About sexual dysfunction

Sexual dysfunction or sexual malfunction is difficulty during any stage of the sexual act (which includes desire, arousal, orgasm, and resolution) that prevents the individual or couple from enjoying sexual activity.

Sexual difficulties can begin early in a person's sex life or they may develop after an individual has previously experienced enjoyable and satisfying sex. A problem may develop gradually over time, or may occur suddenly as a total or partial inability to participate in one or more stages of the sexual act. The causes of sexual difficulties can be physical, psychological, or both.

Sexual desire disorders or decreased libido can be caused by a decrease in normal estrogen (in women) or testosterone (in both men and women) production. Other causes may be aging, fatigue, pregnancy, medications (such as the SSRIs) or psychiatric conditions, such as depression and anxiety.

Sexual pain disorders affect women almost exclusively and are known as dyspareunia (painful intercourse) and vaginismus (an involuntary spasm of the muscles of the vaginal wall that interferes with intercourse). Dyspareunia may be caused by insufficient lubrication (vaginal dryness) in women.

Poor lubrication may result from insufficient excitement and stimulation, or from hormonal changes caused by menopause, pregnancy, or breast-feeding. Irritation from contraceptive creams and foams can also cause dryness, as can fear and anxiety about sex.

Sexual dysfunction is more common in people who abuse alcohol and drugs. It is also more likely in people suffering from diabetes and degenerative neurological disorders. Ongoing psychological problems, difficulty maintaining relationships or chronic disharmony with the current sexual partner can also interfere with sexual function.

Impotence

The best way for men to begin solving erectile problems is by reading about men's sexual system - anatomy, physiology, diseases, drugs, diagnosis and treatments. Some problems may be solved simply and others may require a visit to your family doctor or a urologist. In either case, we encourage you to become an educated health care consumer, which should help you regardless of the cause or cure for your problem.

An erection occurs when the nervous system activates a rapid increase in blood flow. The vascular muscle in the spongy area becomes engorged with blood and the outflow of blood is cut off. An erection can occur as a reflex as we see in spinal cord patients, or can be caused by psychogenic (originating in the mind) stimulation. Numerous sexual stimuli are processed by the brain and transmitted to the penis via the nervous system.

In order to increase the size of an erection, there must be an increase in blood flow and, at the same time, the blood has to be prevented from leaving the penis.

Erectile dysfunction, also called impotence, means that a man's penis doesn't get hard enough to have intercourse. The man cannot get or maintain an erection. This condition affects approximately 30 million men in the United States. Erectile dysfunction is not the same as premature ejaculation, the inability to ejaculate (retarded ejaculation) or infertility.)

Because erections are caused by the buildup of blood in the shaft of the penis, poor blood flow in the penis can result in problems with erections. Damage to blood vessels can be caused by hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) or from trauma. Vascular disease is believed to be the most common medical cause of erectile dysfunction.

Psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, guilt or fear can sometimes cause sexual problems. At one time, these factors were thought to be the major cause of erectile dysfunction. Doctors now know that physical factors are present in most men with erectile dysfunction. However, embarrassment or "performance anxiety" can make a physical problem worse. Erectile dysfunction caused only by psychological causes is found most commonly in young men.

Many medications cause problems with sexual function, including drugs for high blood pressure, depression, heart disease and prostate cancer.

Abnormal levels of certain hormones, such as testosterone, thyroid hormone and a pituitary hormone known as prolactin, can interfere with erections and sex drive (libido). This is an uncommon cause of erectile dysfunction.

Little is known about how to prevent erectile dysfunction. However, avoiding cigarette smoking and maintaining normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels can help because smoking and high cholesterol can affect blood vessels. Men with diabetes should strive to keep blood sugar levels under control. Because certain medications have been associated with erectile dysfunction, ask your doctor about possible side effects before you start using any new prescription.

Sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra) and tadalafil (Cialis) drugs can cause minor side effects such as flushing and headache, but they have been shown to be safe in most men, including those with heart disease. However, these drugs can interact with other medications and cause dangerously low blood pressure. In particular, they should never be taken with nitroglycerin or other nitrate medications commonly used to treat heart disease. Men with enlarged prostates who take alpha-blocker drugs such tamsulosin (Flomax) or doxazosin (Cardura) should probably avoid PDE5 drugs.

If Sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra) and tadalafil (Cialis) drugs don't work or cannot be used because of potential side effects, your doctor can recommend other therapies. The drug alprostadil (Caverject, Edex, Muse) causes blood vessels to widen. This can allow blood to flow more freely in the penis, leading to an erection. The drug can be injected with a tiny needle, or a small pellet (suppository) can be inserted into the opening of the penis. Suppositories like this are effective in approximately two-thirds of men. Injections are effective about 80 percent of the time.

Terms interpreting

Anxiety

• A state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties.


• Worry or tension in response to real or imagined stress, danger, or dreaded situations. Physical reactions such as fast pulse, sweating, trembling, fatigue, and weakness may accompany anxiety.

Impotence

• The inability to achieve and sustain penile erections.

Thyroid

• A gland in the throat that produces hormones that regulate growth and metabolism.


• A large gland in the neck that functions in the endocrine system. The thyroid secretes hormones that regulate growth and metabolism.

Antihistamines

• A drug used to counteract the physiological effects of histamine production in allergic reactions and colds.

Antihypertensives

• Reducing or controlling high blood pressure.

Depression

• In psychiatry, a symptom of mood disorder characterized by intense feelings of loss, sadness, hopelessness, failure, and rejection.

Ejaculation

• The expulsion of seminal fluid from the urethra of the penis during orgasm.


• The process of ejecting semen from the penis, and is usually accompanied by orgasm as a result of sexual stimulation.

Erection

• The firm and enlarged condition of a body organ or part when the erectile tissue surrounding it becomes filled with blood, especially such a condition of the penis or clitoris.

Estrogen

• Any of several steroid hormones produced chiefly by the ovaries and responsible for promoting estrus and the development and maintenance of female secondary sex characteristics.


• Any one of a group of hormones synthesized by the reproductive organs and adrenal glands in females and, in lesser quantities, in males.

Frigidity

• The state of marked or abnormal sexual indifference.


• Sexual unresponsiveness (especially of women) and inability to achieve orgasm during intercourse.

Hormone

• A substance, usually a peptide or steroid, produced by one tissue and conveyed by the bloodstream to another to effect physiological activity, such as growth or metabolism.

Orgasm

• The peak of sexual excitement, characterized by strong feelings of pleasure and by a series of involuntary contractions of the muscles of the genitals, usually accompanied by the ejaculation of semen by the male.


• The highest point of sexual excitement, marked by strong feelings of pleasure and marked normally by ejaculation of semen by the male and by vaginal contractions within the female.

Paraplegics

• Complete paralysis of the lower half of the body including both legs, usually caused by damage to the spinal cord.

Penis

• The male organ of copulation in higher vertebrates, homologous with the clitoris. In mammals, it also serves as the male organ of urinary excretion.


• The organ of the male reproductive system through which semen passes out of the body during sexual intercourse. The penis is also an organ of urination.

Prostate

• Gland in males that surrounds the urine tube (urethra) at the base of the bladder.


• A firm partly muscular chestnut sized gland in males at the neck of the urethra; produces a viscid secretion that is the fluid part of semen.

Stress

• A state of extreme difficulty, pressure, or strain.


• A physical and psychological response that results from being exposed to a demand or pressure.

Testosterone

• A white crystalline steroid hormone, C19H28O2, produced primarily in the testes and responsible for the development and maintenance of male secondary sex characteristics. It is also produced synthetically for use in medical treatment.

Quality plastic surgery and dental care procedures for affordable prices.