Alternative Medicine for Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile Dysfunction

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While the first step should be to your doctor to ensure that you are healthy, the next step may be to finding the right alternative medicine for your ED. Many men face erectile dysfunction and they are quite capable of overcoming this problem. The good news is that many of these alternative treatments are very much a healthy option for you.

What Options Work?

Sometimes, the best treatments for conditions like erectile dysfunction are medications. However, some may have side effects or may not work the way you want them to. For this reason, it is a good idea to know what other solutions there are.

  • Acupuncture can be one of those solutions. This method allows for improving the positive blood flow through the body. It is an ancient Chinese method used today by trained professionals.
  • Sometimes, you may be able to get a boost from nutrients. Some good options to consider include Korean red ginseng, also known as Panax ginseng, Yohimbine, Ginkgo and L-arginine. Talk to your alternative medicine provider for more information on dosing.
  • Get healthy. In some cases, you can boost your sexual health by losing 10 percent of your body weight. You can also see improvements by not smoking and avoiding too much alcohol.

For many men, there is help for overcoming ED. It is up to you, though, to find the solution that is right for your specific needs. Take the time to talk to your doctor. Be sure you are healthy. Then, consider these alternative treatments that can help you get back on track.

 

What is Intra cytoplasmic Sperm Injection or ICSI?

Commonly used for male infertility issues, ICSI is the proceedure of injecting a single sperm into an egg in order to bring about fertilization.  It also can be used when it is overly hard for a sperm to penetrate the egg cell, or when a sperm donor is needed in order to produce a child. It is also an effective procedure when dealing with teratozoospermia. Even with severe abnormal sperm morphology, ICSI has been useful in obtaining a few sperm cells that have normal morphology and make it possible to have a much higher success rate.

This technique was first used in Brussells at the center for Reproductive Medicine. The procedure is done under the use of a microscope. A holding pipette is used to hold the egg cell, while the sperm is sucked into a small glass tube, and then is injected into the egg.  The egg is then put into cell culture and then is checked the following day for fertilization.

There are few factors that can influence success or failure:

  • Semen Quality
  • Advanced Maternal Age
  • Comet Assay

ICSI is considered a safe solution for male infertility, however, there is the possibility of increased risk of certain genetic abnormalties. Most of these are inherent with some low sperm count patients. About 5% of these men can have missing DNA in there Y chromosone. One of these issues is the possibility of low sperm count in the offspring if it is a male. About 1-4% of children born through natural means are born with major malformation, and there does not appear to be an increase for those that were created through ICSI instead. The medical research on this has conflicting studies.  Some say there is no increase for birthdefects then there are for the natural creation of children, others say that there is a slight increase.  Couple considering ICSI and IVF should keep this in mind.

ICSI is a wonderful breakthrough, that has allowed many couples to have children of their own that they would not have been able to have any other way.

Reasons People Try Alternative Medicine

A lot of people choose alternative forms of medicine instead of going with regular medicine. Here are some of the reasons why they choose to go with alternative medicine.

  • Natural – The first reason that people choose alternative medicine is that it’s often more natural than other forms. This is important for people who have religious beliefs that are against taking different kinds of medicine.
  • Not Working – The second reason that people choose alternative medicine is that maybe the other stuff isn’t working.   If they’re desperate and they don’t know what to do, then they are looking for other things that they can do.
  • Curious – The third reason that people choose alternative medicine is that they are curious about whether or not they work. Maybe someone else has tried it and they told the person about it, so they want to give it a try.
  • Alternative – The final reason that people choose to try alternative medicine is that they are looking for something different to help them with their problems.  Maybe they’re tired of the pills and other things that the regular medicine is going to give them and they are looking for another way.

These are four reasons that people are trying alternative medicine.  If you are interested in trying it, chances are that you are familiar with these reasons because one of them is your reason for trying them.   Alternative medicine is a good idea if you are interested. Just give it a try and see what it has to offer.

Treatments for Erectile Dysfunction without Drugs

Drugs that treat erectile dysfunction like Viagra, Levitra or Cialis are not always an option for some people. Here are just a few alternatives available.

The pump or vacuum therapy is another option. The penis is placed into a tube and then air is manually pumped out. The near vacuum created draws blood into the erectile tissue, causing an erection. While this method may help generate an erection in the beginning, it will not maintain it once the pump is removed.

A constriction ring (or “cock ring”) is often used in conjunction with a pump. A cock ring slows down the flow of blood to and from the penis (although it should not be so tight as to cut off circulation altogether). It cannot increase blood flow, so it will not help the initial erection, it will help maintain an erection once it has been achieved.

Surgery is usually the last resort for most medical conditions. Doctors try to avoid it if at all possible because there are inherent risks every time someone goes under the knife.  Nevertheless, if all else fails there are surgical options. Vascular surgery is almost never done. It is in effect a type of bypass surgery but very few surgeons in the United States actually perform them.

