Frequently asked questions

No. Recurring difficulty may reflect blood-vessel, nerve or hormonal conditions, medicines, stress or more than one contributor. Discuss the pattern and its effect on your life with a clinician rather than attributing it to age alone. Assessment helps identify which treatment or further investigation is appropriate.

No. Erectile difficulty by itself does not establish low testosterone. A clinician reviews symptoms and relevant tests before considering hormonal treatment. NIDDK describes testosterone as an option for ED with low testosterone, not a general remedy for every erection problem. Do not start it through self-diagnosis.

An online listing is not a medication-safety review. Discuss all medicines and supplements with a prescriber and use a legitimate pharmacy. Sildenafil must not be taken with nitrates for chest pain or nitrate/nitrite products such as poppers. Check alternative products with a clinician too; do not assume that herbal means safe.

Anxiety, depression and stress can cause or worsen ED. Counselling may help, and partner involvement is optional. However, feeling stressed does not exclude medicine effects or physical contributors. A history and examination are more useful than assuming the problem is entirely psychological or entirely physical.

Bring a list of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements. Note when the difficulty started, whether it occurs every time, and changes in morning erections, desire, orgasm or ejaculation. Mention diabetes, heart disease, surgery and relationship concerns. Ask which tests are proposed and how their results would change care.

Tell the prescriber how you used it and any side effects before increasing the dose or switching. Sildenafil requires sexual stimulation, does not increase desire, and a high-fat meal can delay its effect. Review the medicine-specific instructions; the clinician may adjust the plan or discuss a device, counselling or another treatment.

Yes. A vacuum device draws blood into the penis and uses a ring to maintain the erection; practice may be needed and bruising or numbness can occur. Local medicines are another option and require instruction. Most people do not need surgery; an implant may be discussed when other options have not helped, with benefits and risks explained.

Seek urgent care for an erection lasting four hours or more or sudden vision or hearing loss after an ED medicine. Do not wait for the next follow-up. Tell the care team which medicine you used and when. These warning signs are different from recurring erectile difficulty without an urgent symptom, which needs a planned assessment.

No. They are useful information, not a diagnosis on their own. Tell the clinician about erections during sleep, on waking and in different situations. A formal nighttime erection test may help in selected cases, but the overall assessment also considers health, medicines, symptoms and examination.

No. Desire and the ability to get or maintain an erection are different parts of sexual function, although problems can overlap. Explain whether the change involves desire, erection, orgasm or ejaculation. This helps the clinician choose an appropriate assessment instead of assuming one treatment fits every concern.