Impotence Treatment Specialist Grand Rapids, MI

What is Impotence?

Impotence is a form of erectile dysfunction (ED), in which a man is either unable to achieve or maintain an erection, or to ejaculate. The severity of ED can vary; some individuals may be completely unable to achieve an erection, while others may have inconsistent ability to do so, or may only be able to maintain erections for short periods of time.

According to The Merck Manual, about 50% of men ages 40 to 70 experience erectile dysfunction at some point. Despite how common ED is, it can cause men unnecessary embarrassment and stress, as well as relationship issues. This is why our healthcare practitioners at Grand Rapids Men's Clinic are proud to offer you treatments for ED. To learn more about impotence treatment, call ☎ (616) 426-6163 or contact us online today!

Causes of Impotence

There are many different conditions and factors that may contribute to impotence. Impotency can be caused by physical conditions related to the cardiovascular system, such as:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High cholesterol or high blood pressure
• Blood vessel diseases (such as peripheral vascular disease)
• Drug abuse, which can damage your blood vessels

Neurological disorders that may cause impotence include:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Brain or spinal tumors
• Multiple sclerosis
• Stroke or seizures
• Nerve damage due to surgery for prostate and bladder cancer

Other physical causes of male impotence may include:

• Obesity
• Peyronie's disease, in which scar in the penis causes curved, painful erections
• Hormonal imbalances, as hormones fluctuate with age
• Prostate enlargement, a normal part of aging for many men
• Injury to the pelvis, bladder, spinal cord, or penis that requires surgery

Additionally, the risk of impotence increases with age, starting for some around the age of 40. Certain medications may also make men sexually impotent include:

• Blood pressure and heart medications
• Beta-blockers, such as carvedilol
• Cancer chemotherapy medications
• Medications that affect the central nervous system
• Synthetic hormones like leuprolide
• Antidepressants and other psychiatric medicines like tranquilizers
• Antihistamines
• Opiate painkillers

Lifestyle and emotional factors that may cause ED include:

• Relationship problems
• Depression or fatigue
• Performance anxiety
• Stress

Impotence Treatment

As there are numerous causes for impotency, there are also numerous treatments available as well. Our staff at Men’s Clinic will help you decide which treatment is best for you.

Psychological counseling may also be able to help you if you are impotent due to psychological issues like performance anxiety or depression. Acupuncture may also prove to be a successful ED treatment. Lifestyle changes may also help alleviate impotence; some of these changes include:

• Quitting smoking
• Drinking less or no alcohol
• Exercising more
• Following a healthy diet

If counseling, lifestyle, or acupuncture prove unsuccessful, medication may be needed. Orally-taken prescription medications used to treat impotence include sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil. While these pills work for about 80% of men, side effects may include headaches, stuffy noses, and muscles aches. You should also avoid these drugs if you are also taking nitrate drugs for heart disease, or alpha-blockers for prostate problems or blood pressure. If oral medications will not work for you, alprostadil injections, or pellets placed into the penis (suppositories), may be able to boost blood flow and cause an erection within 2 minutes.

If all other treatments prove unsuccessful, vacuum devices or surgery may be needed. A vacuum device is worn on the penis to improve firmness by boosting blood flow, and can be used to help you restore normal blood flow to the penis. Surgery to treat impotence may include placing an implant into the penis, or undergoing vascular reconstruction surgery to improve blood flow into the penis and prevent venous leak, in which blood flows out of the penis and back into the body.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction is a condition that prevents a man from either achieving or maintaining an erection or ejaculating. The severity of ED can vary; some individuals may be completely unable to achieve an erection, while others may have inconsistent ability to do so, or may only be able to maintain erections for short periods of time.

What causes impotence?

Impotence can be caused by a number of different conditions and factors, such as cardiovascular diseases like high cholesterol, neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease, performance anxiety, and certain medications, such as those for blood pressure.

How common is ED?

According to The Merck Manual, about 50% of men ages 40 to 70 experience erectile dysfunction at some point.

Consultation with Grand Rapids Impotence Specialist

We at Grand Rapids Men’s Clinic are dedicated to helping give our patients healthy, satisfying sex lives. Call ☎ (616) 426-6163 or contact us online to make an appointment and begin your impotence treatment today!