Erectile dysfunction is not new, although decades ago not many men admitted suffering from it. Erectile dysfunction affects all ages but is also treatable despite age.

There are several causes of erectile dysfunction, and as a result of this the available treatments are also different.

Psychotherapy is a very powerful treatment because often, erectile dysfunction is not due to a medical condition, but is the result of emotional stress. In psychotherapy the role and the attitude of the partner is very important.

Modern men take pills for everything, and erectile dysfunction is no exception. In addition to the famous Viagra (approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1998), which was the first oral medication for erectile dysfunction, there are other popular drugs that act similarly to Viagra (Sildenafil) for instance, Cialis (Tadalafil) and Vardenafil (Levitra) also stimulate the flow of blood to the penis, thus making it easier to get an erection when there is sexual stimulation.

But before resorting to erectile dysfunction drugs, consult your doctor because there are cases (for instance a recent heart attack) when you should not even think about them. In the rare cases where the reason for erectile dysfunction is testosterone deficiency, hormone replacement therapy might be enough.

Mechanical vacuum devices create a partial vacuum, which causes the blood to flow to the penis. After an erection is achieved, a special elastic band, which is attached at the base of the penis, prevents the blood from flowing back to the body. This technique delivers a long-lasting erection to make an intercourse possible.

Vascular surgery and penile implants are the heavy artillery of erectile dysfunction treatment. In addition to being much more expensive, these methods of treatment are riskier, and are resorted to only when the other methods are not giving results. But it is likely that for lighter forms of erectile dysfunction there will be no need to go that far.