Erectile Dysfunction
With men seeking to optimize their health, one of the most frequent complaints is a declining sex drive coupled with a measure of erectile dysfunction.
Find answers to your questions with these useful articles
What is Erectile Dysfunction?
Please remember that resolving erectile dysfunction is a whole body and mind wellness issue, and a long list of health benefits come from frequent healthy sex.
Sex decreases stress, depression, pain, and risk of cancer. Having sex twice weekly even reduces your risk of having a heart attack by 50%. Sex also increases your sense of well-being and improves your immune system, bladder health, sleep quality, self-esteem, and even longevity.
The term itself, ‘erectile dysfunction, describes a variety of conditions: inability to get an erection, dissatisfaction with the size or hardness of your erections, and erections that do not last.
Erectile dysfunction is commonly a symptom of another underlying problem. Because there are many causes of erectile dysfunction, there are also many treatments. Depending on the reasons, an integrative medicine approach optimizes the return of your healthy sex life because the healing-oriented care is mindful of the whole person, including all aspects of your lifestyle.
Serenity values the therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient, we are driven and supported by evidence, and we utilize appropriate custom therapies.
What are the Causes of Erectile Dysfunction?
Erections occur due to a complex system of hormones, emotions, and vascular and neurological systems all working together.
An erection starts with cerebral or sensory stimulation, and sometimes both. The brain produces impulses, and local nerves trigger the muscles of the penis to relax, allowing blood to flow through the arteries.
A malfunction in any of these processes can create difficulty obtaining or maintaining an erection and erectile dysfunction.
Any process along the way can interfere with the nerve signals or the proper function of blood vessels and can result in erectile dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction is often an early warning sign
You should not ignore erectile dysfunction because it might indicate a more serious underlying disease. Some of the common causes are:
- Diabetes
- Heart and vascular disease
- Kidney disease
- Neurologic disorders
- Medications (medications for depression and blood pressure are the most common)
- Smoking and alcohol use
- Low Testosterone
- Certain treatments for prostate cancer and enlarged prostate
- Peyronie’s disease (curvature of the penis)
Among most men, the leading physical cause of erectile dysfunction is a microvascular disease (inflammation of the small blood vessels in your body) caused by heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Secondary physical causes of erectile dysfunction can include various situations, typically related to insufficient blood flow to the penis – Hormonal imbalances: low testosterone, low DHEA and adrenal fatigue.
Common erectile problems are also caused by:
- Low testosterone
- Low vitamin D
- Low B vitamins
- High cholesterol and triglycerides
- Pre-diabetes
- Obesity
- Hypertension
- Stress (excessive working hours, relationship or financial difficulties).
- Sedentary lifestyles
- Toxicity (excessive prescriptions, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, poor food quality)
Identifying and treating these things provides your best chance for success – not only curing your erectile dysfunction but also revolutionizing your health and impacting all aspects of your life.
Our patients experience improved relationships and a long-forgotten vitality.
Once the causative factors are identified and treated, it is time to regenerate the damaged erectile tissue.
Our erectile dysfunction treatments
Count on Serenity to provide the necessary resources for maximum effectiveness:
- Treatment by a highly trained physician in Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy
- A thorough review of personal and family medical history
- A comprehensive review of symptoms
- Hormone level testing and a cardiometabolic panel
- Programs tailored to alleviate precise symptoms based on personal medical history and lab result analysis
- Compounded hormones and supplements
- Ultrasound Therapy
- Amino acid Therapy
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) & Exosomes
- Nutritional and fitness recommendations and support
Erectile dysfunction ultrasound therapy
Serenity’s Ultrasound Therapy effectively treats erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s disease and optimizes sexual performance. Ultrasound Therapy is effective because it focuses on the root cause of erectile dysfunction for many men – poor blood flow. Treatment is non-invasive, all-natural and produces long-term patient results.
The natural aging process for a man’s penis results in decreased blood flow, reduced strength, less sensitivity, and the blood vessels turn thin.
Ultrasound Therapy uses new technology that uses low-frequency high- amplitude sound waves to remove “Micro-plaque” clogging the arteries that deliver blood to the genitals.
The treatment involves using a small handheld wand-like device placed on the penis (in a similar way an ultrasound is performed) to deliver mild shockwaves to the penis.
Studies have determined Ultrasound Therapy is associated with new blood vessel growth and (in animal studies) recruitment of stem cells to the penis. These blood vessels, now rejuvenated, produce greater blood flow, enabling more prolonged and more potent erections.
Ultrasound Therapy is similar to lithotripsy technology, the standard treatment protocol for breaking up kidney stones. However, in this case, the energy output has been reduced, making it safe for sensitive erectile tissue – yet strong enough to break up micro plaque in the arteries and stimulate regeneration of worn-out tissue.
In just six to twelve 20-minute sessions, Serenity’s Erectile Dysfunction Ultrasound Therapy can get you on the road to enhanced sexual performance.
