Impotence & Erectile Dysfunction
Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction at Clinic Express is by appointment only. Please contact us to book an appointment.- The cost of an Erectile Dysfunction consultation and medical screening is £ 45.00
For most patients, the diagnosis will require a consultation, medical history and usually basic screening tests for high blood pressure, diabetes and raised cholesterol. This is only charged on your first visit, at subsequent visits you will only be charged for your private prescription.
Most patients will be eligible for medication which should resolve the erectile dysfunction.
Private Prescription Charges are as follows:
- Viagra 4 x 50mg £ 45.00
- Viagra 8 x 50mg £ 90.00
What is Impotence?
Impotence is the medical term for the inability to achieve or maintain an erect penis adequate for penetration and normal sexual function.
Impotence or Erectile Dysfunction is one of the most common sexual problems for men and is often age-related.
It is estimated that approximately 20% of all men suffer from impotence but not everyone is equally distressed by the problem.
What happens under normal conditions?
Achieving a normal erection is a complex process involving psychological impulses from the brain, adequate levels of the male sex hormone testosterone, a functioning nervous system, and adequate and healthy vascular tissue in the penis.
The process of erection is fairly simple. The brain, initiates the process; the nerves carry the signal to the blood vessels, when an appropriate signal arrives the arteries allow an increased blood supply to flow in (the arteries carry blood into the penis) and the penile veins close slowing the flow out. The penis fills with blood and becomes erect, and the man enjoys sexual activity.
At the end of the activity this process reverses, the brain terminates the erection; the arteries markedly decrease blood inflow, and the veins open. Blood leaves the penis and erection subsides.
What are the risk factors for Impotence?
As men age, the level of circulating testosterone decreases, which may interfere with normal erection. While a low testosterone level itself is rarely the cause of impotence (5 percent or less), low testosterone can be an additional contributing factor in many men who have other risk factors for impotence.
Low levels of sexual desire, lack of energy, mood disturbances and depression can all be symptoms of low testosterone. A simple blood test can determine if the testosterone level is abnormally low, and testosterone can be replaced using a number of different delivery systems (e.g., injections, skin patches, gels, pills placed under the tongue).
What are some causes of Impotence?
By far the most important cause of the development of impotence is the presence of illnesses like high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease.
These processes, acting over time, can lead to a degeneration of the penile blood vessels, leading to restriction of blood inflow through the arteries and also to leakage of blood through the veins during erection.
The choices we make in life can lead to degeneration of the erectile tissue and the development of impotence. Smoking, drug or alcohol abuse, particularly over a long period of time, will compromise the blood vessels of the penis.
Lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle will contribute to the development of impotence. Correction of these conditions will contribute to overall health and may in some individuals correct mild impotence.
Treatment of many medical conditions can interfere with normal erections. Drugs used to treat these risk factors listed above may also lead to or worsen impotence.
Patients undergoing surgery or radiation therapy for cancer of the prostate, bladder, colon or rectum are at high risk for the development of impotence.
How is Impotence diagnosed?
For most patients, the diagnosis will require a consultation, medical history and usually basic screening tests for high blood pressure, diabetes and raised cholesterol.
Most patients will be eligible for medication which should resolve the erectile dysfunction.
How is Impotence treated?
Your first port of call should be your Family Doctor but many Family Doctors are reluctant to prescribe Viagra, Cialis and Levitra on the NHS;
If you find yourself in that situation, there are many internet web-sites that will offer to sell Viagra, Cialis and Levitra to you - our advice is be cautious.
It has been widely reported that as much as 50% of the Viagra, Cialis and Levitra for sale on the internet is either counterfeit or a generic medication masquerading as the real thing.
Treatments fall into four broad types:
- Oral Medications
- Injections and Penile Suppositories
- Mechanical Devices
- Surgical Intervention and Prostheses
A minority of patients do not respond to oral medication, and in those circumstances patients can be referred for more specialist help.
Oral Medications
The first line of therapy for uncomplicated impotence is use of oral medications known as phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE-5). These are:
- Viagra (sildenafil citrate) produced by Pfizer
- Levitra (vardenafil HCl) produced by Bayer Pharmaceuticals
- Cialis (tadalafil) produced by Eli Lilly
Men with impotence take these before beginning sexual activity and the drugs boost the natural signals that are generated during sex, thereby improving and prolonging the erection itself. These medications are safe and fairly effective, with improvement in erection in nearly 80 percent of patients using these drugs.
Early concerns about possible bad effects on the heart have not proven true; after extensive testing and several years of use, sildenafil citrate can be used safely by all heart patients except those using medications called nitrates because of an interaction between these two classes of drugs.
The side effects of PDE-5 inhibitors are mild and usually transient, decreasing in intensity with continued use. The most common side effects are headache, stuffy nose, flushing and muscle aches. In rare cases, sildenafil can cause blue-green shading of vision due to high blood levels of sildenafil exerting a brief effect on the retina of the eye. This is of no long-term risk and is gone within a short time as the amount of sildenafil in the blood decreases.
It is important to follow the instructions for using these medications in order to get the best results. Tests have shown that 40 percent of men who do not respond to sildenafil will respond when they receive proper instruction on medication use.
Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction is by appointment only
Please contact us to book an appointment. The cost of an Erectile Dysfunction consultation and medical screening is £ 45.00
For most patients, the diagnosis will require a consultation, medical history and usually basic screening tests for high blood pressure, diabetes and raised cholesterol. This is only charged on your first visit, at subsequent visits you will only be charged for your private prescription.
Most patients will be eligible for medication which should resolve the erectile dysfunction.
Private Prescription Charges are as follows:
- Viagra 4 x 50mg £ 45.00
- Viagra 8 x 50mg £ 90.00
