Male sexual dysfunction often results from heart disease treatment requiring physical and mental synchronization

Men's "inability" often stems from "heart disease"

As the saying goes, "A man has only one flower at 40." It was in its heyday, but the problem of ED (erectile dysfunction in men) came to us from time to time, causing many men to worry! According to the survey, 40% of middle-aged men over the age of 40 have different levels of ED. In the eyes of many people, ED is a physiological problem. However, at the "First Plenary Meeting and Founding Conference of the Professional Committee on Male Psychosomatic Health" held recently in Chengdu, experts attending the meeting pointed out that male ED is closely related to psychological factors, and more than 60% of patients with ED belong to psychogenic ED. If psychogenic ED cannot receive timely and reasonable treatment and psychological intervention, it will gradually become organic ED.

More than half of ED is due to psychological factors

At this conference, national psychiatrists and urologists conducted interdisciplinary exchanges on male psychosomatic health issues. Vice President of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Professor Chang Degui of Urology pointed out: "Modern medicine believes that physical health and mental health are inseparable, especially in the diagnosis and treatment of male diseases, interdisciplinary cooperation can achieve twice the result with half the effort. The etiology of ED is complex, with both physiological and psychological factors. Most men believe that ED is a physical problem, but it is unknown that in male clinics, a large proportion of ED originates from psychological factors, namely psychogenic ED."

According to a clinical survey of 2226 adult males in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Chongqing, the overall prevalence rate of ED in adult males is 26.1%, and the prevalence rate in people aged 40 and above is 40.2%. Among them, psychogenic ED patients account for 62.6% of all ED patients. Excessive stress in life and work, emotional anxiety and tension, marital disharmony, and psychosexual disorders can easily lead to psychogenic ED. If psychogenic ED cannot receive timely and reasonable treatment and psychological intervention, the condition will worsen and gradually transform into organic ED.

Treatment requires a two-pronged approach

The ED problem is not only a health problem for men, but also affects the stability of marital relationships and families. The particularity of ED treatment lies in not only paying attention to the physiological needs of patients, but also paying attention to their psychological and emotional needs. The influence of patients' partners is a factor that cannot be ignored in the treatment of ED. The accusations and complaints of partners in sexual life can also aggravate the symptoms of male ED.

Professor Sun Xueli from the Mental Health Center of West China Hospital of Sichuan University said, "There is a positive correlation between ED and mental health. Most men with mental disorders have varying degrees of erectile dysfunction. In turn, these men may exacerbate their mental disorders due to ED problems, resulting in a vicious cycle of 'mental disorders → ED → more severe mental disorders → ED more severe'."

How can these "physically and mentally" suffering patients regain high-quality sexual well-being? Professor Chang Degui suggests a "two pronged approach", which involves simultaneous treatment from both physical and psychological aspects.

Psychological intervention includes relieving anxiety, strengthening sexual stimulation, and training for couples to communicate. "The rule of husband and wife together" is an important principle among them. The main purpose of conjugal therapy is to relieve patients' psychological barriers, which is a key to the treatment of male dysfunction. According to clinical experience, men with sexual dysfunction are bound to be affected by psychological factors during their married lives, resulting in an increased psychological burden and further complication of the condition, resulting in a vicious cycle of physiology and psychology. At this time, comfort and encouragement from their wives are particularly important.

In terms of improving physiology, patients with psychogenic ED can regain confidence by improving penis hardness. According to the internationally accepted erectile stiffness score, male erectile stiffness is divided into four levels. With the acceleration of the pace of modern life, men with high pressure in work and life are more likely to experience a decline in erectile stiffness from level 4 to level 3. Professor Chang Degui analyzed: "When a person is in a state of long-term tension and anxiety, it causes strong vasoconstriction, resulting in a decrease in the blood supply to the penis, gradually decreasing from level 4 hardness to level 3, or even worse, level 2 hardness.".

However, due to occasional inactivity, it can trigger anxiety during sexual life, worrying about 'will I not be able to do as I did last time', which can further trigger ED. Therefore, in recovery therapy, rapidly improving the patient's hardness is the key. "Years of clinical treatment have shown that the use of PDE5 inhibitors such as Viagra can safely and effectively help these patients with ED achieve level 4 hardness and improve their sexual life."

Through simultaneous psychological and physiological treatment, it can improve physical function, build confidence, reshape harmonious relationship between husband and wife, and help patients get rid of psychogenic ED