Impotence treatment begins with a brief anatomy lesson. To understand how to go about fighting erectile dysfunction, it is necessary first to understand the erection, its primary parts and how they function together. But even if erectile problems are not a concern, the mechanisms of the erection should be familiar to every man, just as heavy machinery operators need to understand how their tools work.
What Happens During an Erection
The erectile tissue in the penis is like a sponge, and it becomes turgid (hard, erect) when it has absorbed all the blood it can. Consider balloons, and how much firmer they are inflated as opposed to deflated. To make sure the spongy erectile tissue retains blood, the body dilates, or widens, the blood vessels that carry blood to the penis (this is called vasodilation) and constricts, or narrows, the blood vessels that carry blood away from the penis (this is called vasoconstriction), just like a person turns on the faucet and plugs the drain when drawing a bath. More blood gets in the penis than gets out, and the result is a rapid gain in local blood volume and, in turn, engorged erectile tissue – put more simply, an erect penis.
What Viagra™, Levitra™, and Cialis™ Do
Viagra™, Levitra™, Cialis™ and other impotence treatments work by a process called selective inhibition. In selective inhibition, enzymes that normally latch on to and break down – effectively "turn off" – certain chemicals are prevented from doing so, making the effect of those chemicals last longer. In the case of erections, the chemical is a hormone called Cyclic GMP, and the enzyme responsible for stopping its action is called PhosphoDiEsterase, or PDE. Cyclic GMP is responsible for vasodilation; PDE is responsible for disposing of Cyclic GMP after it has done its job.
What You Can Do Without ED Drugs
While the above-mentioned ED drugs certainly work wonderfully and have improved the quality of life for many a man (and many a wife) there are equally effective, though not equally easy, prescription-free ways of helping the body along the erection process. All those drugs do, remember, is help blood flow. So: how does one help blood flow? Here are a couple of suggestions:
- Exercise. A powerful heart makes for powerful blood flow, and, more importantly, regular exercise causes the body to grow more blood vessels. Not only that, but the confidence boost that comes with a fit body is bound to increase feelings of attraction and arousal, inbound as well as out. Read more about the sexual benefits of exercise here.
- Nitric oxide. In 1998, three scientists shared a Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering that the chemical compound nitric oxide (or NO) plays a vital role in the cardiovascular system. Since then, it’s been discovered that nitric oxide plays a part in the chain of chemical processes that lead to vasodilation of blood vessels in the penis. In other words, while nitric oxide does not operate in a way identical to Viagra, it does operate in the exact same channel and produce the same effects. It’s also available over the counter at almost any health store.
- Pycnogenol and L-arginine. A study published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy found that when taken together, Pycnogenol, which stimulates generation of nitric oxide, and L-arginine, which serves as an enzyme substrate in NO production, produce a significant improvement in sexual function in men with erectile dysfunction, and with no side effects. Though the study was small, conducted with only 40 men, its results were crystal-clear: 92.5% of the subjects could achieve normal erections following the treatment. Ideal daily dosage was found to be 1.7g of L-arginine and 120 mg of Pycnogenol. Both Pycnogenol and L-arginine can be purchased over the counter as supplements.
- Panax ginseng. Ginseng has been prized for its health benefits for millennia but scientists have yet to figure out how exactly ginseng works. In fact, they had to create a new category of chemicals--ginsenosides--for ginseng, because its chemicals are not found elsewhere in nature. However, a recent study, with 45 men taking either 900mg of panax ginseng or a placebo three times daily, found that, following treatment, the group taking the panax ginseng generally performed significantly better in terms penetration and maintenance of erection than did the group taking a placebo. Additionally, of the men taking ginseng, three out of every five reported improved their erections. Like nitric oxide, L-arginine, and Pycnogenol, panax ginseng can be purchased as a supplement over the counter.
If neither pharmaceutical solutions nor the suggestions listed above provide any help with erectile dysfunction, the problem may not be physical. The truth is, the ability to achieve an erection has more of an emotional factor than many men would like to admit. As for successfully achieving better erections, well, that’s a pretty emotional thing, too.
Sources:
“Basic Anatomy/Physiology and the Training Effect.” Fitness the Complete Guide, Third Edition, 1 - 42. Magruder, J., Hatfield, H. & Hughes, R. (1996).
“A double-blind crossover study evaluating the efficacy of Korean red ginseng in patients with erectile dysfunction: a preliminary report.” Alternative Medicine Review, Dec 2002. B Hong, YH Ji, and JH Hong.
“Treatment of erectile dysfunction with Pycnogenol and L-arginine.” Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, May-Jun 2003, pps. 207-13. R. Stanislavov and V. Nikolova.
“Understanding How Viagra Works” Suite101.com. By Sanjiva Wijesinha. Accessed March 26, 2010.
“Nitric Oxide and Vasoldilation etc.” rci.rutgers.edu. Accessed March 26, 2010.
“The Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, 1998.” NobelPrize.org. Accessed March 26, 2010.
Thomas Acold - Thomas Acold is a teacher and writer living in Brooklyn, New York. A graduate of Yale University with a degree in English, he has written ...
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