Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)

Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask you about your medical history to learn if any medical conditions might be causing the impotence, including vascular, neurological and hormonal disorders. Because vascular disorders affect the entire body, many men who have impotence because of vascular disease also have a history of heart disease, stroke or poor circulation in their legs. Neurological problems can contribute to impotence in men with a history of diabetes and spinal cord injury. They also can cause symptoms in other parts of the body, such as numbness or weakness in legs. In men with abnormal hormone levels, a reduced sex drive often accompanies impotence. Your doctor also will review the medications you take, including over-the-counter products and herbal remedies.

Your doctor will ask about your sex life, including questions about the quality of your sexual relationships.

Your doctor will examine you, including your penis and testes, to look for evidence of medical problems. Your blood may be tested for blood sugar (to check for diabetes), cholesterol and levels of certain hormones.

Occasionally, a doctor may order additional tests, such as a test called a nocturnal penile tumescence study. This is a way to determine how often you get erections while you sleep. Another test that may be done is called a Doppler ultrasound of the blood vessels in the penis, which measures how well the blood is flowing in your penis.

Although your doctor may not be able to give you a specific reason why you have impotence, many of the treatments work well no matter what caused the problem, so extensive testing may not be necessary.

Expected Duration

How long your impotence lasts depends upon what causes it and how quickly your treatment starts to work. The important thing to remember is that impotence is treatable in all age groups.