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ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION (Impotence) | Cause, Diagnosis, Diet & HOMEOPATHY

Thursday, June 28, 2012 · Posted in , ,

                Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. It is also called Impotence.
A penile erection is the hydraulic effect of blood entering and being retained in sponge-like bodies within the penis. It is not necessarily a normal part of aging. The process is often initiated as a result of sexual arousal, when signals are transmitted from the brain to nerves in the penis. Erectile dysfunction is indicated when an erection is difficult to produce.
Disorders such as erectile dysfunction (ED) and female sexual dysfunction are becoming increasingly more important as a result of the aging population and newer therapies.

What Causes ED?

We can classify the causative factors as given below.


Vascular causes               
Vascular diseases account for nearly half of all cases of ED in men older than 50 years. Vascular diseases include atherosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, myocardial infarction, and arterial hypertension.
·         Atherosclerosis
·         Peripheral vascular disease
·         Myocardial infarction
·         Arterial hypertension
·         Vascular injury from radiation therapy
·         Vascular injury from prostate cancer treatment
·         Blood vessel and nerve trauma (eg, due to long-distance bicycle riding)
·         Medications for treatment of vascular disease
Systemic diseases          
·         Diabetes mellitus
·         Scleroderma
·         Renal failure
·         Liver cirrhosis
·         Idiopathic hemochromatosis
·         Cancer and cancer treatment
·         Dyslipidemia
·         Hypertension
Neurologic causes          
·         Epilepsy
·         Stroke
·         Multiple sclerosis
·         Guillain-Barré syndrome
·         Alzheimer disease
·         Trauma
Endocrine conditions    
·         Hyperthyroidism
·         Hypothyroidism
·         Hypogonadism
·         Diabetes
Respiratory disease       
·         Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
·         Sleep apnea
Psychiatric conditions  
·         Depression
·         Widower syndrome
·         Performance anxiety
·         Posttraumatic stress disorder
Penile conditions           
·         Peyronie disease
·         Epispadias
·         Priapism
Nutritional states           
·         Malnutrition
·         Zinc deficiency
Hematologic diseases  
·         Sickle cell anemia
·         Leukemias
Medications     
·         Antihypertensives
·         Antidepressants
·         Antipsychotics
·         Antiulcer agents (eg, cimetidine)
·         5-Alpha reductase inhibitors (eg, finasteride, dutasteride)
·         Cholesterol-lowering agents
Surgical procedures       
·         Brain and spinal cord procedures
·         Retroperitoneal or pelvic lymph node dissection
·         Aortoiliac or aortofemoral bypass
·         Abdominal perineal resection
·         Proctocolectomy
·         Transurethral resection of the prostate
·         Radical prostatectomy
·         Cryosurgery of the prostate
·         Cystectomy
Lifestyle habits
·         Smocking
·         Alcohol conception
·         Lack of exercise
ED has a high prevalence in men over than 50 years. The incidence increase with aging and its ethiology appears to be multifactorial. The anamnesis and detailed physical evaluation ought to be performed in order to detect the main etiological factors. The best approach to obtain better results is to identify the main etiology. A multidisciplinary evaluation should be recommended for all patients.

( Read ; Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia | Cause ,symptoms , Lab tests & Diet )


How ED is diagnosed?

                There is no specific test to diagnose ED. Routine blood examination is done to exclude infections.
History:-  Sexual functioning in a male is goes through these phases- arousal (libido), erection, orgasm, ejaculation, and a refractory period. The history taking is aimed to find out in which stage the patient is suffering from.
                In history taking, the doctor will be asking you about the past medications, surgery and any emotional disturbances you might have gone through.
Physical examination:- After history taking the patient is examined physically to find out the systemic causes.  If penis is not sensitive to physical touch, a problem in the nervous system may be the cause.
If there is abnormal secondary sexual characters like unusual hair growth and well developed breast , the cause may be from hormone disturbance.
Psychological examination: -interview and a questionnaire with the subject will help to rule out the psychological cause. Both the partners are interviewed in this.
Other tests: - Monitoring erections that occur during sleep-nocturnal erections-can help rule out certain psychological causes of ED. A normal healthy individual has involuntary erection during sleep. If it is absent the cause is physical.

How to treat ED?

The treatment starts after finding out the cause. Simple lifestyle rearrangement and modification will show wonders in your sexual life. The patient should quit smoking and alcohol conception and should engage in some physical activities for better results.
                Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE-5) like sildenafil citrate (Viagra®),vardenafil HCl (Levitra®), tadalafil (Cialis®) are the commonly used drugs to treat ED.  These drugs work by relaxing the muscle cells in the penis allowing for better blood flow and production of a rigid erection.
The most common side effects are headache, stuffy nose, flushing and muscle aches. In rare cases, sildenafil can cause temporary blue-green shading of vision.

