Erectile dysfunction is known in lay terminology as impotence and relates to the inability to achieve and maintain adequate penile erection which can suitably perform the function of penetration and ejaculation. Erectile dysfunction can be due to various causes, some of which can be functional and temporary, while others may be organic and of more serious nature.
Anxiety, apprehension, stress, fears, physical and emotional fatigue and side effects from medication can cause temporary erectile dysfunction. Rest, simple counseling, and explanation of the normal anatomy and physiology of penile erection usually suffice to adequately treat such causes. More serious and organic causes of erectile dysfunction include high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, heart disease, diabetes, metabolic and neurological disorders, hormonal problems, dysfunction due to trauma and accidents, physical causes like inadequate blood flow to the penis or venous leakage, and as a natural process of ageing. These causes need to be treated specifically so as to bring about an improvement in erectile dysfunction and possibly cure it.
Ayurvedic herbal treatment can be judiciously utilized to completely treat erectile dysfunction. For the simple and functional causes of erectile dysfunction, in addition to counseling, Ayurvedic herbal medicines can be utilized to remove anxiety, stress, fatigue, and help the genitourinary organs to perform at an optimum level. Ayurvedic medicines can provide temporary sexual stimulation to tide over the problem and help the affected individual to adjust to, and overcome the situation.
High blood pressure needs to be treated aggressively so that the blood pressure can be controlled and at the same time, its long term complications can be avoided or minimized. Herbal medicines are equally effective in treating high cholesterol levels and normalizing the fat metabolism of the body. Heart disease too requires to be treated aggressively so as to reduce morbidity and mortality and also help the individual resume normal sexual activity at the earliest. Diabetes mellitus and other metabolic disorders need to be given specific treatment and kept strictly under control. Hormonal disorders too need to be treated according to the known cause for the condition.
Neurological disorders can cause a dysfunction of the pelvic nerves and related organs and thereby cause impotence. Structural or congenital defects as well as trauma and vehicle accidents can cause a combination of physical and neurological dysfunction of the penis in which there is an inadequate blood flow, which prevents desired erection for the requisite time of sexual performance. Even with adequate blood flow to the penis, if the valves in the veins draining blood from the penis are incompetent, this again hampers sexual performance since adequate erection cannot be maintained. Neurological or sphincter dysfunction can also cause an incomplete ejaculation, absence of ejaculation of semen, or a retrograde ejaculation. A few individuals may have a complete ejaculation, but with no detectable or viable sperms. This can be due to azoospermia or a total lack of sperm production resulting from absence of seminiferous tubules, hormonal disorders, or a complete mechanical block.
Herbal medicines which have a specific strengthening and corrective action on the brain, the spinal cord, and peripheral nerves are required to treat neurological deficits in order to treat erectile dysfunction. Alternatively, medicines which have a specific action on the blood flow to the penis or on the valves of the draining veins are required to provide specific corrective action for maintaining adequate erection. Treatment may also be required to stimulate the production of sperms, and to normalize proper and timely ejaculation.
Depending upon the known cause for the condition, most individuals affected with erectile dysfunction require treatment for periods ranging from a few weeks to a few months. Ayurvedic herbal treatment has a significant role to play in the successful management and treatment of erectile dysfunction.
