Erectile dysfunction implies a multifactorial psychological syndrome occurring in men of all ages, characterized by a reduction in the quality of an erection necessary for sexual satisfaction.
Impotence in men after age 50 can be a sign of multiple organ dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction significantly reduces a man's quality of life.
Impotence is understood as the inability to have a complete and stable erection, the inability to maintain and ensure a successful intercourse. The concept of "impotence" is considered obsolete, however, it continues to be used in everyday life to this day and has not lost its relevance.
In urological practice, the term "erectile dysfunction" is commonly used.
In men after the age of 50, the frequency of a decrease in potency is up to 25%. Complaints of erectile dysfunction peaked in the sixth decade.
Causes of poor potency and impotence at the age of 50
Male strength after 50 years weakens for many reasons. The accumulation of health problems makes themselves feel not only the manifestation of diseases of the heart, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract, joints, but also problems in the functioning of the reproductive system.
The leading causes of low libido in men over the age of 50 are vascular diseases, psychological disorders, and diseases of the nervous system. In addition, in men over the age of 50, prostate cancer is often cited as the cause of erectile dysfunction.
According to international studies, there are several main causes of impotence in older men:
- Blood vessels: atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, impaired fat metabolism (increased cholesterol concentration, low density lipoprotein, high atherogenic index). These vascular factors lead to pathological activity of the cavernous sinuses of the penis, narrowing of arteries and veins, preventing normal blood flow, and impeding erection. For normal strength in men, dilation of the veins of the cavernous body of the penis is not possible with vascular pathology, which is determined by elevated blood pressure values, atherosclerotic plaques in the arteriesbelly owner. Advanced varicose veins affecting the vessels of the small pelvis also lead to impotence in men over the age of 50.
- Neurogenic: central and peripheral. Central diseases include Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral infarction, epilepsy. Peripheral includes pathologies of the nervous system caused by other diseases, namely diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, polyneuritis. These diseases lead to a gradual disruption of the vegetative processes of the tissues of the genital organs, degenerative processes in nerve fibers.
- Urology: prostate tumor, chronic prostatitis.
- Iatrogenic, by medical care provider: damage to the nerves of the rectum, testicles, prostate, bladder during surgical intervention.
- Trauma: pelvic trauma, genital artery, urethral, spinal cord injury, pelvic fracture.
- Endocrine: obesity, insufficient or excessive thyroid function, diabetes mellitus type 1 and type 2, pathology of the pituitary gland, adrenal gland (Itsenko-Cushing syndrome).
- Medications: medications that lower blood pressure, restore heart rhythm, diuretics, antidepressants, anti-allergics, sedatives, anti-hormones, certain hormonal agents (estrogens, analogs)autoantibodies and antagonists of the pituitary gland, hormone-releasing hormone, antigen).
- Anatomy, meaning malformation or disease of the penis: Peyronie's disease, stenosis of the foreskin, penile fracture, severe penile curvature.
- Psychological: violation of aphrodisiac, due to two types of provoking factors. The generalized type means a complete lack of sexual desire, a violation of intimacy in a relationship. The type of situation implies a pronounced effect of stress on the male body, personal relationships with sexual partners. As a rule, circumstantial impotence is not a pathology and it is necessary to solve individual problems, after which erectile function is restored.
As a result of sexual stimulation, a nerve impulse along the links of the reflex arc of a healthy man leads to a stable erection. This process is based on the release of nitric oxide, the source of which is the cells of the inner membrane of the blood vessels of the penis.
For an erection to arise and continue, nerve impulses must reach the smooth muscle cells that make up the vessels of the penis. As a result, nerve endings interact with the endothelium (inner layer of blood vessels) and nitric oxide is released.
In turn, nitric oxide activates an enzyme that promotes the release of calcium ions from cells. Smooth muscle cells relax and an erection occurs.
Full functioning of the reflex arc, providing normal potency, is possible only if the healthy state of its connections is preserved: nerves, blood vessels, endocrine glands.
The pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction in men over 50 years of age is associated with a decrease in the release of nitric oxide by cells of the penile vessels. As a result, the response flow that provides a complete erection is disrupted.
Many organs and systems are involved in the normal establishment of potency in a 50-year-old man. Certain diseases that an adult man in his sixties inevitably encounters lead to the defeat of one of the links in the reflex arc that provides potency.
Almost every man goes through periods of impotence by the age of 50, however, depending on the severity of the dysfunction of various organs and systems, erectile dysfunction can besituational (temporary) or persistent.
