Lifestyle Changes To Treat Ed And High Blood Pressure
Along with medical treatment, you may also be able to improve your ED and lower your blood pressure by making some of the same lifestyle changes. For example, smoking tobacco and high alcohol consumption both increase the risk of ED and high blood pressure, so quitting or cutting down can be a real boost to your health and wellbeing.
Other lifestyle changes you could make to achieve healthy blood pressure levels include:
- Eating a low-salt diet with plenty of fruit and veg
- Taking regular exercise
What Causes Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction, which is primarily characterized by the inability to achieve or maintain an erection adequate for sexual intercourse, has a number of potential causes. These may include:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Previous treatment or surgery for prostate cancer and/or BPH
- Trauma
- Psychological factors
- Relationship/marital problems
In a great number of cases, erectile dysfunction is multifactorial, meaning there are several physical and/or psychological issues contributing to the patients symptoms.
Sildenafil Citrate Prescribed For High Blood Pressure
Many of you may have heard of the conditions called Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension and Reynauds Syndrome. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a life threatening condition that means you have high blood pressure in the blood vessels that lead from the heart to your lungs . Reynauds syndrome is a condition where smaller arteries that supply blood to the skin constrict excessively in response to the cold.
Doctors are prescribing a drug called Revatio to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension and Raynauds syndrome. Revatio is sildenafil citrate, Viagra, but marketed under a different name. Using a sex drug may raise some eyebrows and for that reason the drug is marketed by another name.
How does Revatio work? It extends the lives of some pulmonary arterial hypertension sufferers by increasing blood flow to the lungs, reducing the workload on the heart. The same with Raynauds syndrome, the blood vessels are relaxed which increases blood flow.
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Is There A Female Viagra
While Viagra isnt approved for use in women, a drug called Addyi is approved for use in certain women. Some people refer to Addyi as female Viagra. However, Addyi doesnt work like Viagra does. Below, we describe the condition Addyi is approved to treat and how the drug works.
If you have questions about using Addyi, talk with your doctor.
What is Addyi?
Addyi is a brand-name prescription drug thats approved to treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder . Its prescribed for women who havent yet gone through menopause. Addyi contains the active drug flibanserin. Its not known for sure how Addyi works to treat HDSS.
What is HDSS and how does Addyi work to treat it?
With HDSS, you have very low sexual desire thats troublesome for you. The condition can have various physical or psychological causes.
Unlike Viagra, which improves blood flow to male genitals, Addyi doesnt work by improving blood flow to female genitals. Instead, Addyi affects the activity of certain neurotransmitters that are involved in sexual desire and arousal.
The neurotransmitters affected by Addyi include dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin. But its not known for sure how the drugs action affects sexual function.
How well does Addyi work?
For some women with HDSS, Addyi can improve sexual desire and increase the number of sexually satisfying events. But the drug hasnt been found to be very effective.
And keep in mind that it can take up to 8 weeks for Addyi to start working to treat HDSS.
Viagra And Other Medications
Below are lists of medications that can interact with Viagra. These lists dont contain all the drugs that may interact with Viagra.
Before taking Viagra, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Viagra and other ED medications
You shouldnt take Viagra with any other medications for erectile dysfunction . This includes prescription medications, such as:
- alprostadil
It also includes natural or over-the-counter ED treatments, such as l-arginine and yohimbine.
Taking Viagra with other ED medications increases your risk of certain side effects, such as low blood pressure and priapism.*
If youre using Viagra, dont use any other medications for ED without talking with your doctor.
* Priapism is a long-lasting and sometimes painful erection that doesnt go away. Its a medical emergency because it can damage the tissues in your penis and lead to permanent ED.
Viagra and nitrates
You shouldnt take Viagra with nitrate drugs. This includes certain prescription drugs, such as nitroglycerin, used to treat angina . It also includes certain illicit drugs called poppers, such as amyl nitrate.
Examples of nitrate drugs that should not be taken with Viagra include:
- anabolic steroids
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When Erectile Dysfunction Pills Aren’t An Option
If erectile dysfunction pills are out of the question, or if pills haven’t worked for you, don’t worry. There are other options.
Alprostadil is another drug for erectile dysfunction. However, it’s not a pill. One brand, called MUSE, is an alprostadil pellet that you insert into the tip of your penis with an applicator. It widens blood vessels and relaxes smooth muscle tissue in the penis, allowing blood to fill the spongy tissue that makes the penis erect.
Injections directly into the penis are another way to deliver alprostadil. Phentolamine and papaverine are additional drugs that are injected into the penis to treat erectile dysfunction. When injecting these drugs there is some risk that your erection may last too long, a condition that can require medical treatment.
