I’m having erection problems. Do I need Viagra?

Erectile dysfunction (difficulty getting or maintaining erections) is a common problem and it’s important to think about the cause. The difficulty may reflect a psychological problem (such as anxiety or depression). Sometimes stress or lack of confidence temporarily inhibit erections and are soon overcome. Erections naturally occur during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. If you are waking up with hard erections, it’s a reassuring sign that the physical apparatus is working.

On the other hand, erections can fail because of physical factors such as inadequate blood or nerve supply, in which case erections during sleep will stop as well.

To become erect, the penis needs a good blood supply. If the small arteries to the penis become too narrow (in the same way that arteries to the heart clog up in coronary heart disease), erections will be much more difficult to achieve. This is common as men get older and is often linked with raised blood pressure, the metabolic syndrome or diabetes.

So it’s important to check your waist circumference and see your doctor. In addition to taking your blood pressure, your doctor can arrange blood tests, including cholesterol (fasting lipid profile), fasting glucose and testosterone.

If your doctor prescribes Viagra, you still need to reverse any features of the metabolic syndrome. Following the diet and lifestyle plan in Dump Your Toxic Waist! will help you do just that.

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