Important
Persistent impotence in a 50-year-old man requires an integrated and systematic treatment approach. A one-way approach to treating impotence leads to a temporary improvement in the situation.
Diagnosis of impotence
Not all men turn to urologists and sex therapists to deal with potency problems. As a rule, men's representatives use folk remedies or buy popular remedies independently in a pharmacy to improve potency.
A comprehensive diagnosis of impotence in men over the age of 50 involves the following steps:
- Small pelvic ultrasound, including transrectal ultrasound of the prostate gland, computed tomography of the blood vessels of the penis;
- visual inspection of erotic stimuli;
- monitor penile discharge, including nocturia;
- palpation of the prostate gland through the rectum;
- cavernosography, sponges;
- CT and MRI;
- study the functions of the penile vascular endothelium (coronary angiography with acetylcholine, study of flow-dependent dilation of the brachial artery in a sample with its narrowing, laser Doppler flow measurement, studying the tone of the peripheral arteries);
- blood biochemistry test, glucose tolerance test, blood lipid spectrum assessment;
- Ultrasound of the abdominal organs;
- blood tests for hormones (male and female sex, thyroid and adrenal hormones);
- blood tests for prostate-specific antigens;
- studies of the heart and blood vessels (veloEKG, ultrasound).
An important point in diagnosing the root cause of impotence in men over the age of 50 is to consult with a sexologist and psychologist. In addition, tests are widely used to determine the pathology of potency, which are widely available on the Internet, for example, ICEF.
How to increase potency after 50
Treatment of impotence in men after the age of 50 in the vast majority of cases is carried out by conservative methods, including drug therapy and the intervention of a psychologist.
First of all, in order to successfully treat impotence in adult men, it is necessary to cure or restore as much as possible diseases of the heart, blood vessels, endocrine system, diseases of the liver, kidney, bladder. and prostate gland.
The ability in 50-year-old men to be without chronic pathology of internal organs can be corrected by a common method - phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors.
PDE inhibitors in male sexual pathology are the most effective and fast acting drugs. These include funds based on:
- vardenafil - duration of action is 5-12 hours;
- sildenafil - duration of action 4 hours;
- tadalafil - duration of action 36 hours.
The drug is taken one hour (half an hour) before sexual intercourse. You should know that in order to form an erection when taking the money of this group, a minimum of stimulation is required. The average dose is 50 mg, but can be reduced to 25 mg or increased to 100 mg at a time.
However, such drugs have a wide range of adverse effects on the lungs and heart, since the drug acts not only on the endothelium of the penile vessels.
The increase in potency in men after the age of 50 with the help of PDE inhibitors is achieved by acting on the main pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction: increased nitric oxide levels. In addition to this class of agents, NO-synthase activators are used to increase nitric oxide content.
Many men worry about whether alcohol can be used to relax and increase the chances of a stable erection, how to increase potency after 50 with the help of drugs and whether they can be combined withalcohol or not.
If a man does not abuse alcohol, does not have severe pathologies of the cardiovascular system, then popular methods of increasing potency can be used together with alcohol.
In addition to PDE inhibitors, common treatments for impotence include:
- Means of testosterone. To restore potency in men after the age of 50-60, when the production of testosterone by the testicles is reduced, preparations of male sex hormones can be used.
- Prostaglandin, which is injected into the tissues of the penis. Means improving blood flow, normalizing the filling of veins and arteries.
- Alpha blockers, which work on the dilation of the blood vessels of the penis and small pelvis.
Efficacy can be increased in combination with folk remedies such as Eleutherococcus, Ginseng, Aralia, pumpkin seeds, nuts, celery, honey, ginger. In addition, functional foods are widely used.
Since it is difficult to improve potency after 50 years in chronic diseases, additional physical therapy methods, namely acupuncture, electrophoresis should be used.
Potency can also be increased by mechanical means, namely the use of a vacuum pump for the penis.
The key in the treatment of impotence is the fight against obesity and alcoholism.
As you know, the fat cells in the male body are considered as a source of female sex hormones, it disrupts the hormonal balance, leading to prostate diseases and sexual dysfunction. . A natural source of estrogen is beer. A man over 50 should drink beer no more than once a week.
Need to lose weight slowly, each month lose no more than 5 kg. Exercise and diet in moderation. High-intensity, spontaneous and sudden exercises in the gym will not help restore potency, but only aggravate the situation.
The dosing approach with dynamic loading, nutritional adjustment will allow you to defeat impotence without harming the body.