Implants, on the other hand, are becoming more common. The effectiveness of implant is improving all the time.  An inflatable implant is an empty cylinder that is filled with a saline solution from a reservoir by a pump. There is another type of implant that does not use a saline solution or pump. It is a solid tube made of a semi-rigid material. It is manually manipulated into an erect or flaccid position. Unlike the inflatable implant, this usually results in a permanent partial erection. This can usually be disguised by a jock strap or tight shorts.

High Blood Pressure and Erectile Dysfunction

Mercury manometer.

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Because blood flow affects a man’s ability to get and maintain an erection, high blood pressure (hypertension) can be a contributing factor to erectile dysfunction. You must treat your high blood pressure before you can treat erectile dysfunction.

Unfortunately, since they impact blood flow, some drugs that treat high blood pressure may also cause or contribute to erectile dysfunction. Many men who experience erectile dysfunction, or other side-effects for that matter, will stop taking the medication. This is especially true when the high blood pressure itself was causing no noticeable problems. People can suffer from high blood pressure for years without obvious symptoms.

Here are just a few examples of blood pressure drugs that may contribute to erectile dysfunction:

  • Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors: These help to increase blood flow by widening blood vessels.
  • Beta Blockers: These can change the body’s response to certain nerve impulses which can lower heart rate.
  • Alpha Blockers: These also work by changing response to nerve impulses. In this case, the impulses to blood vessels. Alpha Blockers are usually used in conjunction with other drugs.
  • Calcium Channel Blockers: These work by increasing the supply of oxygen to the heart and relaxing blood vessels.
  • Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs): Angiotensin II contract the muscles around blood vessels, causing narrowing of the vessel and an increase in pressure.  ARBs block the effect of Angiotensin II.

If you believe your blood pressure medication is causing erectile dysfunction, you should consult with your doctor. You should absolutely not stop taking any medication on your own accord. The solution may be as simple as adjusting dosage. Trying alternative drugs may also help. You may have to accept that results won’t be immediate. Don’t assume it is the drugs. It may be your high blood pressure and not the drugs that care causing the problem, in which case, getting your blood pressure under control is the only real solution.

Yohimbe

viagra is a commercial produced medicine conta...

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Viagra works by increasing blood flow to the blood vessels. As a result, is can be dangerous for patients with certain heart or blood pressure disorders. Like all drugs, there are some side-effect and can interact badly with other medications, such as anything with Nitrates. Viagra can also be expensive and not all insurance policies cover it. For these reasons, men are often on the lookout for more natural alternatives to Viagra. One such alternative is Yohimbe.

Yohimbe is actually the name of a tree (Pausinystalia Yohimbe) that is found in such African countries as Camaroon and Zaire. Yohimbine, a chemical extracted from the bark of said trees, is used to make the drug.

Yohimbe can also increase blood flow but that does not mean it works the same way as Viagra. Viagra works fairly quickly. Doctors usually recommend taking Viagra from half an hour to an hour prior to sexual activity. Doctors prescribing Yohimbe suggest taking it between one and three hours prior. Like Viagra, the effects can last for several hours.

Yohimbe is not used exclusively for erectile dysfunction. Because it works by increasing blood flow, it has been used as an athletic performance enhancer. Some dieters also take it as a fat burner or a body building supplement although there is no clinical evidence Yohimbe actually works as such.

Unfortunately, Yohimbe is hardly side-effect free. People taking Yohimbe can be at risk for heart disease, kidney failure, dizziness and, in some cases, panic attacks. Higher doses in particular are unsafe. Despite this, interest for Yohimbe seems to be in the rise. Yohimbe has been approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). Like all drugs, it is important to contact your doctor before taking Yohimbe. Additional information can be found at the National Library of Medicine website.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/759.html

Cataracts can be Avoided

Cataract surgery performed, IOL inserted. Note...
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Sunglasses are an everyday item that for a lot of people fall into the mantra recited before leaving the house. It goes something like, ‘keys, wallet or purse, cell phone and sunglasses. Not only do shades look cool just about anywhere on anyone, they also provide UV protection, which is important to long term eye care. Sunglasses are one of the few things that can look cool while being functional!

Unfortunately, not every generation seems to have applied the knowledge of what the sun’s rays can do to the eyes. Entire generations of those residing in assisted living facilities have come to need cataract surgery to remove the light blocking film which begins to cloud the eye, blocking the entrance of light. This blockage eventually leads to blindness, and surgery is the ultimate solution to retain eyesight. The strange thing about the process is that a cataract surgery patient ends up wearing sunglasses, and quite unfashionable ones at that, following their surgery! This it why it really doesn’t make sense to not wear sunglasses regularly if one lives in a typically sunny place, where the cloud cover is minimal and UV exposure is at its maximum. There is, for example, a lower instance of cataract surgeries being done in the rainy United Kingdom than in the sunny reaches of Florida.