Supplements & herbs to resolve ED
Studies support the judicious use of high-quality dietary supplements to treat erectile dysfunction. The world of supplements and herbal treatments for erectile dysfunction is vast. Your existing nutrient deficiencies and other factors will guide us to find the right combination.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the following supplements may help treat erectile dysfunction:
- Some evidence shows that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) increases libido in women and helps erectile dysfunction in men.
- L-arginine is an amino acid that may help expand blood vessels and increase blood flow. Ginseng showed to improve sexual function in men with erectile dysfunction.
- Beyond this, a popular supplement is zinc with copper, considered an essential component of many erectile dysfunction treatment plans for men.
A 1996 study examined zinc supplementation in older men. The study documented that with increased zinc consumption, testosterone levels in the elderly population of the study nearly doubled. This evidence supports zinc impacting testosterone production, essential in treating erectile dysfunction. In 2009, animal research tested the correlation between zinc and sexual function. The investigation determined that zinc positively affects arousal and maintaining an erection.
Erectile Dysfunction and Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential ingredient supporting your health and known for strengthening your bones. You get a significant amount of your vitamin D from the sun: The sunlight stimulates your body’s natural production of vitamin D, which in turn supports your metabolism and strengthens your bones.
But winter days are shorter in northern latitudes, and the sun’s angle in the sky stays low. Unfortunately, that means many people miss out on the benefits of sunlight. In fact, due to inadequate dietary intake and lack of sun, low vitamin D status is endemic in Serenity’s home state of Wisconsin.
Though vitamin D is primarily known to help bone health, a recent study found it also improves erectile dysfunction. The International Journal of Endocrinology published that men who received vitamin D supplements showed increased testosterone levels and improved erectile function (after vitamin D replacement therapy).
The study proposed several possible mechanisms for vitamin D’s effect on combating erectile dysfunction. For example, vitamin D could improve endothelial integrity, and vitamin D may directly protect endothelial cells against oxidative stress. Alternatively, the activation of vitamin D by the antioxidant pathway may produce nitric oxide, which promotes penile vascular dilation.
The important takeaway here for men is understanding how our environment contributes to erectile dysfunction and that our lives can encompass numerous causative factors, all contributing to varying degrees of erectile dysfunction.
The good news is our integrative medicine approach is designed to surface all that may be hindering your sexual vitality, end erectile dysfunction, and optimizes your return to a healthy sex life.
Nutritional Therapy for erectile dysfunction
The human body is complex, with the function of one system directly or indirectly affecting other systems.
Erectile dysfunction can involve numerous parts and processes of the body, including the brain, nervous systems, muscles, blood vessels, and hormones.
In the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, a diet focused on natural foods like fruit, whole grains, vegetables, and fish — while minimizing red and processed meat and refined grains — decreased the likelihood of erectile dysfunction.
So while there’s no miracle food to prevent erectile dysfunction, there is some evidence that certain foods may help in that what you eat may affect your performance.
Because treatments have possible side effects (in addition to their benefits), we usually first look at lifestyle changes, such as modifying your diet for a positive impact because of the minimal potential side effects.
The first step is to order blood tests to screen for nutritional deficiencies. Even with a healthy diet, deficiencies arise because of genetics, absorption issues, or environmental factors.
One example is vitamin D. For those in northern latitudes, the only way to get enough vitamin D is to supplement. We will work with you to craft an optimized diet to build a robust vascular system and counter erectile dysfunction. Remember, a healthy vascular system means that the heart works well and pumps blood throughout the body- including the penis.
Yes, some foods facilitate and foster healthy blood flow.
For example, foods such as spinach and other leafy greens are high in nitrates. Nitrates are vasodilators that help open constricted blood vessels, thereby increasing blood flow.
Pistachios have Arginine, a protein helpful in relaxing blood vessels and improving circulation.
Watermelon contains an antioxidant called phytonutrients, which are also helpful in relaxing blood vessels and may positively relieve erectile dysfunction symptoms.
Dark red fruits like tomatoes and grapefruits contain lycopene, which promotes healthy circulation.
This is just a sampling of foods that may have an ingredient directly affecting circulation and indirectly erectile dysfunction. Together we can establish a diet optimized to return you to full vitality.
First visit. Your next steps for treating erectile dysfunction
Serenity’s team of experience ED physicians successfully personalize a combination of treatments and innovative technologies to address your case. Our holistic approach by caring experts will put you on the path to recovery to reach your health goals.
The first step is to diagnose the cause of your ED using testing.
We will test your heart, hormone levels, vitamin and mineral levels and anything else we deem necessary to get to the root cause of your ED. In fact, many causes are reversible.
Then, we will begin the prescribed treatments that are right for you. Your progress will be monitored and the treatments adjusted according to your results.
If you sense you have symptoms of erectile dysfunction and want help finding the root cause or would like to develop your personalized treatment or prevention plan for erectile dysfunction, make an appointment at Serenity, we’re here to help.
Simply reach out, Click Here To Call Us or dial 1-262-522-8640