FAQs

Psychological problems, such as anxiety, interfere with the erection process by distracting the man from things that would normally arouse him.

Many erection problems can be prevented or even reversed by a more relaxed approach to sex and by rediscovering sensuality. Sexual intimacy is a form of communication. If you and your partner talk about your lovemaking, it will help reduce your stress and anxiety, so that your sexual activity becomes more relaxed. Many people avoid talking about problems in their sexual relationship. It may gradually become more difficult to get and maintain an erection as you get older. However, foreplay and the right environment can increase your ability to have an erection, regardless of your age.

Yes, they both do. Smoking causes damage to blood vessels and this slows blood flow to the penis. In one study it was found that male smokers with high blood pressure and/or other risk factors were more than twice as likely to have complete ED than those who didn't smoke. If you drink alcohol, it’s best to have no more than two drinks a day. Alcohol slows down your central nervous system and can make it more difficult for you to get an erection.

Vacuum devices are small pumps attached to a cylinder you fit around your penis. Air is pumped out of the cylinder to create a vacuum, and the lowered pressure increases blood flow into the penis. The blood is trapped by rolling a special rubber ring down to the base of the penis. More fashionable versions of these rings, made from metal or studded leather, can also be bought from sex shops, if it appeals to you to make the intervention less clinical in this way. The pumps are useful for all types of erection problems (physical, psychological, or a combination of both). Vacuum pumps are generally safe, simple to operate and can be used as often as desired. However, improper use can damage your penis and so they must be used under a doctor's care. While you may need to interrupt foreplay to use them, you can also incorporate use of the pump into erotic play, making it less medical and more natural.

An erection begins with sensory and mental stimulation. Impulses from the brain travelling down the spinal column and impulses from the nerves in the penis relax smooth muscles in two spongy cylinders that run the length of the penis, parallel to the urethra (the conduit for urine and semen). When the impulses cause the muscles to relax, blood flows into spaces in the spongy tissue, and this pressure makes the penis swell out. A membrane surrounding the cylinders helps to trap the blood in the penis and maintain the erection. The penis returns to its flaccid state if the muscles contract, stopping the inflow of blood and opening outflow channels. An erection problem can occur if any of the events in this sequence are disrupted: the problem may involve mental processes, nerve impulses, or responses in muscles, fibrous tissue, veins and arteries in the penis.

Yes, while episodes of ED are common in younger men, it is much more frequently found in older men. Current statistics are not available for South Africa, but in America about 10% of men are believed to be affected. Incidence rises with age: about five percent of men at the age of 40 and between 15 and 25% of men at the age of 65 suffer from erectile dysfunction and the percentage grows to 70% as men reach 80 years of age. As men age, they typically report some loss of sexual desire as well, although neither loss of desire nor erectile dysfunction is an unavoidable feature of ageing.

Yes, it does. Especially if it was the result of a stressful situation which has been resolved, or an injury that has healed. What is priapism? In layman's terms, basically an erection that won't subside. This can be caused by anti-impotence drugs. This condition can be dangerous and can cause permanent damage to your penis. If an erection lasts for more than four hours, you need to get to a doctor immediately.