Supporting a Partner with ED

1) Vascular — A main cause of ED is from vascular conditions that affect blood flow to the penis. High blood pressure, cardio-vascular diseases or peripheral artery diseases can all disrupt blood flow.

2) Neurological — Neurological issues can disrupt blood -flow and regulatory control to the penis. Diabetes is a common condition involved with ED which affects nerve functioning. There are host of receptors, signaling pathways, and proteins associated with the brain and spinal cord needed to achieve an erection. Previous surgeries, spinal cord injuries, strokes, multiple sclerosis, and other systemic neurological diseases can affect performance.

3) Hormonal — Unbalanced hormone levels such as low testosterone or thyroid hormones, or a very high prolactin (another pituitary hormone) may cause problems with erections.

4) Psychological — Psychological issues such as chronic stress or performance anxiety can result in intermittent difficulties and eventually re-occurring erectile dysfunction. Many men experience severe emotional pressure and fear with getting and maintaining an erection. This hinders a man’s confidence and can later develop into mental health issues, making ED more difficult to manage.

• Adjust Your Sex Life — Experimenting with  products/enhancers, massages, manual stimulation, or watching erotic things together are all ways to encourage stronger intimacy and fun. When your partner feels more at ease, excited, and comfortable engaging in sexual activity, any potential anxieties around maintaining an erection are likely to subside. It’s important to note that feeling sexually aroused and connected to your partner does not always involve intercourse or an erection. Every man will lose an erection at some point. Once you (and your partner) accept this natural occurrence, that’s where you can shift from penetrative activity to playful sexual activity. Dropping the expectation and pressure that an erection is a necessity will allow you to share intimacy in a different way.
• Educate Yourself About ED — Many women can feel that ED is a sign that their partner does not desire them like they used to. Although a lack of attraction to your partner can be a possibility of erection problems, this is usually not the case and is far more likely to be caused by other issues. Learning about the underlying causes and intricacies of ED is helpful both for you and your relationship.
• Be There For Your Partner — There’s a lot of shame, isolation, and frustration surrounded by ED. Men who have erectile difficulties can feel that they have failed themselves and the relationship. This can weigh on them emotionally, making it difficult to initiate sex or achieve a lasting erection with the fear of failing (and disappointing their partner). Instead of avoiding sexual activity altogether, it’s important to communicate with your partner and let them know they are not alone and treatment is available. Encourage them to seek help, both medical and emotional – even go to appointments together! It’s recommended that couples see a therapist or a doctor to establish a safe space to talk, as it may not be easy bringing it up at home.

For a successful erection to occur, there needs to be adequate blood flow to the penis and occlusion of the veins so that blood flow remains strong. Before specific treatments can be considered it is important to talk to a medical professional to evaluate lifestyle factors, existing conditions, current medications, and other variables that could be affecting ED. One example is smoking. Smoking constricts the blood vessels in the penis and if smoking habits are stopped, it can improve erections as soon as 2 -12 weeks.

1) Oral Medications — Oral medications licensed for the treatment of Erectile Dysfunction are members of the class known as phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors. They function to increase blood-flow to the penis but require arousal to initiate erections. See the differences of each oral treatment.

2) Low Intensity Shock Wave Therapy  — An exciting new treatment option that significantly improves the quality of erections in up to 70% of patients. This non-surgical procedure works to stimulate blood flow and help promote the development of new blood vessels and stem cell repair. There’s also some tissue regeneration and reduced inflammation.

3) Regenerative Cell Therapy: Potentially Curative, No Side Effects -Men with mild to moderate ED are the best candidates for Regenerative Cell Therapy. Regenerative Cell Therapy is a relatively new treatment option for erectile dysfunction (ED). It is one of the few options that is potentially curative, improving your base line erectile function, rather than managing it. You may be able to get and maintain a good erection without advanced planning, or with a less invasive method (e.g. only pills, without injections). Learn more about Regenerative Cell Therapy for ED.

4) Penile Injections – One of the options available for the treatment of ED is the self-injection of medication into the penis. This often sounds scary to the patient but most men will tell you that the injection doesn’t hurt at all. Some describe it as completely painless. Others report that if feels as if they have been flicked with a rubber band. The injection is extremely quick and uses a very fine needle (usually a 29 or 30 gauge). And since the side of the penis doesn’t have many pain receptors, there is little sensation.
It works like this: The medication goes into the penis with a device that’s similar to the ones used by diabetics. A disposable syringe, with a very fine needle, is placed on the injector. The device is placed against the side of the penis, and you press a button. A spring pushes a very thin needle into the penis and, at the same time, pushes the medication into the penis. Watch our video: How to use the Autoinjector for Penile Injections