Post Date April, 15 2023
Erectile dysfunction (ED for short) refers to the continuous inability of the male penis to erect or maintain a satisfactory erection when men and women have sex. Like other diseases, ED can be divided into mild, moderate and severe according to its degree. Previously, the so-called "impotence" only refers to severe, accounting for about 10% of the total number of ED patients. According to an international survey, there are about 100 million men suffering from ED in different degrees in the world.
Although ED itself does not endanger life, it affects the quality of life and physical and mental health of men, and involves social problems such as marital feelings, family harmony, so we say that ED is a common frequently-occurring disease in men with a wide range of influence. However, due to the influence of traditional culture and the lack of simple, safe and effective treatment methods in the past, only 10% of ED patients seek diagnosis and treatment, while the vast majority of patients are silently suffering from the pain that is difficult to speak.
In addition to psychological factors such as anxiety, depression, tension, marital emotional crisis, misunderstanding or unfamiliarity with sexual activities, many organic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, trauma, cardiovascular disease, etc. are the main causes of ED. In addition, smoking, drinking and other bad habits are also important reasons for ED. Therefore, ED patients should go to a comprehensive hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time. On the one hand, ED can be treated pertinently, and on the other hand, it is possible to find the internal related diseases in time, so that early diagnosis, early treatment, and physical and mental health can be beneficial. Of course, at present, it is not easy to hang up the number of experts in general hospitals. Sometimes it is easy to get up and hang up in the morning. However, due to the large number of experts and patients, there are often many patients in a consulting room. The patients are shy and can not describe their condition in detail.
In order to enable patients to carry out self-evaluation and facilitate communication with experts when seeing a doctor, there is currently an international universal self-assessment form for erectile dysfunction (IIEF-5 for short, see the attached table). This is a simple and easy initial screening tool. The patients can fill in the questionnaire according to the five questions raised in the questionnaire and take the seats according to the number. The evaluation method is to add up the total score. If the total score reaches more than 21 points, it means that there is no ED; If the score is between 21-12, you may have mild ED; If the score is 11-8 or 7-5, it indicates moderate or severe ED respectively. At this time, you should go to the hospital to see a doctor. In order to make a definite diagnosis, the doctor will further inquire about the medical history, including sexual life history, and perform physical examination and some necessary tests, such as blood sugar, liver and kidney function, blood fat, etc., to find out the possible cause and determine whether it is a psychological, organic or mixed cause.
The examination of ED is not as awkward and embarrassing as some people worry. In general, without special or painful examination, doctors can discuss the treatment plan with the patient according to the patient's etiology, so that the patient can recover as soon as possible.
