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Historically, erectile dysfunction has been seen as a problem for men in their golden years. The common conception is that erectile dysfunction is an inevitable problem for older men, as unavoidable as back problems and wrinkling skin.

While it’s true that erectile dysfunction may one day strike as you age, it’s a serious misconception that ED is only a problem for the elderly. Extensive research has found that ED is becoming more and more commonplace amongst the younger generation, and the median age for ED is lowering.

A study published in the July 2013 issue of Journal of Sexual Medicine revealed that ED is on the rise amongst younger men, with researchers finding that ED affected 26 percent of adult men under 40. After 40, the percentage of men affected by ED rose, with 50% of men in their 50s reporting ED, 60% in their 60s, and so on.

Researchers attribute this rise in ED prevalence to various factors, including more stressful lifestyles, higher rates of alcohol consumption, and depression.

While erectile dysfunction has commonly been seen as a problem exclusive to older men, the simple fact is that it’s affecting more and more young men every day.

Making positive lifestyle changes, eating better, and getting active can help you to avoid becoming a statistic as a younger man with ED.

Erectile dysfunction is an intensely personal problem, so it’s not unusual that most men aren’t too keen on talking openly about it. Losing your erection can make you feel like less of a man, which can be hard to convey to others. But if you don’t open up and talk about your problem with someone, you may find it difficult to shoulder your burden. If you’re looking for someone to talk to about your problem, here are some options.

Your doctor: When discussing your diagnosis with your doctor, express how you’re feeling. Your doctor may be able to put your fears at ease, or offer some insight into how to deal with these feelings.

A therapist: It may be awkward to talk about your bedroom problems with a therapist, but they are there to listen. Talk about how your ED is making you feel, and they can help you to develop methods and solutions for overcoming these feelings.

A close friend: Your friends may be the last people you want to know about your ED, but get past this fear and talk to a close friend. With a friend, you can have a frank, open discussion about what’s causing your ED.

Your significant other: If you’re in a relationship, you aren’t the only person the ED is affecting. If your love life has grown stagnant because of your affliction, talk openly with your partner. Together, you can come up with ideas and strategies to fight your ED and keep the spark in your relationship.

Penile implant: The last ditch erectile dysfunction cure. If you haven’t had results with medication, haven’t seen results with lifestyle changes, and have all but given up hope of ever being able to achieve an erection again, a penile implant may be right for you.

If you’re considering getting a penile implant for fight your ED, you should talk to your doctor after doing extensive research into what might be best for you. There are two types of penile implants: semi-rigid and inflatable. 

The semi-rigid implant is a series of rods that are put into the erection chamber. Because these rods are non-inflatable, the penis is always in a semi-erect state. Using these rods, the penis can be bent into position for sexual intercourse.

On the other hand is the inflatable implant. Just like the name implies, this is an inflatable cylinder that is placed in the erection chamber. A pump that fills this cylinder with saline is installed in the scrotum. When the man wishes to achieve an erection, he simply pumps the implant until he has reached an erect state.

Both implants have pros and cons. If you’ve found no luck in any other forms of ED treatment, penile implants could be your best option. 

If you find that stress, depression, or anger have been weighing heavily 0n your mind as of late, you could find these feelings slipping into your everyday life. You may not want to get out and be social, or you’ll suddenly find yourself snapping at your loved ones over seemingly meaningless things. These intense feelings can also begin to affect you physically. You might not eat as much, or you’ll find yourself getting tired. You can also lose the ability to achieve an erection.

It’s true. Your feelings play a big part on your physical wellbeing, and when they’re out of whack, your body can pay the price. Experts have found that intense feelings of depression, stress, and anger can lead to erectile dysfunction. This is due to the fact that your blood vessels contract when you’re feeling certain ways. This contraction slows the flow of blood through the body. When blood flow is slowed, the body struggles to provide the penis with a steady stream of blood, which can lead to lost erections.

If your erectile dysfunction is caused by your feelings, see a professional. A therapist or psychiatrist can help you to get to the root of your problem, and they can concoct ways for you to overcome these issues. Once you have tackled your mental hang-ups, you could see your erection return to its former glory.

