Viagra (Sildenafil Citrate)
Viagra Facts: Is Viagra Right For You?
Can Viagra Really Match The Hype?
If you're one of the millions of men bearing the burden of erectile dysfunction (also called impotence), or his partner, this may very well be a medication that will substantially change your life.
Viagra is usually all it's cracked up to be for the 1 in 4 men over 50, or indeed any man who can't achieve or sustain an erect penis for satisfactory sexual performance. But if you don't fit this description, don't confuse it with a fountain of youth.
There are millions of men in the United States who are clinically impotent. For these men, loss of self-esteem, embarrassment, and relationship difficulties are not uncommon and can cause significant personal and emotional stress.
The cause of their impotence may be psychological, resulting from stress, fatigue, anxiety, or depression. But most of the time, there are identifiable biological problems.
As a man ages, his arteries gradually begin to harden. Production of important chemicals called neurotransmitters slow down. He may experience high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney problems. He may develop prostate cancer that may result in surgical removal of the organ.
All of these conditions may translate to partial or total loss of sexual function. Historically, penile implants, injectable drugs (into the penis), and vacuum constriction devices have been the only options.
Dr. John Mulcahy of Indiana University, a nationally-known expert on erectile dysfunction (the scientific term for impotence), provides the reason behind viagra's phenomenal success.
By the mid-to-late fifties, 1 of 4 men are impotent. By the mid-sixties it is half. By the mid-seventies most men are impotent. Research from the National Institutes of Health found that 5% of 40 year old men are impotent too.
So the legions of men seeking prescriptions for viagra may indeed be true sufferers of impotence. For them, the success rates with viagra are impressive.
For men whose impotence is caused by psychological factors, viagra has been shown to work in 90% of cases. For impotence that is traced to a biological cause, viagra has a 70%-80% rate of effectiveness.
This is even true in cases of spinal cord injury, or in men who have had their prostates removed. But impotence may also be caused by factors such as medication use and lifestyle.
Keep in mind that smoking, obesity and medications such as antidepressants and antihistamines can also reduce sexual functioning, and alteration of these factors is a better solution than viagra.
How Does Viagra Work?
An erection is the result of an increase in blood flow into certain internal areas of the penis. Viagra works by enhancing the effects of one of the chemicals the body normally releases into the penis during sexual arousal. This allows an increase of blood flow into the penis.
The drug, known also by its scientific name of sildenafil citrate, was first studied in England as a medication for treating angina and high blood pressure.
Although researchers were disappointed with the drug's effect on angina and high blood pressure, participants were enthusiastic because they were achieving sustainable erections for the first time in months or years. This caused the drug's manufacturer, Pfizer, to shift course and investigate it for erectile dysfunction.
Since viagra does lower blood pressure somewhat, those taking nitrates such as nitroglycerine (which also reduces blood pressure) shouldn't take viagra simultaneously.
It may lead to fainting. Also, talk to your doctor if you're taking antibiotics or antifungal drugs, like ketoconazole, before taking viagra.
Viagra offers very few side effects. Some taking the drug experience headache, redness in the face and neck, or stomach upset. Also, some people notice vision changes.
This may include noticing a blue tint or 'halos.' But extensive ophthalmic studies fail to show problems of the rods, cones, or retina in the eye. Overall, for men with a documented impotence problem, viagra is an extremely safe, effective solution.
Viagra Myths
'Viagra won't make you 21 again,' says Dr. Mulcahy. 'If you're a normal 45-year old man, you can attain an erection and have intercourse, there's no reason to take this drug.'
Some of Dr. Mulcahy's patients believe it will make them 'super-good.' It won't. Neither will it improve your sex drive.
And don't confuse it with an aphrodisiac. 'A 45-year old man who can't ejaculate seven days a week is not impotent,' says Dr. Mulcahy. And it is not documented that viagra will allow you to recover more quickly so that you can ejaculate every day or several times a day.
Dr. Mulcahy says viagra will only make your erection last longer if you're having a problem with short-lasting erections. So, if you're not 21, don't expect to last for four hours, even if you take viagra.
You won't get an instant erection after taking viagra. For 4-6 hours after it is consumed, the drug only allows an erection to result following sexual stimulation (physical stimulation of the penis, or in a lesser number of men, thinking about or seeing something sexually stimulating). No sexual stimulation, no erection.
Nor will you be left with an erection that won't go away once ejaculation occurs, a condition known as priapism. In rare cases, priapism can occur, so the viagra label now contains a warning.
Using Viagra
It is recommended that viagra be taken at least a half-hour before sex (an hour if you've had a meal immediately prior). You'll probably get an erection from any kind of physical penis stimulation. Effects will last for about 4 to 6 hours after you have taken it.
If you have had impotence problems in the past and don't want to let your partner or yourself down. The first time you try viagra, you may want to masturbate by yourself to see if it works.
There is no known upper age limit for viagra to be effective. But elderly men, particularly those with severe vascular disease, may not see much improvement.
Also, men who have had penile implants for impotence treatment may have some muscle scarring, which may render the medication ineffective. Further research is being conducted to determine the effects of viagra on men with these conditions.
If you think viagra is right for you, you can compare prices, get a prescription written by a doctor, and have an order of viagra filled and sent to you online.
By Alice Buckley McCarthy
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