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It’s almost certain that you will experience some degree of erectile dysfunction in the first few months after prostate surgery — even nerve-sparing procedures — or radiation treatment for prostate cancer, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The foundation says the explanation for this is fairly simple: “The nerves and blood vessels that control the physical aspect of an erection are incredibly delicate, and any trauma to the area will result in changes to the natural order.”

But don’t give up hope. PCF says that within one year after treatment many men with intact nerves will see significant improvement in their ability to achieve an erection. Roughly 40 to 50 percent of men who’ve undergone nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy will have returned to their pre-treatment function. That number grows to nearly 60 percent with two years of treatment.

Using Viagra, Cialis, or another prescription impotence medication can help the vast majority of men who’ve undergone nerve-sparing radical prostatecomy to successfully achieve erections, according to PCF.

If it’s good for your heart, it’s good for your penis. We’re not sure who to credit for this bit of wisdom, but it’s true. Because strong blood flow to the penis is necessary to achieve and maintain an erection, anything that improves blood flow throughout the body benefits both your heart and your penis. And exercise is no exception.

The Cleveland Clinic cites a number of epidemiological studies that show a link between diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and heart disease. Lifestyle changes, such as beginning a routine of regular physical activity and eating a healthy diet, can reduce some of these risk factors and thus make it far less likely that you’ll fall victim to either heart disease or ED.

Just what form of exercise or physical activity is best for you should be decided in consultation with your doctor. Brisk walking for 20 to 30 minutes daily or using the treadmill at your gym can be a good start.

Antidepressants may lift your spirits, but in doing so they can make it more difficult for you to achieve an erection. It’s a cruel irony. Depression itself causes sexual dysfunction, but a common side effect of almost all classes of antidepressants is erectile dysfunction, according to JohnsHopkinsHealthAlerts.com.

Fortunately, the incidence of ED varies depending on the antidepressant you’re taking. In a study published in the “Journal of Clinical Psychology,” researchers found that 37 percent of those taking antidepressants experienced sexual dysfunction. The lowest rates of sexual side effects occurred among those taking Wellbutrin (22 percent) and Wellbutrin SR (25 percent).

Moderate rates — 30 to 40 percent — of sexual dysfunction were observed among those taking Celexa, Prozac, Effexor, Effexor SR, and Zoloft. Sexual side effects were highest — above 40 percent — among those taking Remeron and Paxil.

On the brighter side, a study published in JAMA showed that Viagra improved symptoms in more than half the men with antidepressant-induced ED.

There’s no shortage of natural remedies for erectile dysfunction, and I’m sure that most of them probably do work for at least some of those who’ve tried them. Few have been studied extensively to determine whether their effects are real and quantifiable in scientific terms or mostly the result of the so-called placebo effect.

For centuries, impotent males in the Far East have turned to acupuncture, a mainstay of Eastern medicine. However, WebMD reports that a South Korean review of studies on the use of acupuncture for ED concluded “the evidence is insufficient to suggest that acupuncture is an effective intervention for treating ED.”

A number of herbal remedies have reportedly worked for some of the men who’ve tried them, but there isn’t much scientific research to back up those claims. One exception is the amino acid L-arginine, supplements of which can be purchased over the counter in health stores and at your local pharmacy. Arginine stimulates your body’s production of nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels supplying the penis, thus facilitating erection.

I’ve heard that hypnosis works for some men whose erectile dysfunction is mostly psychologically rooted. However, before I spent any money on a hypnotherapist or undertook any self-hypnosis exercises, I’d have my doctor check me out thoroughly to rule out any physiological causes for my problems.

That said, I would think that hypnosis could be particularly helpful in reducing stress and performance anxiety, which often combine with physical factors to make it even more difficult to achieve an erection.

Self-hypnosis, combined with relaxation techniques, doesn’t really involve any trances but is rather a form of self-suggestion during which you spend 15 or 20 minutes clearing your mind of all else beside a goal you want to accomplish. Focusing on that goal to the exclusion of all other thoughts plants a seed in your subconscious mind that over time can help you to accomplish the goal.

In the not too distant past, it was widely believed that most erectile dysfunction had its roots in psychological problems. Although it is now recognized that the vast majority of ED can be traced to physiological causes, psychotherapy can help the 10 percent or so of men whose erection difficulties are emotional or psychological in origin.

It probably is a good idea to get fully checked out by your medical doctor to see if your impotence is physiological in nature. Even if it is physiological, there may be a psychological component to the problems that would make it helpful to talk over your fears and worries with a psychotherapist.

Among the more common psychological factors that can cause impotence, according to EverydayHealth.com, are general anxiety, depression, lack of interest in sex, and problems related to low self-esteem. Other factors that a psychiatrist or psychotherapist can address are relationship problems, problems communicating with your partner, anxiety or nervousness about sex, stress at home or at work, overly high expectations of yourself in terms of performance, and feelings of self-consciousness during sexual activity.

While I’ve never had an injection myself, I’ve heard from others that the process isn’t nearly as daunting as it seems. I’d be interested to hear others’ reactions.

Like other erectile dysfunction remedies, injections work by relaxing the smooth muscles of the penis so that blood vessels dilate and allow strong blood flow into the penis’s erectile tissue. One of the substances used most widely in penile injections is called Trimix, which combines three medications: alprostadil, phentolamine, and papaverine.

Your first few injections are almost always performed by a doctor in his or her office so it can be determined what concentration of Trimix is needed to allow you to achieve an erection. The doctor will also monitor your first couple of self-injections to ensure that you fully understand the procedure. You can read more about penile injection therapy at this site operated by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

If you’re not already familiar with it, homeopathy is a system of medicine in which practitioners treat patients “with highly diluted substances, given mainly in tablet form, with the aim of triggering the body’s natural system of healing,” according to the U.K.-based Society of Homeopaths.

The concept behind homeopathy is that you treat “like with like,” meaning that a substance that causes certain symptoms in large doses can be used in diluted form to eventually overcome those same symptoms. Homeopathic remedies are compounded out of natural substances, such as plants, minerals, or even animal matter, such as crushed bees.

To try homeopathy to treat your ED, you should visit the website of the North American Society of Homeopaths to find a practitioner located near you. Among the homeopathic remedies that have helped others to overcome their impotence are Agnus castus, Argentum nitricum, Baryta carbonica, Caladium, Lycopodium, Sabal serrulata (saw palmetto), Selenium metallicum, and Staphysagria.