Impotence & Erectile Dysfunction Support Group
Erectile dysfunction or impotence is a sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse regardless of the capability of ejaculation. There are various underlying causes, such as diabetes, many of which are medically reversible. The causes may be physiological or psychological.
AOL Health is running this story. It is of interest to me and I suspect to a number of others.
58-Year-Old's Erectile Dysfunction Was a Sign of a More Serious Condition
By Ronnie Koenig
For Phil Elam, a 58-year-old nonprofit consultant from Austin, Texas, erectile dysfunction was something that started years ago. "I was on vacation with my wife, and suddenly I thought, 'I can't do this.' I thought, 'Maybe it's stress, maybe I had too much to drink,'" he told AOL Health.
What Elam did not know was that ED was actually an indicator of a much more serious health problem -- heart disease. Last February, he underwent bypass surgery at the Heart Hospital of Austin. Doctors bypassed five of the arteries leading to his heart, which they discovered were almost all completely clogged after sending him for a Heartsaver CT scan.
"It turns out that erectile dysfunction was an early indicator, but no one was connecting the dots," says Elam, who has had ED since 1999 and has been on cholesterol-lowering pills since 1998 when chest discomfort sent him to the hospital. But it wasn't until he switched cardiologists 10 years later that a doctor even asked him about ED. "When I first had a problem, I went to my family physician, and he gave me a prescription for Viagra. But my new cardiologist told me that erectile dysfunction is a leading indicator of heart disease. I said, 'Well, I've had this for a long time.'"
Dr. Sahil A. Parikh, a cardiologist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, says that the problem is that many men are not willing to be forthcoming about ED but also that doctors don't always ask about it.
"When I see patients with ED, we'll go through a list of possibilities. It could be low testosterone. But in 70 percent of patients, it's insufficient blood flow to the pelvic organs and specifically the penis. Cholesterol buildup can be a significant cause. Patients with ED are two times more likely to have heart attacks," he told AOL Health.
"Patients are reluctant to talk to providers," says Parikh. "The result is we're not picking up coronary artery disease. ED is sometimes the only sign before a heart attack."
Parikh urges patients and their spouses to seek professional help when there's a problem. "If you're just buying Viagra online, you're not getting the appropriate care. It's a Band-Aid; you're treating the symptom." He explains that the cause of ED could be many things, from depression to low testosterone to cholesterol buildup, or even side effects from other medications a man may be on, such as a beta blocker.
"Spouses should know that this could be a serious disease and that treatment can help their partner live longer," Parikh says. "You could have a better sexual relationship, too. Men feel like we're holding out on them or passing a value judgment by not just giving them Viagra right away, but we want to make sure we're not missing a bigger problem. I tell men that this is not a conspiracy against them."
Following the bypass surgeries, Elam, a self-described 6-foot, 2-inch "big man" has entered a cardiac rehab program and gotten his weight down from 335 to 265. "I feel a lot better. I'm in better shape, and I feel healthier," he says.
Elam says that if he could speak to men who are too embarrassed to seek help for their erectile dysfunction he would tell them to consider the possibility that the reason they may not be getting enough blood supply to the penis is that the heart may not be working properly. "It's not a matter of being able to perform sexually," he says. "The drugs can help you overcome that. Go get screened immediately."
In April, Elam will celebrate his 35th wedding anniversary with his wife, and he still uses Viagra to treat his ED. "Your love life becomes something that you plan instead of waiting for the right moment to occur," he says. "You make a date; you take Viagra beforehand. Some people think that as soon as you take it, you're instantly ready, but that's not the case. It's still an emotional experience that requires physical contact. It's still very personal."
58-Year-Old's Erectile Dysfunction Was a Sign of a More Serious Condition
By Ronnie Koenig
For Phil Elam, a 58-year-old nonprofit consultant from Austin, Texas, erectile dysfunction was something that started years ago. "I was on vacation with my wife, and suddenly I thought, 'I can't do this.' I thought, 'Maybe it's stress, maybe I had too much to drink,'" he told AOL Health.
What Elam did not know was that ED was actually an indicator of a much more serious health problem -- heart disease. Last February, he underwent bypass surgery at the Heart Hospital of Austin. Doctors bypassed five of the arteries leading to his heart, which they discovered were almost all completely clogged after sending him for a Heartsaver CT scan.
"It turns out that erectile dysfunction was an early indicator, but no one was connecting the dots," says Elam, who has had ED since 1999 and has been on cholesterol-lowering pills since 1998 when chest discomfort sent him to the hospital. But it wasn't until he switched cardiologists 10 years later that a doctor even asked him about ED. "When I first had a problem, I went to my family physician, and he gave me a prescription for Viagra. But my new cardiologist told me that erectile dysfunction is a leading indicator of heart disease. I said, 'Well, I've had this for a long time.'"
Dr. Sahil A. Parikh, a cardiologist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, says that the problem is that many men are not willing to be forthcoming about ED but also that doctors don't always ask about it.
"When I see patients with ED, we'll go through a list of possibilities. It could be low testosterone. But in 70 percent of patients, it's insufficient blood flow to the pelvic organs and specifically the penis. Cholesterol buildup can be a significant cause. Patients with ED are two times more likely to have heart attacks," he told AOL Health.
"Patients are reluctant to talk to providers," says Parikh. "The result is we're not picking up coronary artery disease. ED is sometimes the only sign before a heart attack."
Parikh urges patients and their spouses to seek professional help when there's a problem. "If you're just buying Viagra online, you're not getting the appropriate care. It's a Band-Aid; you're treating the symptom." He explains that the cause of ED could be many things, from depression to low testosterone to cholesterol buildup, or even side effects from other medications a man may be on, such as a beta blocker.
"Spouses should know that this could be a serious disease and that treatment can help their partner live longer," Parikh says. "You could have a better sexual relationship, too. Men feel like we're holding out on them or passing a value judgment by not just giving them Viagra right away, but we want to make sure we're not missing a bigger problem. I tell men that this is not a conspiracy against them."
Following the bypass surgeries, Elam, a self-described 6-foot, 2-inch "big man" has entered a cardiac rehab program and gotten his weight down from 335 to 265. "I feel a lot better. I'm in better shape, and I feel healthier," he says.
Elam says that if he could speak to men who are too embarrassed to seek help for their erectile dysfunction he would tell them to consider the possibility that the reason they may not be getting enough blood supply to the penis is that the heart may not be working properly. "It's not a matter of being able to perform sexually," he says. "The drugs can help you overcome that. Go get screened immediately."
In April, Elam will celebrate his 35th wedding anniversary with his wife, and he still uses Viagra to treat his ED. "Your love life becomes something that you plan instead of waiting for the right moment to occur," he says. "You make a date; you take Viagra beforehand. Some people think that as soon as you take it, you're instantly ready, but that's not the case. It's still an emotional experience that requires physical contact. It's still very personal."
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