Can Erectile Dysfunction Be Cured?
Erectile dysfunction is often treatable and sometimes reversible. But there is no single cure for every man. The most useful question is what is causing the erection problem — because blood flow, hormones, medicines, metabolic health, nerves and psychological factors can all play a part.
In other men, ED may require ongoing treatment or management. The appropriate approach depends on whether reduced blood flow, hormonal problems, metabolic health, medicines, neurological factors, psychological factors or a combination of these are contributing.
This is why persistent erectile dysfunction should be assessed rather than assuming that one medicine, vitamin or treatment will work for every man.
Can ED actually go away?
It can in some men. But erectile dysfunction is a symptom rather than one single disease, so the likelihood of improvement depends heavily on why the problem developed in the first place.
An erection requires sexual stimulation, functioning nerves, healthy blood flow into the penis and the ability to retain that blood within the erectile tissue. Hormones, medicines, cardiovascular health, diabetes, psychological wellbeing and other factors can influence this process.
For example, erection difficulties associated with a reversible medication effect or psychological contributor may have a very different outlook from ED associated with longstanding vascular or neurological disease.
Why the cause changes the treatment
Potentially reversible factors
Some psychological contributors, medication effects, lifestyle factors, hormonal abnormalities and poorly controlled metabolic risk factors may improve when appropriately addressed.
Ongoing medical causes
Vascular, neurological and chronic health conditions may require longer-term management together with appropriate erectile dysfunction treatment.
Mixed ED
Many men do not have one single cause. Physical and psychological contributors can occur together and may both need to be addressed.
From erectile dysfunction to the right treatment
Instead of treating every case of ED in the same way, this pathway starts with the symptom and works towards the likely contributing factors.
The erectile dysfunction pathway
The same symptom — difficulty getting or maintaining an erection — can arise for different reasons.
Some medication effects, psychological factors, lifestyle contributors, hormonal abnormalities and metabolic factors may improve when addressed.
Vascular, neurological and chronic medical causes may require ongoing treatment rather than a simple one-time cure.
Several contributors may coexist, meaning that more than one treatment approach can sometimes be appropriate.
This is why the appropriate ED pathway depends on the individual rather than simply selecting a treatment from a list.
Common questions about ED recovery and treatment
Tap each question for a direct answer. These are important questions men ask when they are trying to understand whether erectile dysfunction is temporary, treatable or likely to need medical assessment.
How to increase blood flow to the penis?
An erection depends on increased arterial blood flow into erectile tissue. Cardiovascular and metabolic health therefore matter to erectile function.
Depending on the individual, addressing smoking, physical inactivity, excess weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes may be relevant to both vascular health and erections.
PDE5 inhibitor medicines can improve the erectile response to sexual stimulation in suitable patients. Selected men with blood-flow-related erectile dysfunction may also consider low-intensity shockwave therapy following appropriate assessment.
At what age does erectile dysfunction start?
There is no particular age at which ED suddenly begins. Erectile dysfunction becomes more common with increasing age, but younger men can experience it too.
Psychological factors, medicines, hormones, diabetes, cardiovascular risk and other health conditions can contribute at different ages.
Persistent erectile dysfunction should not simply be dismissed as normal ageing.
What vitamins are good for erectile strength?
No vitamin should be presented as a universal treatment or cure for erectile dysfunction.
Correcting a genuine nutritional deficiency can be important for overall health, but supplements do not replace investigating vascular, hormonal, metabolic, neurological or psychological contributors to ED.
If erections have changed persistently, finding out why is more useful than simply buying an “erection vitamin”.
How long will erectile dysfunction last?
There is no fixed duration.
An occasional erection problem related to stress, alcohol, illness, tiredness or anxiety may be temporary. Persistent ED may continue until contributing factors are addressed or effective treatment is introduced.
Chronic medical causes may require longer-term management.
If erection problems keep happening, an assessment can be more useful than simply waiting for them to disappear.
Can Viagra reverse erectile dysfunction?
Sildenafil — commonly known by the brand name Viagra — is an established treatment for erectile dysfunction.
It can improve the erectile response to sexual stimulation in suitable men, but this does not necessarily mean the underlying cause of ED has been permanently reversed.
