If you answer "Yes", you are not alone. In fact, about 10% of men have erectile dysfunction (ED).

Erectile dysfunction, sometimes called "impotence," is the repeated inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. The word "impotence" may also be used to describe other problems that interfere with sexual intercourse and reproduction, such as lack of sexual desire and problems with ejaculation or orgasm. Using the term erectile dysfunction makes it clear that those other problems are not involved.

Erectile dysfunction, or ED, can be a total inability to achieve erection, an inconsistent ability to do so, or a tendency to sustain only brief erections. These variations make defining ED and estimating its incidence difficult. Estimates range from 15 million to 30 million, depending on the definition used.

ED is a more common disease than one might think, as according to the latest data more than one half of all men over forty years old have some difficulties in getting and maintaining erection from time to time. The matter is that guys at any age, both young and old, can experience erectile dysfunction problems, so it's not a rare problem.

The reasons may be different, ranging from diabetes to stress conditions; and some research states that bad ecological situation may cause violations from the norm, too. While some of the above factors can be easily avoided, like excessive smoking and alcohol drinking, passive way of life and absence of physical activity, this problem often cannot be solved without providing a proper treatment.

Then, erectile dysfunction features aren't the same in all men. One male group isn't able to get an erection at all, another group can get it, but the penis isn't hard enough for having sex, the third group gets a hard erection, but lose it before/during sex.

According to the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), for every 1,000 men in the United States, 7.7 physician office visits were made for ED in 1985. By 1999, that rate had nearly tripled to 22.3. The increase happened gradually, presumably as treatments such as vacuum devices and injectable drugs became more widely available and discussing erectile function became accepted.

Perhaps the most publicized advance was the introduction of the oral drug sildenafil citrate (Viagra) in March 1998. NAMCS data on new drugs show an estimated 2.6 million mentions of Viagra at physician office visits in 1999, and one-third of those mentions occurred during visits for a diagnosis other than ED.

In older men, ED usually has a physical cause, such as disease, injury, or side effects of drugs. Any disorder that causes injury to the nerves or impairs blood flow in the penis has the potential to cause ED. Incidence increases with age: About 5 percent of 40-year-old men and between 15 and 25 percent of 65-year-old men experience ED. But it is not an inevitable part of aging.

Erectile dysfunction is treatable at any age, and awareness of this fact has been growing. More men have been seeking help and returning to normal sexual activity because of improved, successful treatments for ED.

Generic Viagra can help obtain adequate erection, being a life-line for those who want to receive the most pleasant emotions in everyday life, and share some unforgettable moments with their partners. Read more about Generic Viagra...