Diet to prevent ED

·         Drinking water can help flush your system but also flush cholesterol that may clog penile arteries. You should drink 100 ounces per day.
·         Eat smaller meals (about the size of your fist). You should eat about 5-6 meals daily.
·         Eating vegetables is extremely important for the vitamins, minerals and especially the fiber. The fiber will help flush the body.
·         Keep your dairy products to a minimum because of the high levels of cholesterol.
·         Avoid caffeinated beverages that may cause higher levels of stress.
·         You should eat lean meat and seafood. Avoid red meats which can clog arteries.
·         Bran cereal is great in the morning for fiber.
·         Supplement foods with high levels of zinc. Zinc deficiency is common in ED sufferers. You can get plenty of zinc with whole grain cereals, chicken, turkey, brown rice, beans and low fat yogurt.
·         Eating fruits is important but should be lessened because of too much sugar. High levels of sugar is associated with male impotence.

Homeopathy for Erectile dysfunction

                Homeopathyhas shown significant results in ED.  Homeopathy has a unique method of case taking.  A complete casetaking will need a detailed explanation of mental as well as physical generals of the individual. This casetaking itself will help the physician to find out the cause. There are many medicines which will deal with ED in homeopathy.

Argentum Nitricum:
Want of desire. Apprehensive impotency before coition. Penis shriveled. Coition painful, sensitive at orifice. Painful tension during erection. Testicle drawn high up. Psychological impotency.
Caladium Seguinum:- Sexual organs relaxed and swelledNocturnal emission without dream. Imperfect erection and premature ejaculation of semen. Excitement does not erect penis. Feeling of coldness in penis.
Conium Maculatum:
 Want of energy in coition. Erections imperfect, and of too short duration. Easy emission of semen, even without firm erections. Dejection, after coition. Sometimes emission at mere presence of women.
Agnus Castus:- The penis is small and flaccid, so relaxed that voluptuous fancies excite no erection. The testicles are cold, swollen, hard and painful. Impotence with gleets. Diminution of sexual power.
Phosphoricum Acidum:- Absence of sexual desire. Neurasthenia after sexual intercourse. Weakness of sexual organs with onanism and little sexual desire. Frequent and very debilitating pollutions. Onanism.
Lycopodium Clavatum:- Impotence of long standing. Weakness or total absence of erections. Penis small, cold, relaxed. Emission too speedy or too tardy during coition.Flow of prostatic fluid, without an erection. Abhorrence of coition.
Nux Vomica:- Excitement easy. Strong sexual desire with painful erection. Increased sexual desire with frequent erections and pollution in the morning. Pollution with flaccidity of penis fllowed by coldness and weakness in lower extremities. Involuntary seminal emission. Nightly emissions. Impotency due to masturbation and sexual excess.
Phosphorus:- Impotency after excessive excitement and onanism. Involuntary emission.Feeble and too speedy emission during coition.
Selenium:- Impotence with lascivious ideas. Discharge of semen, drop by drop, during sleep. Flow of prostatic fluid during evacuation and at other times. Thin and scentless semen. During coition, feeble erection, too prompt emission, and long-continued voluptuous thrill. Priapism.
Staphisagria:- Organs relaxed with backache and weakness of the lower extremities. Seminal emissions followed by great chagrin and mortification Dyspnoea develops after coition. Secretion of prostatic fluid during evacuation.
Damiana:- An excellent remedy for impotency. Give 5-10 drops a dose thrice daily.
Sulphur:- Too quick discharge of semen during coition. Erection fails when coition is attempted. Incomplete rection during coition. Impotence with mental depression, relaxed penis, with sexual desire and excitement. Testes relaxed and hanging down. Watery semen.
Calcarea Carbonica:- Weakness of the genital functions, and absence of sexual desire. Erections of too short continuance and emission of semen too slow.
Yohimbinum: It is a powerful stimulant of the genital function in males. Sexual neurasthenia, with impotence.
Arnica Montana:- Impotency due to fall or blow. Impotence from excess or abuse.
Sabal Serrulata:- Discharge of prostatic fluid. Pain in back much aggravates after coitus. Drawing pains in spermatic cords; shrunk testes
Kali Bromatum: -Impotency with melancholy, loss of memory; nervous prostration; epilepsy.

