Shockwave treatment for erectile dysfunction

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Erectile dysfunction is a condition in which a man is unable or unable to keep an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse. Frequent erectile dysfunction can be a sign of health problems that need to be treated. What treatments are there for erectile dysfunction?

1. What is Erectile Dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction is a condition in which a man is unable or unable to keep an erection long enough for sexual intercourse. It is sometimes called impotence, however the term is rarely used nowadays.
Erectile dysfunction can occur in men from time to time, especially under extreme stress, however, if it occurs frequently, it needs to be treated.
When a man is sexually aroused, the muscles in the penis relax allowing increased blood flow through the penile arteries, filling the cavities inside the penis. When the chambers fill with blood, the penis becomes erect and this ends when the muscles contract. The accumulated blood can then drain out through the veins of the penis.
There are many possible causes of erectile dysfunction, which can include both emotional and physical. Common causes include:
Cardiovascular disease Diabetes Hypertension High blood cholesterol Obesity Low testosterone levels or an imbalance of sex hormones Kidney disease Stress, anxiety, depression Psychological problems Some prescription medications, such as those used to treat high blood pressure or depression, Sleep disorders Drug use or drinking too much alcohol, beer, or tobacco Certain medical conditions such as Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis Damaged Pelvic injury after trauma or surgery Peyronie's disease (curvature of the penis) - causes scar tissue inside the penis.

2. What methods to treat erectile dysfunction?

There are many treatments for erectile dysfunction depending on the cause. Doctors may use a combination of treatments, including medication or psychotherapy. Some of the popular erectile dysfunction treatments today are:
Drugs: sildenafil (Viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis). Lifestyle changes: Quitting smoking, changing your diet and getting enough exercise can help fight erectile dysfunction. Counseling: if psychological issues, such as anxiety, stress or relationship problems are causing erectile dysfunction, it may be helpful to talk to a psychotherapist. Treat underlying health conditions: health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes can contribute to erectile dysfunction. Shock wave therapy.

3. What is shock wave therapy?

There are many options for treating erectile dysfunction and shock wave therapy is one of them. Currently, there are many studies proving the effectiveness of this method.
3.1. What is shock wave therapy? Shock wave therapy with different energy levels has long been used in orthopedics to help heal broken bones, injured ligaments and injured tendons as well as to improve wound healing. In recent times, low intensity shock wave (LISW) has been used to treat erectile dysfunction. Accordingly, the activating impulses improve blood flow and tissue regeneration in the penile penis erect enough for sexual intercourse.
Shock wave therapy is performed by placing and moving the device's wavehead along parts of the penis for 15 to 20 minutes while it emits gentle pulses. Particularly with Linear shockwave therapy (LSWT), during the treatment, only need to place the shock wave source in 4 positions: left - right at the base of the penis and left - right at the body. penis .
The advantage of the method is that the shock wave acts on the whole penis from the root to the body, so it maximizes the treatment effect. Simple treatment operation enhances operator comfort, short treatment time.
3.2. Efficacy of the method Although newly developed, but now shock wave treatment of erectile dysfunction has been applied in more than 70 countries. Countries with the world's leading medical systems such as the US, Japan, Germany, Israel, .. have conducted many trials to prove the effectiveness of this method:
According to studies, shock wave therapy is effective. better results in the treatment of vascular erectile dysfunction. Specifically, the stimulation increases the production of nitric oxide – a substance that dilates blood vessels, bringing more blood into the penis. In addition, shock waves activate intracellular cascade pathways that increase the release of angiogenesis factor. As a result, it leads to the formation of more microvessels that help increase blood flow to the penis and improve the erection ability of the penis. However, the effectiveness of shock wave therapy for other causes of erectile dysfunction remains to be seen. A 2010 pilot study found that among 20 men with vascular erectile dysfunction, all had improved erectile function after 6 months of treatment. No side effects were observed in the patients in the study group. This method is considered safe. In 2013, low-energy shock wave therapy was officially recognized by the European Society of Urology as the gold standard in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. It is also included in the Guide to the Treatment of Sexual Disorders in Men. Recent studies also show that in patients who do not respond to treatment with conventional drugs still have high response rates. The time to maintain erectile function is at least one year. Research shows that when combined with other therapies for treatment success rates are higher. Specifically, more than 90% of patients with improved erections maintained their erectile improvement for at least 12 months.

3.3. Risks and side effects of shock wave treatment? Shockwave therapy is painless for most men who have attended therapy. And as mentioned above, the studies available have found very few side effects. However, that does not mean shock wave therapy is absolutely safe. Shockwave therapy is still a relatively new therapy and more research is needed to determine side effects, complications, and long-term effectiveness.
Thus, shock wave erectile dysfunction treatment is an effective option if you have vascular erectile dysfunction. However, erectile dysfunction is a complex pathological condition, with a combination of causes such as psychological, vascular dysfunction, microvascular, ... Therefore, to treat erectile dysfunction, The doctor will perform a comprehensive examination and perform in-depth tests to come up with a specific treatment strategy suitable for each patient.
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