No one wants to hear the words “erectile dysfunction” – including men and women. But the condition is common and, unfortunately, unavoidable. More than 3 million men across the U.S. can’t get it up, or keep it up, according to the Mayo Clinic. This spans across all age groups, as seven percent of men between 18 and 29 can’t orgasm, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Dozens of commercials will tell you to try ED pills such as Levitra, Viagra and Cialis. But are pills the right thing for you?
Experts say heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol are to blame for erectile dysfunction. Characteristically, these conditions constrict the blood vessels instead of opening them to allow blood flow to the penis.
ED pills, also known as PDE5 inhibitors, combat erection failure by relaxing tight blood vessels. This allows for more blood to flow to the penis, which causes an erection, Dr. Gregory Bales of the University of Chicago told Men’s Health.