Next, you may want to try a vacuum device, or “penis pump.” This is typically a clear plastic cylinder with a bulb or plunger and a constriction band.
You put your penis in the cylinder and start pumping. The suction creates a vacuum, so blood rushes in to fill the spaces in the spongy tissue of the penis, creating an erection. The erection lasts only as long as the blood stays in, so you slide the band down around the base of your penis, trapping the blood. It’s safe to keep the band on for up to 30 minutes.
How Viagra Cialis Levitra And Staxyn Affect Blood Pressure
When you buy Cialis online, or Viagra, Levitra, Staxyn or Spedra, a doctor will check your medical history and current medication to ensure you are suitable for treatment.
Viagra and related drugs work via nitric oxide, a substance that dilates arteries throughout the body so blood pressure falls. This is the same effect as can occur with beetroot juice and L-arginine supplements.
Taking Viagra causes a mild and transient decrease in blood pressure after taking Viagra 100mg, blood pressure falls, on average, by 8.4/5.5 mmHg due to its blood vessel dilating effects.
As these erectile dysfunction drugs dilate blood vessels, their effects may be additive to those of other blood pressure treatments and may cause low blood pressure with symptoms of dizziness, light-headedness, or feeling faint. For example, in one interaction study, sildenafil was given together with a calcium channel blocker in people with hypertension, and there was an additional reduction in blood pressure on lying down of 8/7 mmHg. However, this was a similar reduction to that seen when sildenafil was given alone to healthy volunteers.
Men whose blood pressure is very low , or whose blood pressure is very high should not take these medicines until their blood pressure is well controlled at acceptable levels.
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How Does Your Blood Pressure Affect Sexual Health
For the most part, hypertension is a medical condition with no signs or symptoms. But high blood pressure has an impact on many vital organ systems in the body. Uncontrolled blood pressure is associated with an increased risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and nerve damage.
Another danger of high blood pressure is its negative effect on sexual function. Studies show that hypertension and erection problems are closely related. Both are diseases of vascular origin. Severe erectile dysfunction is more likely to occur in men who have high blood pressure, and men with ED are nearly 40 percent more likely to be hypertensive or have heart disease.
Hypertension occurs when fatty cholesterol deposits, cellular waste products, calcium, and fibrin clog the arteries and limit blood flow to vital organs. Unregulated blood pressure further damages the lining of blood vessels. In addition, there is increased wall thickness and collagen deposition in the blood vessels in hypertensive individuals.
All this damage to the blood vessels is associated with a decrease in blood flow to the penis, which makes it difficult to achieve and maintain erections. In fact, there is growing evidence that ED is one of the first signs of high blood pressure.
Can I Take Viagra If I Have High Blood Pressure
For many patients with hypertension, taking Viagra and other ED medication such as Stendra, Cialis, and Levitra is safe, effective, and appropriate. However, it is essential that patients consult with their cardiologist, urologist, and other providers before beginning any new medication. Even though ED therapies may not necessarily impact your blood pressure, it is important to know whether there are any drug interactions between your blood pressure medicine and Viagra, or what other risk factors you may have for taking these prescriptions.
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Taking Viagra With Food
You can take Viagra either with or without food. But if you take it with a meal, the drug may take about an hour longer than usual to start working. This is especially the case if you eat a high-fat meal, such as a cheeseburger with fries.
You dont need to wait to take Viagra if youve recently eaten a meal. Just be aware that it might take a bit longer for the drug to work.
Its also important to remember that if Viagra gives you indigestion, taking the drug with food may help to reduce this side effect.
Can Viagra Be Crushed Split Or Chewed
The safety and effectiveness of Viagra tablets that are crushed, split, or chewed havent been tested. And Viagra tablets are meant to be swallowed whole. Its not known if crushing or chewing the tablets will make them work any differently than usual.
If you have trouble swallowing Viagra tablets, you might find it easier to swallow the tablet with different drinks, such as water, juice, or milk. Or talk with your doctor or pharmacist about how else you can take the drug.
If you want to crush, split, or chew Viagra tablets, ask your doctor or pharmacist if this is safe to do.
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How Does Viagra Work
A lot has to go right in your body for an erection to happen. Even if we ignore the mental and emotional aspects of arousal and how they can lower sex drive, its a complicated dance physiologically involving many systems of your body. A messenger called cGMP tells erectile tissue to relax, which allows blood to flow in. But at the same time, the blood vessels that take the blood back to your heart get compressed so that more blood is trapped in the penis. An enzyme called phosphodiesterase-5 breaks down cGMP so that the penis can relax again.
Thats where Viagra comes in. Viagra is a PDE-5 inhibitor, so it blocks this enzyme from breaking down the messenger that kick starts the blood flow needed to get and maintain an erection. Higher levels of cGMP make this process easier.
