Fixing Erectile Dysfunction!

Having a proper understanding of erectile dysfunction is the first step in fixing erectile dysfunction. It’s more important than taking Viagra or any number of erectile dysfunctional drugs because it will help you determine the best long term solution to this symptom.

Notice I said “symptom” and not disease.

For the overwhelming majority of men who experience ED or Erectile Dysfunction it is a symptom of an underlining medical condition. Usually the medical condition centers on the cardiovascular system and the health of your endothelial cells.

It’s estimated that 30 million American men have some level of ED and these numbers are growing not shrinking. It’s one of the reasons why doctors are now asking adult males over the age of 40 if they’re having any problems achieving and/or maintaining an erection. I know because my doctor always asks me at my annual physical. He asks because erectile dysfunction is an early warning sign for diabetes and/or circulatory problems.

Understanding Male Anatomy in Fixing Erectile Dysfunction!
At one time ED was thought to be a mental and/or spiritual issue. While there may be a component of truth to this, more and more research is showing that erectile dysfunction is really a function of poor cardiovascular health. To better understand this let’s look at how male physiology, chemistry, and the nervous system all work together to create an erection.

In its simplest terms, an erection is the change in position of the male sex organ from a limp position to a firm, hard and upright position. When you want to move any part of your body you use muscles. Unfortunately this doesn’t work in fixing erectile dysfunction. Why? Because there are no skeletal muscular contractions involved in an erection since it’s all done by pressure. More specifically blood pressure.

The male organ contains two cigar-shaped structures called corpora cavernosa that run the length of the organ. Arteries bring blood into these two structures with veins carrying the blood away from them. In a non-erect state, the blood flow from the arteries is restricted while the veins are open to drain the blood away. When a man becomes aroused, the arterial blood vessels open up so that pressurized blood can enter the corpora cavernosa. The veins leaving the male organ are constricted. This action traps the pressurized blood allowing for the size increase, movement and full erection.

First Clue to Fixing Erectile Dysfunction!
If the arterial blood vessels leading to the male organ do not open properly, it’s almost impossible for a male to have an erection. This is the leading cause of ED in men. Prior to 1983, most doctors thought the problem was primarily mental not physical. That was until the 1983 meeting of the American Urological Association in Las Vegas. At that meeting and on stage, Dr. Giles Brindley injected his male organ with the drug phentolamine. The result was an instant erection. And to prove his point, Dr. Brindley dropped his pants to display his drug-induced erection. Needless to say not everything done in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas.

Dr. Brindley’s bold presentation showed that fixing erectile dysfunction was a physiological issue more than a mental issue. To understand what happened we need to talk about muscles. Yes, I know I said muscles were not involved. Technically speaking I’m still going to hold this position. There are three groups of muscles:

Skeletal – Skeletal muscles are those muscles that attach to the bones allowing us to move.
Cardiac – The cardiac muscle powers the heart.
Smooth – Smooth muscles are found in blood vessels, the intestines and the stomach. They usually act involuntarily.

Dr. Brindley injected himself with phentolamine. It’s a drug that relaxes smooth muscle. Because of the location where he injected himself, the smooth muscles of the arterial blood vessels relaxed allowing the corpora cavernosa to completely fill with pressurized blood. Instant and uncontrolled erection!

Second Clue to Fixing Erectile Dysfunction!
The second clue to ED centers on the body’s ability to control blood flow. Without some type of control, there would be an even amount of blood flow to most of the body. This might be OK if we were inactive vegetables but we aren’t. We are constantly on the go so the body has designed a mechanism to help divert blood flow to the areas that need it the most. Think of your circulatory system as an elaborate design of pipes with valves. These valves can control both the flow of blood as well as divert blood to the areas that need it the most.

This is going to get a bit technical but the control mechanism incorporates the following steps:

The brain sends a signal to a particular never fiber. The nerve fiber ends in an NANC nerve cell located in the artery near the point where blood flow needs to be changed. This NANC nerve cell creates nitric oxide, a potentially dangerous free radical.
The NANC nerve cell releases nitric oxide into the blood and surrounding cells.
The nitric oxide acts as a signaling molecule to stimulate an enzyme called guanylate cyclase. This enzyme keeps the nitric oxide from causing damage by using it with GTP to produce a chemical called cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP).
cGMP tell the smooth muscles of the arterial blood vessel to relax. This allows blood flow to increase.
There is another enzyme called phosphodiesterase (PDE) that deactivates the cGMP by turning it back into GTP.
When the cGMP is deactivated, the smooth muscle returns to its original constricted state.

Confused? Think of a cycle. Guanylate cyclase turns GTP into cGMP causing smooth muscles to relax. PDE turns cGMP into GTP causing the smooth muscles to return back to their constricted state. Nitric oxide turns this cycle on from a nerve impulse generated in the brain.

So, cGMP is produced as long as the brain is sending signals that initiate the production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is produced as long as there is an adequate supply of the essential amino acid L-arginine and the endothelial cells are healthy.