When it’s time to get down to business between the sheets, you find you’re not able to rise to the occasion. When it happened the first time, you just wrote it off as a fluke. But this problem has become a little more common. You find yourself unable to achieve an erection from time to time, and you’re worried. To ensure you catch your erectile dysfunction before it becomes a serious issue, here are some warning signs that you could be developing erectile dysfunction.

Growing waistline: If you’ve been packing on the pounds lately, this could be the culprit for your newfound erectile dysfunction. Weight gain can lead to a narrowing of the arteries, which can lead to erectile complications. Get active, eat better, and your erectile problems should disappear.

New medication: Did your erectile problems strike soon after your started a new medication? Your medication could be to blame. Speak with your doctor about your problem and together you can determine what medication would work best for you without affecting your erection.

Feeling stressed: If you’ve been feeling extra stressed lately, this could be the reason behind your lost erection. It’s been found that stress can lead to erectile problems. Get to the root of your stress, find a way to overcome it, and your erection should return to normal.

The boss has been riding you about the new project at work. Your wife is insisting you need to be home in time to take the kid’s to work. You’re several days late on your insurance payment. You can feel the stress building and building, and you’re not sure if the end is in site. You’re snapping at loved ones, you feel depressed, and, worst of all, you suddenly find yourself unable to perform in the bedroom. Could stress really have affected your erection?

Yes, it could have. Stress induced erectile dysfunction is very real. As you become more and more stressed, your body’s blood pressure levels will spike and your cholesterol levels will begin to steadily rise. As these bodily functions rise, your body will suddenly struggle to supply steady blood to your penis, making it difficult to achieve an erection.

Unfortunately, stress induced erectile dysfunction can be a vicious circle. When you lose the ability to achieve an erection due to stress, you become more stress, exacerbating the problem.

To defeat stress induced erectile dysfunction, pin point what is causing stress in your life and work to deal with it. Only by finding ways to overcome your stressors can you hope to shake off your erectile dysfunction. Speak with a therapist or mental health expert to determine what you can do to lessen the stress in your life.

You’ve finally met someone that you really, truly click with. You share all the same interests. You sit for hours talking about anything and everything. You laugh at each other’s jokes. Things are going great. But you know that eventually you’re going to end up in the sheets, and you’d rather not have your partner find out then. No, you’ve decided to tell them ahead of time that you are afflicted with erectile dysfunction. It’s a delicate topic, but here are some tips to help you address it correctly.

Don’t spring it on them: You may find yourself dying to tell your partner about your ED, but you must pick the right time and place. Don’t blurt it out during dinner or while driving to a movie. Sit your partner down and carefully explain your problem to them.

Be open to questions: When your partner is told of your ED, they will more than likely have questions. Don’t shut them down when they attempt to gain more insight into your problem. Be open and welcoming to any and all questions they might have.

Get through it as a team: Explain to your partner that you’re taking medication for your ED, and that you don’t allow it to control your life. Tell your partner that you’ll need their support to help you to deal with this problem. If you approach this problem as a team, you’ll be able to overcome anything.

Every man has heard the old wives’ tales about ED medication: Pop enough, and you’ll have an erection that lasts for hours. If you take enough, you’ll be able to last for hours. Take a couple, and you’ll be better in the sack. Erectile dysfunction medication such as Cialis and Viagra are presented as wonder drugs, able to restore your erection and make you a dynamo in the sheets.

Unfortunately, that’s not entirely true. Sure, ED medication will help you to achieve an erection, but the resulting erection won’t be any kind of super erection. ED medication simply aids your body in producing an erection by widening your arteries and helping your body to overcome hurdles to get blood quickly and efficiently to your penis. It’s the same erection you’ve had your entire life, only brought on by a pill.

ED medication induced erections aren’t instantaneous, either. You won’t find yourself with a rock hard erection seconds after popping the pill. You still need to achieve your erection the old fashioned way.

So, ED medication isn’t a wonder drug that will improve your sexual prowess or make you last longer, but it can help you to achieve an erection. If you struggle to achieve an erection, look into medication. If you’re simply looking for a sexual booster, look elsewhere.