What Is Erectile Dysfunction
Sexual health is an integral part of physical and mental health. Good sexual health depends on safe and equitable relationships as well as the availability of high-quality information and sexual health services, including medications to cure any disorder.
Erectile dysfunction, sometimes known as impotence, is the inability to achieve and maintain a penile erection that is sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance. Erection problems are very common, particularly in men over 40. Most men occasionally fail to get or keep an erection. This is usually due to stress, tiredness, anxiety or drinking too much alcohol. It is usually nothing to worry about. However, if the erection problem keeps happening, one should see a GP or go to a sexual health clinic as it could be a sign of an underlying health condition which can be treated by addressing the precipitating causes.
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Side Effects Of Viagra
Erectile dysfunction drugs are generally well tolerated. The most common side effects reported in various trials include headache, nasal congestion , indigestion, facial flushing, dizziness, stuffy nose and pelvic muscle pain. These side effects are usually mild and short lasting.
Potentially serious side effects which need urgent medical treatment include an erection that wont go away , blurred vision, sudden decrease or loss of vision and sudden decrease or loss of hearing.
Image credits: pixabay tim.reckmann/wikimedia
Tell The Doctor About All Medical Conditions And Medications
When a licensed healthcare provider is performing an in-person physical examination, make sure that person is informed about all current and previous medical conditions. The most important conditions they need to know about are:
- Heart problems
- A history of prolonged erections
- Any history of alcohol abuse
- All medications, over-the-counter medications, supplements, and remedies being taken
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Surgery For Erectile Dysfunction
Most men would prefer to avoid surgery, but for some men with erection problems, penis implants are another option for regaining sexual function.
There are two kinds of penis implants. One kind is a rigid but flexible rod implanted in the penis. You bend it up for sex or down for daily living. The other kind is an inflatable implant. The device stores fluid in a reservoir under the skin of your abdomen or scrotum. You press on the reservoir to pump fluid into cylinders in the penis. That creates an erection. A valve drains the fluid out of the penis when you’re done.
There are drawbacks to implants. An erection you get with an implant may be slightly shorter than a natural erection. The device itself may malfunction, in which case it would require another surgery to remove or replace it.
Getting a penis implant is a big decision. Once you have it, you may not be able to try other treatments. That’s because the implant replaces the chambers in the penis that fill with blood for a natural erection.
Only Purchase Viagra From A Licensed Pharmacist
Once you have a prescription, only purchase the medicine from a licensed pharmacist, preferably from the pharmacy that has all your records. Purchasing Viagra or other erectile dysfunction medications through alternative channelsespecially the internetcould result in the purchase of counterfeit, unsafe, or improperly dosed medications. Some improperly purchased medications wont work at all, some will increase the risk of side effects.
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How Can I Tell If Viagras Not Working
Viagra may not work for everyone, and it may not work every time you take it.
If youre sexually aroused, Viagra should work to help you have or keep an erection within 30 minutes to 2 hours. But if you dont get an erection within 4 hours after taking a dose, Viagra didnt work for you this time.
If the drug doesnt work for you, you shouldnt take another dose until at least 24 hours later. And talk with your doctor if you feel Viagra isnt helping to treat your ED. They may recommend that you try a different medication for your ED.
Potential Risks And Considerations
Priapism, a persistent and painful erection that can last more than four hours, is the most well-known potential side effect of Viagra but is not one of the most common side effects. Those include indigestion, headaches, facial flushing, back pain, and stuffy nose. But priapism is a serious health condition, which is why you should follow medical advice on your recommended dose of Viagra and should not take more if it doesnt work in 30 minutes. Other serious, but less common, side effects include hearing loss , severe low blood pressure, and vision loss, which can be in one or both eyes.
You should not take Viagra if you have low blood pressure, heart problems such as a history of heart attack or chest pain, or uncontrolled high blood pressure. Theres a potential for drug interactions when taking Viagra, so talk to your healthcare provider about other medications youre taking.
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How Long Does Viagra Take To Work
Viagra typically starts to work between 30 and 60 minutes after you take a dose of the drug. But Viagra itself doesnt give you an erection. Instead, youll need to be sexually aroused in order for the drug to work.
Viagra keeps working in your body for up to 5 hours. This means that if youre aroused, you should be able to achieve an erection for up to 4 hours after taking a dose of Viagra.
Even though Viagra keeps working in your body for several hours, your erection shouldnt last this long. In fact, rarely, Viagra can cause priapism. With this condition, you have a long-lasting and sometimes painful erection.
Priapism is a medical emergency that needs to be treated right away. If its not treated, the condition can damage the tissues in your penis and cause irreversible erectile dysfunction .
If you have an erection that lasts longer than 4 hours, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.