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.