Erectile Dysfunction Causes and Care

Erectile dysfunction is awkward to raise. This page lays out what the sources say about its causes and where a first step belongs.

Is this one safe to leave alone?

Not as a private nuisance. The site medlineplus.gov states that ED can be a sign of health problems. It may mean your blood vessels are clogged. It may mean you have nerve damage from diabetes.

A symptom that may point to blood vessels or nerves deserves a medical look, even when everything else feels fine.

The heart connection

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine ran a news item titled Erectile Dysfunction May Be First Sign of Heart Trouble. Treat that headline as a reason to mention ED at your next checkup, not as a diagnosis you can make yourself.

Treatments pitched before causes are checked

Some clinics lead with a procedure. One example is the Priapus shot, which the site my.clevelandclinic.org covers in Priapus Shot (P-Shot): PRP, How It Works, Benefits and Risks. Read how it works and what it risks before you agree to anything, and ask whether anyone has looked for the cause first.

Where self-care stops

You can read, make a list of questions and write down how long this has gone on. Sorting causes from cures is a clinician's job. Call your own doctor first and let that visit decide what comes next.