Experiencing erection problems? Looking for ED cures? Whether you’re 25 or 60+ years old, you’re certainly not alone.
About 30 million American men are affected byerectiledysfunction or ED. Interestingly, while ED is often thought of as a condition that affects middle-aged and older men, around a quarter of all men under 40 experience ED on a regular basis, according to an article published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Luckily, a range of erectiledysfunction medications are available to treat the effects of ED and help you develop and maintain an erection without any problems.
Three of the most popular erectiledysfunction drugs on the market aresildenafil (active ingredient inViagra®, generic Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra®) andtadalafil (Cialis). These are all first-generation treatments for ED that were introduced in the 1990s and early 2000s.
There’s also avanafil, orStendra -- part of a new generation of erectiledysfunction medications that treat erectiledysfunction with a lower rate of sideeffects than the first-generation drugs.
While there’s no “perfect” med for ED, all fourerectiledysfunction provide the same key benefit -- better blood flow to bloodvessels in the baseofthepenis and fewer difficulties developing an erection.
However, they also have some differences, ranging from shorter or longer half-lives to different sideeffect profiles.
And before we get started, we want to say that there’s no “best ED treatment.” Your mission shouldn’t be finding the besttreatment for erectilefunction — it should be finding the best EDtreatment for you, but, no,vapor rub on penis does not work.
Erectile Dysfunction Treatments
Below, we’ve compared the prescription drugs sildenafil (active ingredient in Viagra), vardenafil (active ingredient in Levitra), tadalafil (active ingredient in Cialis) and avanafil (active ingredient in Stendra) to give you a more complete understanding of the most popular medications used today to treat erectiledysfunction.
Sildenafil (active ingredient in Viagra)
Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, is one of the most common and widely used treatments for ED available today.
Originally developed as a treatment for heart health issues, sildenafil was approved as an ED drug in the late 1990s. Since its approval for ED in 1998,
Viagra has become one of the most popularly prescribed medications for ED in the world.
How Sildenafil Works
Sildenafil works by increasing bloodflow to the spongy erectile tissue of the penis, making it easier for you to achieve an erection. It usually works within 30 to 60 minutes of consumption and lasts for three to five hours, depending on the person.
You can take sildenafil with or without food, although taking it after a big meal with a lot of fat might slow down your body’s absorption of the drug.
Sildenafil Side Effects
The potentialside effects are the same as most other ED drugs -- headaches, nasal obstruction, flushed skin and heartburn.
Sildenafil can also potentially lead to more serious sideeffects, particularly in people with heart conditions or those who take other prescription erection medication.
More specifically, it can interact with certain nitrates used to treat hypertension and cause issues related to low blood pressure.
Because of this, it’s important to talk to a qualified healthcare professional or urologist before you consider using sildenafil or any other prescription med for ED — especially if you have a history of healthconditions such as heartdisease or highcholesterol.
Sildenafil Dosage
Sildenafil comes in a variety of doses, ranging from 20mg to 100mg. Highersildenafil are typically used to treat more serious cases of erectiledysfunction for people that don’t respond to the 20 or 50mg tablets.
All in all, sildenafil is popular for a reason -- it works. For most men, sildenafil makes it easier to develop and maintain an erection and acts as a reliable, safe medicine for erectiledysfunction.