Some men may require ongoing medication, while others may improve when contributing health, psychological or lifestyle factors are addressed.
PDE5 inhibitors are not suitable for everyone and can interact dangerously with nitrate medicines. Appropriate medical prescribing and advice are important.
What causes a man to lose a hard-on?
Losing an erection occasionally can happen because of anxiety, distraction, stress, tiredness, alcohol, reduced stimulation or relationship factors.
If it happens repeatedly, physical contributors such as reduced penile blood flow, diabetes, neurological problems, medication effects or hormonal abnormalities may also need to be considered.
Persistent difficulty maintaining an erection is one of the common ways erectile dysfunction presents.
Can ED ruin a marriage?
Erectile dysfunction can affect confidence, intimacy and communication, but ED does not automatically mean loss of attraction or the end of a relationship.
It is a common health and sexual-health problem with multiple possible causes and treatment options.
Communication can be important. Where psychological or relationship factors contribute, appropriate psychosexual or psychological support may form part of treatment.
Erectile dysfunction should be treated as a health issue, not as blame.
What do doctors do for erectile dysfunction?
A doctor will usually begin by understanding the pattern of ED, general health, medicines, cardiovascular risk, libido, morning erections and relevant psychological or relationship factors.
Depending on the individual, assessment may include blood pressure, examination and blood tests such as testosterone, glucose or HbA1c, cholesterol and other appropriate investigations.
Treatment can include risk-factor management, PDE5 inhibitor medicines, psychological or psychosexual support, vacuum devices, specialist treatments and, in selected men, low-intensity shockwave therapy.
MDC can help guide patients towards ED blood testing, urology/andrology assessment and focused shockwave pathways.
What happens when ED is properly investigated?
Understand the problem
Getting versus maintaining erections, duration, morning erections, libido and when the problem occurs.
Look beyond the penis
Cardiovascular risk, diabetes, medicines, smoking, alcohol, neurological conditions and psychological wellbeing can all matter.
Test when appropriate
Blood testing can investigate hormonal, metabolic and cardiovascular factors where clinically relevant.
Choose the pathway
Medication, risk-factor management, specialist assessment, psychological support or shockwave therapy may then be considered.
Can blood tests help investigate erectile dysfunction?
Blood tests cannot explain every case of ED, but they can provide useful information about hormonal, metabolic and cardiovascular factors that may be contributing.
Erectile Dysfunction / Impotence Profile
A dedicated MDC blood profile designed to investigate several important health areas that may be relevant to erectile dysfunction.
Blood sample · Baker Street · London
Areas assessed include
Results should be interpreted alongside symptoms and clinical assessment. Normal blood results do not exclude every possible cause of erectile dysfunction.
Can low testosterone cause erectile dysfunction?
Low testosterone can contribute to sexual symptoms in some men, particularly reduced libido, and may contribute to erectile difficulties. However, ED can also occur when testosterone is normal.
Men with reduced libido, reduced morning erections or other symptoms compatible with testosterone deficiency may require appropriately timed hormonal testing.
Testosterone results should be interpreted alongside symptoms and, when appropriate, other hormone measurements.
Can shockwave therapy help erectile dysfunction?
Low-intensity shockwave therapy uses acoustic waves applied externally to penile tissue. It has been studied particularly in men with vasculogenic ED, where impaired blood flow contributes to erection problems.
Some appropriately selected patients may experience improvement in erectile function. However, shockwave therapy should not be described as a guaranteed permanent cure and is not equally appropriate for every type of ED.
MDC provides focused shockwave therapy for erectile dysfunction in London as part of its men’s health and urology/andrology pathway.
Speak to the MDC team about erectile dysfunction
You do not need to decide for yourself whether your erection problem is caused by testosterone, blood flow, medication, stress or another factor before contacting us.
Simply tell our team: “I’ve been having problems getting or maintaining an erection and I’d like to know what I should do next.”
MDC can help guide you towards an appropriate pathway, which may include ED blood testing, hormone assessment, specialist urology/andrology assessment or focused shockwave therapy.
ED is often treatable. The first step is understanding why it is happening.
MDC provides a discreet erectile dysfunction pathway in Central London, including ED blood testing, hormone assessment, focused shockwave therapy and access to appropriate specialist urology and andrology pathways.
