It’s often said that the two major certainties in life are death and taxes. For the mature man, a man past his 40’s, can be added the ever-likely and ever-increasing possibility of erectile dysfunction (ED), the inability to achieve and maintain an erection sufficient enough to engage in successful sexual intercourse. This condition is sometimes called sexual impotence.

For most men, particularly those at the younger end of the 40 plus scale, it may be a temporary condition that will fix itself over a short period of time. Too much alcohol, fatigue or stress are usually the main short-term causes.

However, once a man passes his mid 50’s the likelihood of regular bouts of ED increases dramatically. A medical practitioner will attempt to resolve the problem by reinforcing the need to eat a healthy diet, quit smoking, drink alcohol in moderation, get regular exercises and generally take more interest in one’s day-to-day health. If all these measures produce no long lasting results, only then will drugs be prescribed.

In the meantime, a man’s sexual self-confidence is being adversely affected with little hope of an immediate improvement. His relationship with his partner suffers, reinforcing his lack of self-esteem. In this case immediate and urgent treatment is needed.

So how would a man in his mid 50’s know he’s got a problem? What are the symptoms?

Basically if he’s having difficulty in getting an erection in circumstances when he would normally expect to, and then maintaining it long enough to have successful intercourse, then he’s got an ED problem that needs to be addressed. The sooner the better.

At one time this problem was considered to be a psychological one - 'it's all in the mind' - 'relax and everything will be alright'. However today doctors believe that if the problem is persistent, then physical factors are responsible, but aging is the most important factor in erectile dysfunction, associated with the decrease in male hormones.

Although the problem starts to become apparent in most men when they reach their mid 50’s, some men don’t suffer from it until much later in life. But for some younger men, however, they may experience temporary periods of total or partial inability, and it's these men who may need counseling about the need for a life-style change. In reality a man in his 20’s should not be experiencing ED problems, but in fact many do.

So how can a man confront and address the problem of ED? What can he do to help himself?

Just as with any other ailment, when a person begins having this problem continually, a physical examination is the first step in the treatment process. This is needed to rule out any medical problems such as high blood pressure, kidney disease, or a high cholesterol level.

Once the causes have been accepted as being part of the aging process, then the standard medications such as Viagra can be prescribed. The doctor may also suggest the patient uses one of the other options available such as vacuum devices or a penis enlarger.

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