medicines, vacuum devices and surgery.