Archive for March 16, 2010

Modern life will be the death of sex

No matter how far back in time you travel, you will always find stories about men having problems with their erections. In most of the early plays, poetry and literature, the unfortunates are held up for our pity and, sometimes, our amusement. So long as men are supposed to be the ones with all the power in society, loss of power in the bedroom equals loss of manhood. They almost become less than men. In the earliest times when it was customary to castrate some men as the price of specific work opportunities, this produced a significant irony. It was the difference between physical emasculation as a career choice and those whose equipment simply refused to work properly. Such men became lower even than the eunuchs. They were as far down in the social ladder as it was possible to go and still count as human. Even women were considered above them!

In modern times, shame and humiliation continue to haunt men whose performance levels flag. Despite the now medically verified fact that all men slowly lose potency as they age, there remains an expectation that nothing should ever prevent a real man from engaging in sex. Until recently, no-one knew how many men were affected. Only a few were ever prepared to admit their problems. With the launch of a tablet as a treatment, floodgates opened and tens of thousands of men made a desperate plea for help. That gave an unofficial number for those affected. But the launch of the online pharmacy drove the problem back underground. With men able to get the drugs without a prescription, we are back to guesswork. But one thing does seem clear. The number of men seeking help is rising more than might be expected.

The probable reasons are modern lifestyles. There’s increased stress in the pace of life and changes in gender roles. As expectations of greater sexual equality rise, men find their traditional dominance under threat. Add in the changes in diet and the lack of exercise, and men come under greater pressure as obesity threatens. As body weight rises, so to do the risks of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. If men are content with life as a couch potato, drinking lots of beer and smoking, erectile dysfunction is the most likely first symptom of serious underlying health problems.

Although viagra has an unmatched reputation as a safe and effective way of treating erectile dysfunction, there comes a point when even the little blue pill cannot work its magic. The reality is that, if diabetes goes untreated, there will be nerve damage that prevents an erection. Similarly, if there is damage to the arterial system, the first place to suffer will be the penis – that’s where some of the smallest arteries have the biggest jobs. The message is simple and clear. Thin men enjoy sex for longer. That means you should take care to eat less fatty food in smaller portions and exercise more. Keeping your weight in check and leading a less stressful life will keep you going longer. If there are problems, viagra will always help even if you are leaving your sixtieth decade and entering your seventieth.

It won’t make you go blind

It’s strange how the warnings given when you are young can still haunt you years later. Very early, parents and teachers muttered darkly that masturbation will make you go blind. This is a terrible warning to give a growing child. Everything in the world is shiny and new. You are just starting to drink in all the sights, sounds and new experiences. To suggest you will be denied sight if you pursue just a little personal pleasure in private is unkind to say the least. It goes way beyond the use of guilt and ordinary fear. This is the demonization of a natural activity that helps you learn about the way in which you body works. At a time when you should be exploring the relationship between your body and your emotions, you are left with nothing but frustration. Until you find a willing partner that is. Then the world takes on a different look and feel as “natural” emotions start to flow. Except you then run into a whole new set of barriers where parents expect you to wait until marriage before trying sex. Abstinence is the preferred message in modern sex education for growing children.

By a curious coincidence, the labels on the drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction also refer to various risks connected to eyesight. This is not a threat made to deter adults from sexual activity. Rather, it refers to a side effect experienced by some of the men who take the drugs. A very small number of men have reported a slight blurring of their vision, often accompanied by a blue tinge to what is seen. One or two have experienced a complete loss of vision. This latter is so remote a possibility that it can almost immediately be dismissed. The average man is never going to find his vision disappearing. To discover the extent of the risk of mere blurring, there has been a recent clinical trial involving almost 250 healthy men. None of the men had any problems with their vision and their eyes were tested before, during and after taking the relevant drugs (or a placebo) over a six month period.

The results were recently published and show no change to the eyesight of any of the men who participated. There are two minor comments that take the edge of the goodness of the news. The first is that the participants were given low doses of generic viagra. In the real world, the men who reported problems were all taking up to the maximum daily dose. Thus, the strength of the evidence is limited by the need to produce an ethical study. Researchers should not knowingly design a clinical trial likely to injure the participants. Secondly, none of the participants had any existing problem with their eyes. Again, the men who reported problems all had less than perfect vision. The study therefore suggests that it’s perfectly safe to take viagra. It will not make you go blind if you are taking a lower dose and you have no existing problems with your eyesight. Because this represents most men, this study confirms viagra’s reputation as safe and effective.

Is Viagra safe?

Is it safe for men with high blood pressure to take viagra?

As men getting older, their arteries become less flexible and blood pressure rises. This problem is aggravated by obesity, too much cholesterol in the blood, diabetes, kidney disease, and so on. Viagra works by allowing arteries to dilate. For those with erectile dysfunction, this is a good thing because dilation allows more blood to flow into the penis and creates an erection. But if more arteries are affected, blood flows more rapidly around the body and this causes a drop in blood pressure. Viagra is designed to be reasonably specific, i.e. only to affect the penis. But if you are also taking one of the drugs designed to reduce blood pressure, e.g. ACE inhibitors, diuretics, alphablockers, etc., it was suggested the interaction could produce a more rapid drop in pressure which might be dangerous.

The question, obviously, is short: “how dangerous?” In 2002, the drug companies ran a full clinical trial to find out. Men with high blood pressure were invited to participate and took both Viagra and one of the other medications used to treat hypertension. Over time, less than 3% of the participants stopped taking the viagra. Indeed, some 75% found their erections improved without any side effect. The problem with a clinical trial is that this is one group of participants asked to report how they feel on a sensitive issue. It does not mean that viagra is safe for every man. So, if you have high blood pressure, viagra is probably safe and, more importantly, the improvement in sexual performance makes any actual side effects acceptable. But you should monitor the situation and, if you do experience problems, discuss them with your doctor. Remember, there is clear evidence that combining viagra with a nitrate is dangerous. This drug is usually prescribed to treat heart disease. Finally, you should take life easy for six months after a stroke or heart attack.

Can diabetics take viagra?

Diabetes can damage the nerve endings in different parts of the body. This interferes with the way in the body feels things and can cause erectile dysfunction. There have been a number of trials to measure the effectiveness of viagra among men with diabetes. To ensure a scientific result, the men were not told whether they were using viagra or a placebo. Some were allowed to change the dosage up or down from the standard 50 mg.

Taking all the trials together, none of the men reduced the dosage. The majority taking the standard or a higher dosage reported an improvement in their ability to achieve penetration and maintained the erection over time. Some 60% achieved significantly better levels of sexual satisfaction. This is a good performance from a group suffering nerve damage that cannot be cured. Only about 2% of the participants stopped using cheap viagra because of adverse side effects. The most common problem was feeling thirsty which was easily resolved by drinking water. More serious side effects were rare. A few suffered hypo- or hyperglycemic events, and one or two found their eyesight was affected.