Page 23 - Seniors Today Dec 2019

Health

Erectile dysfunction

It may be more than just a problem in bed, writes Doug Lording

Erection problems are common but they ED and diabetes
can be embarrassing for men to discuss The greater risk of erectile problems in men
with partners and even doctors. with diabetes has been known for some
The sales of erection drugs on the inter- time with studies estimating that up to four
net or billboard advertising are boosted by in five men with diabetes will have erectile
keeping erectile problems in the dark. They dysfunction at some time in their lives. This
reinforce the idea that it’s an embarrassing is twice the rate in men without diabetes.
problem that can be fixed without seeking Diabetes can cause reduced blood flow to
help from doctors.
But this means men are missing out on an
opportunity to improve their health.
Many men will be surprised to learn that
erectile dysfunction (ED) affects about one
in five men over the age of 40 and two in
three men over 70. There’s also increasing
research evidence linking erectile dysfunc-
tion with other general health problems,
such as diabetes and heart disease.
And it’s becoming clearer that erectile
dysfunction can be an early warning sign
of chronic health conditions, but many men
and some doctors still don’t appreciate this.
Erectile dysfunction is a difficult subject to talk about
23 SENIORS TODAY | Volume 1 | Issue 6