Sources:-
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/diagnosing_erectile_dysfunction
http://emedicine.medscape.com
http://www.urologyhealth.org/urology
www.similima .com
http://EzineArticles.com/3352942
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov


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Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) | Cause, symptoms, Lab tests and Diet | Homeopathic medicines

Thursday, February 23, 2012 · Posted in , ,



         The prostate is a small gland present in men, located just below the bladder. The prostate encloses the urine passage (urethra) and is usually about the size of a walnut. Although men have a prostate all their lives it usually begins to enlarge at mid-life. As men age, the prostate continues to grow and may push in on the urine passage. A prostate gland that is larger than normal is said to be hypertrophic, and the condition is called benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). An enlarged prostate does not indicate prostate cancer. The enlargement caused by aging is inevitable, but suffering from symptoms of an enlarged prostate is not.
Benign means non-cancerous. Many things, including prostate cancer and prostatitis can cause an enlarged prostate. The front of your prostate surrounds your urethra – the tube that carries urine from your bladder and out through your penis. Any change in the size or shape of your prostate can narrow this tube, making it difficult for you to pass urine.
If you have BPH, a rapid growth in the cells in your prostate can lead to growth of your prostate gland. Not all men with BPH will develop an enlarged prostate.

Causes and Risk Factors of BPH
Age:
The half-century mark seems to be the tipping point when it comes to greater risk of developing BPH.  While slightly more than 20 percent of American men ages 40 to 49 have symptoms of BPH, this figure rises to 35 percent among men 50 to 59, 58 percent in the 60 to 69 age group, and 84 percent in men age 70 and older.  Factors that may contribute to the age-related risk of developing BPH include changes in hormone levels and damage to the blood vessels that supply the prostate and surrounding structures.

Family history:
Men who have a close male relative (father, grandfather, brother, son) who have BPH have an increased risk of getting the disease.

 Excessive DHT:
DHT is the acronym for dihydrotestosterone, a substance that is the result of a conversion of testosterone by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. BPH is an “androgen-dependent disease,” which means it is influenced by the male hormone (androgen) testosterone. The prostate will not grow unless it is “directed” to do so by testosterone, which is made mainly by the testes

Elevated estradiol:
It’s natural for men to have some of the female hormone estrogen (in the form of estradiol). The proper balance of estrogen-to-testosterone in men is important for a healthy sex drive, to enhance brain function, protect the heart, and strengthen the bones. When estradiol levels are too high, however, and the ratio is out of balance, men can experience fatigue, increased body fat, loss of libido and an enlarged prostate. An imbalance between estrogen and testosterone increases DHT activity, and thus encourages prostate cells to grow.

Overweight/Obesity:
Being overweight, especially around the midsection, raises the risk of excessive prostate growth. The link between obesity and BPH may be related to the reduced testosterone levels seen in the obese. Also, a drop in testosterone means there’s an accompanying rise in estrogen levels, which can increase the activity of DHT and thus prostate growth.

Diabetes:
Having diabetes increases the risk of developing BPH, perhaps significantly. The diabetes-BPH link may also be related to the damage that diabetes does to blood vessels. If the vessels that service the prostate are damaged, an enlarged prostate may be the result.

High “Bad” Cholesterol:
Those who had higher levels of the notorious “bad” cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), were more likely to develop BPH than men who had normal LDL levels. (Parsons 2008) When the researchers divided the men into three groups (high, medium, low), those with “high” LDL levels were four times more likely to have BPH than those in the “low” group.

High blood pressure:
Although no one is exactly sure how high blood pressure may trigger or worsen BPH, researchers have found a link between hypertension and BPH.

Sedentary lifestyle:
A lack of exercise may increase your chances of developing BPH, possibly because exercise helps fight obesity, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and other risk factors associated with BPH.

Poor diet:
According to a 2008 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, consuming greater amounts of vegetables and lesser amounts of fat and red meat may reduce the risk of developing BPH.

Symptoms of BPH


  • weak urine stream
  • hesitancy when starting to urinate
  • stopping and starting of urine stream
  • sensation of incomplete emptying of the bladder
  • frequent daytime urination
  • recurrent urinary tract infections
  • urgency with or without leakage of urine
  • getting up at night to urinate
  • Urinary retention
  • Painful urination
  • Problems in ejaculation

Signs
    On Digital Rectal Exam
Findings suggestive of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
  1. Symmetric prostatic enlargement
  2. Smooth
  3. Firm but elastic 
Lab Tests Used to Diagnose BPH

Several tests help the doctor identify the problem and decide whether surgery is needed. The tests vary from patient to patient, but the following are the most commonly used tests to diagnose BPH and other problems in the urinary tract:

