Men's Health Specialist located in Colorado Springs, CO & Durango, CO
Most men aren’t comfortable talking about erectile dysfunction, but it helps when your doctor is a fellowship-trained men’s health specialist like J. Abram McBride, MD. At his practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Dr. McBride has helped many men overcome erectile dysfunction with holistic individualized treatment that targets the source of the problem. If you need effective treatment to restore your sex life, call the office or use the online booking feature today.
Erectile Dysfunction Q & A
What causes erectile dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction occurs when men can’t have an erection or can’t keep an erection that’s firm enough to have intercourse. A variety of medications and health conditions can cause erectile dysfunction.
An enlarged prostate, sleeping disorders, Peyronie’s disease, stress, depression, and obesity are a few of the possible causes of erectile dysfunction. Men with diabetes are 2-3 times more likely to develop erectile dysfunction than men who do not have this chronic condition.
Of all the possible causes, however, vascular disease is one of the most common. When you have an erection, arteries in the penis dilate, allowing more blood to flow into the penis and produce a firm erection.
When blood vessels sustain damage from high blood pressure, smoking, or high blood sugar, or when atherosclerosis blocks blood flow, you can’t have a normal erection. For this reason, erectile dysfunction is often a red flag alerting you to the presence of cardiovascular disease.
How is erectile dysfunction treated?
After Dr. McBride reviews your medical history, talks about lifestyle issues like stress, and performs a thorough exam, he decides whether you may need additional testing to determine the cause of your erectile dysfunction.
For example, he may want to evaluate your heart, perform an ultrasound, or conduct erectile function tests.
Your treatment depends on the underlying cause. Whenever possible, Dr. McBride begins by addressing lifestyle concerns affecting your ability to have an erection.
Lifestyle changes could include improving your vascular health and/or losing weight with diet and exercise, stopping smoking, or cutting down on alcohol. Dr. McBride may recommend getting help with emotional problems such as stress, depression, and relationship conflicts.
Dr. McBride has extensive experience in inserting penile implants that allow men to have an erection.
How do penile implants treat erectile dysfunction?
When nonsurgical treatments haven’t helped your erectile dysfunction, Dr. McBride may recommend a procedure to insert penile implants. He uses two basic types of implants produced by Boston Scientific:
Malleable implants
Dr. McBride inserts two cylinders coated in silicone in your penis. You bend the implants upward for sex and leave them turned down the rest of the time.
Inflatable implants
Dr. McBride implants two cylinders inside your penis, a fluid-filled reservoir under the abdominal wall, and a pump inside your scrotum. To have an erection, you press on the pump, pushing the fluid from the reservoir into the cylinders to produce an erection. After intercourse, you press a release valve on the pump so fluid can leave the cylinder and return to the reservoir.
If you need help with erectile dysfunction, call J. Abram McBride, MD, or schedule an appointment online.