So while some people may be under the impression that sunglasses are just for a hip younger crowd, the fact is that sunglasses really belong as a key staple in everyone’s wardrobe. They’re as important for everyday daily wear as helmets are for motorcyclists or seat belts for drag racers. Using protective devices is important when one desires to enjoy the full use of all of their faculties well into their advanced age. Even using an inexpensive pair of sunglasses rated UV 100 will extend one’s eyesight for years over having no eye protection.

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Viagra without any prescription

As Viagra is well known prescribed drug used to treat erectile dysfunction or in other words in the treatment of impotency, it should always be taken under prescription. Viagra is an oral pill which is generally used before an hour to 30 minutes before going on for a sexual activity. Some people are used to save their medical costs and use the drug without consulting a medical practitioner. Many people hesitate to buy this pill in the market while some other people feel embarrassed in aspect to talk to a doctor about impotency or incapability to have a sexual activity and try to buy this medicine online.

Without taking a prescription one would not be able to identify whether getting an actual Viagra or taking something else in place of it and thus are unable to get proper effect of this novel medicinal drug. As the medicine is not suitable for everyone who takes it, to buy Viagra without any prescription or without consulting a doctor, all goes in vain and could also lead to some dangerous or even life threatening side effects. Thus, Viagra should be taken under a health-care provider as it takes in an account of all medical aspects including age and other medical disorders. Taking Viagra without any prescription may result in some problems which can include headache, blushing of face, digestive disorders, back pain, nasal congestion and even joint pain. In some cases when the effect is severe the use of Viagra can also result in serious problems which make disorders in heart, brain or in blood vessels. In cases like this the effects occur during or after sometime after a sexual activity. The side effects may result in heart attack, sudden death due to neural failure, serious regular heart rhythms known as “arrhythmias” and heart strokes.

Viagra: The Precautions

Erectile dysfunction is a continual disability to get or to keep on an erection for a sexual intercourse. Viagra is a prescribed drug which is used in treatment of erectile dysfunction sometimes also referred to as impotency and can also be in total incapability to achieve an erection. The major component in Viagra is sidenafil citrate. Sildenafil citrate is the main component of drugs which are used to treat erectile dysfunction.

The persons having erectile dysfunction when took treatment of Viagra, reported that 88 % of them made improvements in their erection. As erection is made due to flow of more blood to the penis, the medicine works as a chemical which is responsible to reverse the erection mechanism by allowing the blood to flow out of the penis. Viagra is an oral medicine which is usually used whenever it is needed and is prescribed usually before an hour of sexual activity. But in most of the cases Viagra shows its effects within 30 minutes. Thus it is a prescribed drug usually given in the treatment of men in erectile dysfunction. For the men who are taking scheduled drugs containing nitrates like nitroglycerine should not use Viagra because if they will be took together the resultant blood pressure will be lowered down too much.

Viagra is a drug made for treating erectile dysfunction in men, thus should not be used by the women and children. Men having medical disorders like sickle cell anemia, leukemia, multiple cell myeloma or abnormal shaped penis are not able to take effect of Viagra on them. Generally Viagra is a medicine which is used in treatment of erectile dysfunction thus is mostly well tolerated but sometimes can also have side effects which are temporary as headache, digestive problem, urinary tract infection, stuffy nose and temporary visual problem as increased sensitivity to light.

Viagra: Dosage and Effects

Viagra is available only on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner and is basically used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction by the means of sildenafil citrate. Viagra is present in different concentrations in market but when a medical practitioner prescribes to take a certain dose after taking into account various factors such as age and other medical considerations only then he prescribes an effective dose. Although it is available in market in varying strengths, it is typically started from 50 mg. Viagra can be taken before 4 hours to 30 minutes before to go on for a sexual activity. Considering the effects and side effects of the drug only a medical practitioner can prescribe to increase or decrease the dosage in order to provide its maximum benefit.
The maximum dosage of Viagra prescribed is of 100 mg. Whatever the strength which Viagra provides it should be taken under well supervision and the drug can be taken as an oral pill which can be taken after having or without having a meal, but should not be taken more than once a day. As a drug used for treatment of erectile dysfunction, Viagra should not be practiced on women, new born or children. Sometimes a medical practitioner can also prescribe Viagra other than the treatments of sexual incapability, these types of usage are known as off-label usage of the drug Viagra. Thus, Viagra can also be prescribed by a health care taker in off label usage such as in treatment of high blood pressure in the artery which carries blood to the lungs, the disease is well known as “pulmonary hypertension” and can also be used in Raynaud’s phenomenon. By the regular use of Viagra one can also become an addict of Viagra and will use Viagra before sexual activity but can face its ill effects.