О язве двенадцатиперстной кишки-About duodenal ulcer

Although knowing the cause helps, you can still expect some bumps on the road to sexual recovery; after all, you still have needs of your own.

For example, Annie and Phil had been married for about 15 years when he started to have erection problems. Annie was sure that Phil’s diminished response was linked to a blood pressure medicine he was taking, but knowing that fact didn’t solve the problem or satisfy her sexual needs. Annie recalls: «It was very frustrating for me. I was getting sick, I was plagued with headaches. I didn’t blame myself, because we always had a good relationship, but I felt depressed, like someone had taken something away from me. I’ve heard of people getting divorced because of sexual problems, but we didn’t desert each other.» Annie, a woman of 46, didn’t let her depression immobilize her. Instead, she took an active role. She had him try the stamp test. She also looked in the telephone book for the number of a local support group, and encouraged her husband to contact them. Her efforts eventually paid off, and Annie and Phil are happy with the results. Other couples don’t find a solution so easily.

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Sometimes men with mild artery problems respond well to the penile injections, so the doctor suggested the method was worth another shot. On a subsequent visit, Sidney received a second shot, and his erection was noticeably improved. He was extremely pleased by this turn of events, and eager to continue the shots.

On his third visit, Sidney happily reported that for the first time in many years, he had been getting erections at home. Apparently, because of factors doctors don’t yet understand, Sidney was one of those fortunate men in whom the shots spur the erectile system into action. And when he got his third injection, the results were quite satisfying: In just a few minutes, he obtained an almost normal state of physical arousal.

As time goes on, Sidney may find that he needs to have an occasional shot to keep his system functioning. But as of the third visit, he considered himself cured. He decided that he didn’t need a penile implant.

Still, most men who get good results with the shots will need to keep using them. For these patients, self-injection at home is obviously preferable to having to visit the doctor to get an erection.

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There are a lot of over-the-counter substances advertised as cures for impotence—miracle drugs which will supposedly turn a normal man into a super stud. The ad copy is often accompanied by photographs of happy, smug-looking men and exhausted, satiated women. Most of these so-called miracle drugs are nothing more than vitamin pills, which you can getfrom your local drugstore for a great deal less money. There is no medical evidence that adding vitamins to an already healthy diet will do anything to improve potency in a healthy man. (That goes for vitamin E and zinc, too.] If you think that you are deficient in some vitamin or mineral, you should see your doctor before self-prescribing. In very large quantities, vitamins can actually harm you.

There is no scientific medical evidence that ginseng, sometimes advocated for men with erection problems, will cure or improve potency difficulties, And Spanish fly, made from a type of beetle, can effectively irritate your urinary system and your penis, but it won’t help an erection problem. In large enough doses, it can cause serious harm or even kill you. Our advice is to stay away from all of these substances, and stick to the safe self-help program we recommend in this chapter.

We hope that self-help works for you, but if it doesn’t, your next step is to find a qualified professional who can diagnose the cause of the difficulty, and successfully treat it.

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If you’re like many men, your initial response to an erection problem will be to leave your wife or lover alone—physically and emotionally. You’ll feel you have enough trouble dealing with the problem yourself without confronting her with it. But your partner is greatly affected by your problem.

In fact, if you are married or seriously involved, the woman in your life can be extremely important—sometimes even essential—to helping you regain your potency and enjoy your sex life. Understanding and honest communication between partners can be the key to sexual success.

Isolation, neglect and misunderstanding will often only exacerbate the problem. Relationships are sometimes wrecked more by the couple’s reaction to the potency problem than by the problem itself.

Jeff knows how important communication is. From the first time he had sex as a teenager, Jeff had a problem maintaining his erection. He could become easily aroused, but couldn’t stay erect during intercourse. Doctors were never able to help him, and the problem caused him untold distress. When he was in his mid-20′s, Jeff met the woman of his dreams, Ellen, and fell

head over heels in love. Despite his erection troubles, he decided to get married. In fact, his doctor encouraged him to get hitched, thinking that the change in his lifestyle would cure the problem.

It didn’t. Although Ellen had known about his lack of potency before they got married, and was understanding, she too had harbored hope that marriage would take care of the problem. Obviously she was disappointed, though she didn’t make an issue of it.

They lived with the problem for many years, and it extracted a considerable toll. «We would try to make love,» Ellen remembers. «And it wouldn’t work. Jeff would become depressed within 24 hours. He felt inadequate, that he wasn’t a man. It tore me up to hear him say such terrible things about himself.»

The lack of intercourse was a serious problem for both of them, but they still reacted to each other with love and commitment. «It was very frustrating, but we had to get on with our lives. Impotence would not break up our marriage,» Ellen says with certainty.

Their determination and good relationship paid off in the end. Although no one was able to determine the exact cause of Jeff’s problem, he was treated with a penile implant. Now two years after the surgery, Ellen and Jeff happily make love.

Jeff and Ellen’s story may be more the exception than the rule. Let’s face it, in this age of «sexual liberation,» most of us still find talking about sex extremely difficult—especially if we’re talking to the person who’s nearest and dearest to us. Often, we’re afraid of how our lover will respond. For people who have trouble expressing their feelings, sex talk may be completely off limits. But even people who are more emotionally open may find sex the one area they prefer to keep under the covers.

Such noncommunicative behavior can set in motion a chain of misery and pain. It can also make people a little crazy. For an illustration of just how crazy, let’s look at another sensitive topic that has many parallels to potency: money.

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It’s not surprising that the remarks I hear range from fearful to ecstatic. A profound change in one’s sexual habits is no small matter, and cannot be dealt with in the time it takes to swallow a little pill.

Time, in a variety of ways, is an important issue where ED and its implications—as well as treatment—are concerned. Unfortunately, in today’s society, we’re used to quick fixes. In fact, we have come to anticipate that the lime it lakes lo accomplish something will continually he shortened.

Think about it. We expect our computers to find and disseminate information at a nanosecond pace. We demand the most rapid service, whether on the phone, in a restaurant, or from our family physician. We seek immediate gratification in all areas of our intensely stepped-up lives. And if we aren’t getting what we want, when we want it, we become impatient, irritated, or bored.

The payoff for all that speeding up is more freedom—or so it seems. But ironically, the very liberty we seek is immediately thwarted because we don’t have the time to explore it. And, unfortunately, the speed age sorely compromises the area that demands the most time: our intimate sexual relationships. Brevity of communication, heightened expectations, and shorter encounters are the hallmarks of the speed age. They are also antithetical to a healthy, intimate partnership.

While it’s true that ED medication helps to overcome a physiological problem, it’s the couple who must resolve their relationship issues. And that takes dedication, effort—and time.

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