Impotence is the ability of a make to achieve an erection of sufficient quality to achieve satisfactory sexual intercourse. Impotence may be confused with premature ejaculation by the patient. Impotence affects 1 in 10 males.
Diagnosis of impotence
Impotence, it is assumed, is to be kept a secret. Choosing to reveal it shall only lead to embarrassment for all. And there is a terrible temptation to simply refuse to admit the problem exists and leave before anyone can prove otherwise. Here are the steps mentioned that need to be follow in order to diagnosis impotence
Patient History
Medical and sexual histories help define the degree and nature of Impotence. A medical history can disclose diseases that lead to Impotence, while a simple recounting of sexual activity might distinguish among problems with sexual desire, erection, ejaculation, or orgasm. Using certain prescription or illegal drugs can suggest a chemical cause, since drug effects account for 25 percent of impotence cases. Cutting back on or substituting certain medications can often alleviate the problem.
Physical Examination
well a careful examination of the external genital, the prostate and secondary sex characteristics is essential. A physical examination can give clues to systemic problems. For example, if the penis is not sensitive to touching, a problem in the nervous system may be the cause. Abnormal secondary sex characteristics, such as hair pattern or breast enlargement, can point to hormonal problems, which would mean that the endocrine system is involved. The examiner might discover a circulatory problem by observing decreased pulses in the wrist or ankles.
Laboratory Tests
The laboratory workup may include a glucose tolerance test, blood testosterone, free testosterone and cortical levels, thyroid function studies, a spinal tap, a skull X-ray and a chromosomal analysis. Several laboratory tests may also be used in diagnosing Impotence problems. Urine analysis, blood counts may be used to determine the cause of the problem. Decreased sexual desire might be due to lowered testosterone levels, a fact that can be identified in a laboratory test. Nocturnal erection monitoring is another way to deal with impotence problems. Involuntary erections during the night are common with healthy men, so an absence of such erections might lead to the assumption that the erectile dysfunction problem is caused by physical and not psychological causes.
Other Tests
Monitoring erections that occur during sleep can help rule out certain psychological causes of ED. Healthy men have involuntary erections during sleep. If nocturnal erections do not occur, then ED is likely to have a physical rather than psychological cause. Tests of nocturnal erections are not completely reliable, however. Scientists have not standardized such tests and have not determined when they should be applied for best results.
Psychosocial Examination
A psychosocial examination, using an interview and a questionnaire, reveals psychological factors. A man’s sexual partner may also be interviewed to determine expectations and perceptions during sexual intercourse.