Third Clue to Fixing Erectile Dysfunction!
When a man suffers from ED the most common reason is lack of nitric oxide in the blood vessels of the corpora cavernosa. When a man is aroused his brain does its job by sending the proper signal to the nerves located in his male organ. The nerves produce nitric oxide but the amount of cGMP produced is not enough to maintain an erection. This lack of cGMP is usually due to damaged endothelial cells and their inability to produce sufficient quantiites of nitric oxide.

The way Viagra and most erectile dysfunction drugs solve this problem is pretty ingenious. To increase blood flow to the male organ you have three options:

Increase the amount of nitric oxide produced in the arterial blood vessels.
Increase the amount of cGMP produced in response to the nitric oxide.
Eliminate the PDE that converts cGMP back to GTP so that cGMP builds up. This causes the smooth muscles of the arterial blood vessels to properly relax and fill with blood.

Viagra uses option 3 to achieve an erection. Why PDE? Because there are 11 different kinds of PDE with only one type of PDE found in the male organ. That type is called PDE5. Talk about creative design in fixing erectile dysfunction. All Pfizer had to do was find a chemical that would selectively block PDE5 and nothing else. This chemical is sildenafil citrate. Here’s how it works:

A male takes Viagra.
The sildenafil citrate is absorbed into the bloodstream and carried throughout the body.
The sildenafil citrate attaches to the PDE5 enzyme in the male’s organ to disable it.
The male is sexually aroused and the man’s brain does its job. A signal is sent to the nerve cell in the male’s organ which produces nitric oxide.
The nitric oxide turns on the cycle creating cGMP to relax the smooth muscles of the arterial blood vessels.
Since the PDE5 is disabled the cGMP doesn’t break down but builds up allowing the arterial blood vessels to fully dilate.
The man achieves a full erection.

Great stuff when it works perfectly but there are a few minor problems.

Side Effects of Viagra!
Almost every drug made by man has side effects and Viagra is no exception. Viagra blocks PDE5 but can also affect PDE6 which is used by the cone cells in the retina. This can affect color vision. For some it changes the way they perceive green and blue colors. For others they see the world with a bluish tinge for several hours. Because of this pilots cannot take Viagra within 12 hours of a flight.

The other two main side effects are headaches and flushing. The blocking of the PDE5 can spill over to other areas of the body causing vasodilatation and increased pressure. This raises the risk for stroke and heart attack. Because of this Viagra is a prescription drug rather than an over-the-counter drug. Additionally, you need to be careful not to combine Viagra with nitric oxide producing drugs like nitrates. Always consult a qualified medical professional before taking any product like Viagra. For more information on Viagra and its use in fixing erectile dysfunction I would refer you to an excellent article by Marshal Brain entitled “How Viagra Works.”

A Natural Alternative for Fixing Erectile Dysfunction!
I’m not discounting the benefits of Viagra, Cialis and Levitra to help men with erectile dysfunction. All three, when properly used under the guidance of a qualified health professional, have been able to help males achieve an erection. But understand that these drugs are treating a symptom more than fixing erectile dysfunction.

The underlining problem is the insufficient production of nitric oxide to help start and maintain proper vasodilatation. The creation of nitric oxide occurs in the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels. When the endothelial cells are damaged by high blood pressure, high sugar levels, cholesterol, and smoking this decreases nitric oxide production. That’s why my physician asked me if I was experiencing any erectile problems. It’s a warning sign for other potential health concerns that could affect your overall wellness.

The main nutrient for the creation of nitric oxide is an essential amino acid called L-arginine. Without going into detail, L-arginine has both a good side and a dark side depending upon how it’s brought into your body. Please see the article, “Curing Erectile Dysfunction Naturally with L-arginine and Nitric Oxide!” for more details.

The natural alternative to fixing erectile dysfunction is to make sure you’re properly addressing your cardiovascular system. Maintain normal blood sugar levels, keep your blood pressure in a normal range, keep your cholesterol under 200 and stop smoking. By combining this with an adequate intake of L-arginine and L-citrulline many males have found that they don’t need to spend money on Viagra-like products to help them.

The product that I recommend is ProArgi-9 Plus. This product has been clinically shown to improve your cardiovascular system. It can naturally heal the endothelial cells, help stabilize blood sugar, properly bring L-arginine and L-citrulline into your body, naturally produce adequate supplies of nitric oxide, and do it without side effects. All of which are important for fixing erectile dysfunction!

Until next time, may we both age youthfully!

Synergistically yours,
emilia

Return from Fixing Erectile Dysfunction to Erectile Dysfunction

Return from Fixing Erectile Dysfunction to Aging No More (Home Page)

P.S. If you found this article helpful then I would also recommend the following articles:

Curing Erectile Dysfunction Naturally with L-arginine and Nitric Oxide!

Help with Erectile Dysfunction and Diabetes!

Do Herbal Remedies for Erectile Dysfunction Work?

<><><>

The information contained in this website and posted articles are for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam. The information contained in this website and posted articles has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Fixing Erectile Dysfunction!