Erectile dysfunction or impotence is plaguing an increasingly large number of men in the world today. When diagnosed with impotence, always seek a specialist’s help. Erectile dysfunction is a curable and the various possible forms of treatment must be talked about with a proper expert before pursuing a course of treatment.

The different types of impotence affecting adult males are as follows:

Venogenic – A normal erection is characterized by proper blood flow to the penis. But in some cases, the penis leaks blood making the formation of a natural erection impossible. In some cases, the veins carrying blood to the penis clamp down stopping the blood circulation to and from the penis. This is the most common form of impotence. In some cases, the venal disorders exist from birth making it impossible for the carriers to have normal erections. In some cases, these disorders may develop after years of seemingly healthy sexual activity.

Neurogenic: The neural network connecting the penis to the rest of the nervous system is very delicate. In some cases, this network may get damaged due to injuries to the back or pelvic area.

Psychogenic: There are many psychological traumas which can cause impotence. This type of impotence is usually caused by great stress or other such pressing psychological issues.

Diabetic: Over half of all diabetic males have experience with some or the other type of impotence. Whenever a diabetic patient’s blood contains more than the acceptable level of something known as HBA1C, the patient needs to switch medication and diet.

Arteriogenic: When the arteries responsible for carrying blood to the penis narrow, sometimes not enough blood flows to the penis to sustain a healthy erection. This is a common problem with elderly and diabetic patients. Interestingly, this type of impotence is also common in bicycle riders who may sometimes develop an artery clot due to constant friction in the groin area.

Hormonal: This type of impotence occurs when there is an imbalance of testosterone and estrogen in the person’s blood. This is a fairly uncommon cause of impotence and it mostly affects the sex drive rather than the erection itself.

Other: In addition to the above, there are some other causes of impotence, such as excessive smoking and addiction to pornography. The latter is peculiar because the patients can experience a proper erection when in the process of watching a pornographic film, but are unable to maintain an erection during an actual sexual act. Ageing is also a major cause of impotence. Older males find it increasingly difficult to attain and sustain healthy erections. Invasive surgery and radiation treatment in the pelvic area may also increase the chances of erectile dysfunction. Cancers of the bladder and the prostrate often involve removing tissue and nerve matter in the vicinity of a tumor, making it more likely to cause problems with attaining erections.

The type of treatment depends upon the cause of impotence. For impotence caused due to hormonal imbalances, testosterone supplements may be used. However, most treatments for erectile dysfunction are temporary, meaning they suppress the problem just long enough to perform sexual activity without actually treating the underlying condition. These medications can be ingested orally or injected into the bloodstream. They stimulate the formation of nitric oxide which in turn stimulates blood flow into the corpora cavernosa.

When medicinal treatments fail, a device called a penis pump which uses a vacuum based system to pump blood into the penis to attain an erection can be made use of. As a drastic measure when conventional treatments fail, prosthetic implants may be inserted into the penis which allows the resumption of normal sexual activity.

Regular exercise is recommended to delay the onset of erectile dysfunction. Yoga, and other forms of aerobic and cardio workouts are known to prevent impotence. In particular, a discipline of exercises known as “Kegel exercises” has been found to be particularly effective in combating the condition of impotence. Kegel exercises are aimed at strengthening the pelvic muscles by alternatively contracting and relaxing them. They have been proven to restore normal erectile function in some cases.

The most commonly used prescription drugs for the treatment of impotence are sildenafil, vardenafil, alprostadil and Cialis. In addition to these medications, there are several other forms of alternative medicine which are said to help with curing erectile dysfunction, but these are as yet to gain official approval from the FDA.