Treatment for Impotence: Other

There are other treatments for impotence other than the oral prescriptive drug, Viagra. The most common out of the other treatments is injection therapy. This is where the man will inject a substance called Alprostadil, which is identical to the naturally produced Prostaglandin E1, directly into the erectile body of the penis. Alprostadil has been used effectively for treating impotence or erectile dysfunction since 1994. The drug will relax the blood vessels and the muscles in the penis allowing more blood flow and therefore causing an erection. The drug can take effect with 10-15 minutes after the injection and will last for up to an hour. A doctor will be able to recommend the correct dose to be administered and to make sure that the drug is suitable. There are side effects with injecting Alprostadil such as nodules in the penis and prolonged erections that can last up to four hours. There is also another method that is needle free called transurethral therapy, which involves placing a small pellet of a drug directly into the urethra using a specially adapted applicator. The pellet is then absorbed into the erectile tissue and it will help stimulate the blood flow into the penis, therefore causing an erection.

An easier way to create an erection without taking any form of drugs is to use a vacuum pump. A vacuum constriction device consists of a clear plastic container with a hand or battery operated pump fitted. The vacuum pump works by the man placing his flaccid penis inside the cylinder. Then a vacuum seal is made using some lubricating gel with the cylinder pressed firmly against the body. As a vacuum is created using the pump the penis becomes engorged and the penis will become hard. Once the penis becomes hard enough for intercourse a constricting ring will be slipped onto the base of the penis from the end of the cylinder. The constricting ring will stop the blood flow out of the penis, and is safe to be in place for about 30 minutes. The benefit of using a vacuum pump is that it is cheap and reusable without the need to take medication that the man could have a bad reaction to.