  • Digital rectal exam
  • Prostate specific antigen test (PSA test):-
PSA stands for Prostate Specific Antigen and is a protein enzyme made in your prostate gland
  • Rectal ultrasound
  • Urine flow study
  • Cystoscopy.
Digital Rectal Exam (DRE)
This exam is usually the first test performed. The doctor inserts a gloved finger into the rectum and feels the part of the prostate next to the rectum. This exam gives the doctor a general idea of the size and condition of the gland.
Risk Analysis and PSA Range
- Normal: 0-4 ng/ml
- Slightly Elevated: 4-10 ng/ml
- Moderately Elevated: 10-20 ng/ml
- Highly Elevated: 20+ ng/ml

Complications of BPH
BPH Can Cause Complications—But Not Prostate Cancer
Enlarged prostate (BPH) is not a form of prostate cancer and does not lead to prostate cancer. Thus, BPH is not life-threatening. However, as many men know, BPH may be lifestyle-threatening and can cause great discomfort, inconvenience, and awkwardness.
In some cases, men can develop medical complications if the growth of the prostate causes the urethra, which passes through the prostate on its way from the bladder to the penis, to become blocked. These complications include:
•  Acute urinary retention, which is a condition that results in a complete inability to urinate. A tube called a catheter may be needed to drain urine from the bladder.
•  Chronic urinary retention, which is a partial blockage of urine flow that causes urine to remain in the bladder. In rare cases, this may lead to kidney damage if it goes undiagnosed for too long.
•  Urinary tract infection, which can cause pain or burning during urination, foul-smelling urine, or fever and chills.
Other complications from BPH may include bladder stones or bladder infections.
Having an enlarged prostate (BPH) does not directly affect the mechanics of sexual function. However, it is common for the symptoms of BPH and sexual dysfunction to occur at the same time.

Managing your BPH

Dietary Guidelines for Prostate Health
So to reduce symptoms, incorporate these factors in your daily diet:
  • increase intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, soy, and green tea, foods rich in omega 3 oils (cold-water fish – salmon, sardines, mackerel) and in zinc (raw pumpkin seeds for omega-3 and zinc)
  • reduce foods high in fat and cholesterol (butter and margarine, beef and
    whole milk), sweet foods, and refined carbohydrates (white bread and white-flour pasta)
  • avoid or decrease intake of alcohol, coffee, and beer, particularly after dinner, and tobacco
  • taking saw palmetto* supplements may benefit the prostate
* Saw palmetto (Serona repens) is a type of palm tree, also known as the dwarf palm. Its primary medicinal value is in the oily compounds found in its berries. Most dietary supplements are composed of an extract or powder derived from the berries. Saw palmetto is believed to inhibit the actions of testosterone on the prostate that causes prostate enlargement.

Homeopathic medicines
         As I always say, for better results your complete history is important.  A patient cannot take homeopathic medicine by their own. There are many so many medicines for BPH. A homeopath will be individualizing you to get a proper single constitutional medicine by detailed case taking. I am figuring out some of the medicines which matches the symptoms of BPH.

Sabal serrulata :
 this medicine has been recommended for various prostatic troubles, but its homoeopathic use seems confined to acute cases of enlarged and inflamed prostate, the gland is hot, swollen and painful, here also come in our regular inflammation polycrests , such as "Aconite" and "Belladonna" .Sabal is not altogether useless in senile hypertrophy, the writer has seen a marked palliative action in several cases and avoidance of surgical interference .
Lycopodium :
 Pressure in the perineum near anus while urinating. It is a hot and right sided remedy. Melancholy, afraid of being alone. Headstrong and haughty when sick. Apprehensive.  
Conium :
This remedy is useful in chronic hypertrophy of the prostate with difficulty in voiding urine, it stops and starts and there is an accompanying catarrh of the bladder. The suitability of conium to the complaints of the aged should be considered. Depressed, timid  with weak memory.
Chimaphilla :
 Gives occasional good results in relieving the tenesmus, frequent urination and general discomfort due to prostatic hypertrophy, Spongia is also a remedy for this condition .
Thuja :
 Frequent pressing to urinate with small discharge, patient strains much, stitches from rectum into bladder, discharge of prostatic juice in the morning on awaking.
Ferrum picratum :
is one of the best medicines for prostatic enlargements in the aged .

Constitutionally Calcarea carb, carcinosen, Phosphorus, baryta carb, aurum met, Sulphur, lachesis, Ars alb and silicea can be thought of.

source:

www.fpnotebook.com
en.wikipedia.org
www.med.wayne.edu
www.prostate.net

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