According to Jason Isaacs, there is nothing more embarrassing than to get an erection when you don't want one. Erectile dysfunction touches more lives than people think, and creates more embarrassment than is necessary. Nevermind what Isaacs may say, for many men the real embarrassment is in NOT being able to get an erection when you do want one. Erectile dysfunction is fodder for a lot of off color humor. The topic fuels situation comedies, artsy movies about the breakdown of a marriage, and of course (much to the chagrin of most men) ladies' room confidences. This situation is worldwide. There are not many other conditions that really carry more stigma. Do you suffer from some kind of depression or social anxiety? There are groups of people that are fighting for people like to just be accepted. Do you have problems achieving full erection? With this problem you are feeling that you are pretty much alone. This question will not always be asked in a professional way.
 
You are thinking I just can't "get it up". Erectile dysfunction ranks up there just like depression and anxiety, and it is way more common than people really realize, but it does not have to be a life sentence. Society keeps quiet about this condition and the number of people who have this problem is estimated to be a low number, but reliable statistics say that the numbers are as high as one out of ten men have been discovered with this problem. There are about thirty million suffers, (some have a mild case) in the U.S. alone. For men with diabetes, the percentage of erectile dysfunction goes up to 50%.

How would you find out if you were one of the 50% of men with this problem? The definition of erectile dysfunction is not being able to achieve/or keep erection for sexual performance. This is vague in the definition. There are some men who will not be sexually satisfied with their performance at one time or another. Complete dysfunction can be diagnosed if four to six out of 10 attempts to achieve a full erection end in failure with partial erections also counted as failures. If you can achieve erection only 50% of the time, there may be a problem and you should see a doctor to find out what the problem is.
The most common cause of erectile dysfunction is diabetes. Diabetes is known to do damage to the inner walls of blood vessels, and this not good for the healthy flow of blood to the limbs and the penis; this is not very helpful to be able to get an erection.

There are other causes that may cause erectile dysfunction and they are vascular diseases, high blood pressure, smoking and also anything else that effects the very important pumping of blood through your body.

There are also non-vascular reasons for erectile dysfunction. One reason is surgery, especially removal of the prostate. Another might be nerve damage. Still another reason is low testosterone levels, a.k.a. endocrine imbalance. Be assured, your doctor will test for this. Psychological and emotional problems can cause erectile dysfunction. Finally, drugs like narcotics and sedatives or even alcohol could be the culprit.
 
In both of the sexes, some of the final causes are normally overlooked as a major contributor to unsatisfactory sex lives/and the ability to achieve orgasm. These causes are usually very difficult to treat. They may take a lot of time and continued effort, not to mention regular counseling sessions and support from your family and friends. Just remember that some medicines that are prescribed for psychological issues may affect sexual performance, so make sure you read the labels on the bottles, and well as read the pamphlets very well.
 
In order to get the treatment, you would first have to find out what is causing the problem. A supplement that contains testosterone is your best choice if the reason is that your hormone levels are out of balance (if you are an elderly person with erectile dysfunction this is probably the reason.) For women, when menopause hits, they suffer from analogous problems and can take estrogen supplements.

If you have a more serious problem, then you might want to think about taking a medication by mouth. Unlike many treatments, PDE5 does not cause an immediate erection. For this reason, many men prefer this treatment option. The reason for this is that PDE5 inhibitors block a chemical that is present in the penis. This chemical is what allows the erection to subside. If you take it consistently, your erection will be enhanced and the effects will only kick in when you need them to. The treatments that could help with this problem include Levitra, Cialis, and the popular drug, Viagra.

For men who do not want to take medication on a regular basis, there are temporary options. One of these is the Vacuum Pump. With this device, the penis is placed in a plastic tube and a hand pump is used to draw blood into the penis. You may remember that hyper-sexual spy, Austin Powers (Mike Meyers) brought this item to our attention. Another option is the use of an Intra-Urethral Suppository. You insert a tiny applicator filled with medication into the tip of the penis and this will dilate the blood vessels. Those men who chose to use this option say that it is not as bad as it sounds.
 
While the majority of these options/treatments are available over-the-counter, you should consult your doctor to find out the true problem.