This is the situation every man dreads. If you’re with your SO or maybe you’re seeing someone new. You bring them over and everything is getting hot and heavy.
It comes time to doing the deed. But when you pull your pants down, you’re limper than a raw hot dog.
Did you have too many drinks? Are you just having an off day? Or could it be erectile dysfunction?
While you may think ED is an old man’s disorder, 40% of 40-year-old men have ED. This number increases as you age, reaching 70% at 70 years old.
How do you know if your gummy worm is the result of ED or something else? Does an erectile dysfunction test exist?
Is There an Erectile Dysfunction Test? Yes!
In order to start erectile dysfunction treatment, your doctor will have to diagnose you.
Every patient varies — some doctors only need to identify your symptoms, health history, and other important factors such as age. Other cases may require a specialized test to ensure ED is causing your lack-of erections.
Physical Exam
Every patient will first require a physical exam before undergoing additional testing. That’s because your doctor will need to know your medical history and information about your current and past sex life.
ED affects every man differently. While some develop ED because of age, others develop ED for various other reasons. Blood conditions, heart disease, diabetes, and simply being overweight can make it harder to obtain an erection.
This exam is also important to ensure any ED medications won’t interfere with your health.
You should disclose all health and medical information to your doctor. This includes any medicine you take, past surgeries, lifestyle choices (drinking, smoking, etc.), and if you’re suffering from any injuries.
ED is also not always a physical cause. Mental issues can also cause ED.
Depression, anxiety, stress, and exhaustion can make it hard to obtain an erection. That’s why your doctor will ask about your mental health as well as your current and past sex drive.
No interest in sex is a huge indicator of ED. This means your body isn’t producing enough testosterone, which is one of the leading causes of ED.
If you recently haven’t been “in the mood” or always struggled to achieve sexual satisfaction, your ED could stem from hormonal imbalances.
On the other hand, if you were always interested in sex and are currently sexually active, your ED could be the result of a physical issue.
During the exam, your doctor may inspect your penis and testicles to ensure they look normal and if your nerves are working. Your doctor will also look for other physical symptoms such as “man breasts” or hair loss.
Since ED can be the cause of a blood or heart issue, your doctor will test your blood pressure, check your pulse, and will listen to your heartbeat.
Blood and Urine Tests
ED is usually the first symptom of an underlying blood condition. If your doctor suspects there’s a problem, they will do blood and urine tests to identify any dangerous health issues.
Both tests can uncover diabetes, heart disease, low testosterone, and Mellitus.
Why is blood health essential to achieving an erection? Blood travels down vessels that reach your penis. When you’re aroused, more blood is transported to the penis.
If the vessels are clogged, blood can’t reach your penis, causing incontinence.
A blood test can also uncover low testosterone. Most men experience lacking testosterone as they age. But some factors, such as medication and certain ailments like HIV, can also cause low testosterone in younger men.
A urine test can also uncover these similar problems.
Rectal Exam
Your doctor may also undergo a rectal exam to check your prostate. While prostate enlargement is a separate issue from erectile dysfunction, your prostate health does play a role in the ability to achieve and maintain an erection.
Prostate disease can play a role in your ED. The symptoms you experience, such as pain, can result in ED. Similarly, prostate cancer and the required treatments can also impact your ability to achieve an erection.
Treatments for prostate-related ailments may also cause ED as a side effect.
Some medications impact your ability to get an erection and feel sexually stimulated. Prostatectomy, a procedure that removes all or part of the prostate, may impact the sexual nerves.
Keep in mind, these treatments usually cause temporary ED. It’s still advised you see a doctor.
Nocturnal Penile Tumescence (NPT) Test
Every man knows this situation all too well: “morning wood.” However, your ability to achieve erections while you sleep, also called nocturnal penile tumescence, can be the end-all-be-all test to know if you truly have ED.
Why do men wake up with a woody? It’s not always caused by sexual fantasies or dreams. Testosterone levels are at the highest when you wake up.
NPT is also a sign that your blood levels and nerves are healthy. During rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, your blood flow increases.
This causes increased blood flow to the penis. This even occurs in women when blood increases to the clitoral complex, causing women to have sleeping orgasms.
So, what is the NPT test? This test measures if or how often you have morning wood or wet dreams.
You’ll start by attaching a device to your thigh right before you go to sleep. The device monitors your nightly erections, if you have them, for how long, and whether or not you climax. This information is stored and sent to your doctor.
If the NPT test doesn’t report any nightly erections, there’s likely a physical problem and you will undergo more tests.
If the test confirms you have healthy nightly erections, it doesn’t mean you don’t have ED. The NPT test just confirms your ED isn’t a physical problem. There’s still a good chance there could be a mental issue that affects your continence.
Do You Need Testosterone Therapy?
Erectile dysfunction is common among older men, but certain physical and mental conditions leave younger guys suffering from incontinence.
To ensure that ED is your problem, your doctor will have you undergo an erectile dysfunction test.
Did you ED test prove you have low testosterone? If you’re in Tampa, take a look at our testosterone therapy services.
