Life can hit mankind in the most unimaginable fashion and there is no single thing that can be done to anticipate the matter. At least this was what happened to a group of researchers, who were busting their way to make a breakthrough in cardiovascular medicine. They were conducting a study that used a drug called sildenafil for the coronary heart disease. The outcome was not expected, as the desired results were nowhere near, but one prominent side effect of that research was penile erections. Some people would find it hilarious but this blue-coloured pill, it restructured the landscape of sexual health since.
So how does this magic discovery work? It belongs to a group of drugs known as phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor which basically increases the blood flow to the penis when sexual stimulation occurs. More blood flow equals to a firmer and sturdier erection, thus the dysfunction problem can be shooed away. There are lots of trials that have been conducted to determine its efficacy up until now and most of them agree on one simple fact; it works like wonders. So most people think viagra answers their problem of impotency.
The global benchmark of drug safety and efficacy, Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) of USA has only approved Viagra as the sole oral treatment of erectile dysfunction. On the market, the relatives of it who are available are tadalafil and vardenafil but both of them yet to get the green light from the organization. If more than 60% of people were cured by taking sildenafil, then what is the significance of the other two? Well, it comes down to their mechanism of actions. They also can be the alternatives for Viagra should it does not produce result or for different preferences which would be discussed later.
The obvious advantage of this drug has been crystal clear, it does help in treating erectile dysfunction. Not to mention, it only comes in tablet form so like any other oral medicine, taking it once a day might not be tedious. As the onset of the action might take 30 minutes to an hour, individuals are recommended to consume it before sexual intercourse, following the mentioned time frame. Taking this tablet after dining a heavily-loaded fat-based diet may delay the time of the effect to kick in so remember to always eat light food. Sildenafil can help you to last up until 4 hours, but it is not permissible to cut off or push up the dosage freely without the doctors’ consultation.
Should you seek a more adventurous route, vardenafil and tadalafil can be the options. They offer similar efficacy, if not more than Viagra but the duration of action is much longer. 12 hours is the time for the former and a more radical 36 hours by the latter. Other than that, tadalafil’s action also is not influenced by food so it is more convenient. They do sound superior than the older brother but the data for the safety and efficacy is not adequate to warrant the FDA’s approval, hence the lower demand which does not reflect the yet-to-be established leverages that they own.
Going back to the main discussion point, side effects of sildenafil are plenty, but they rarely become serious and the probability of getting them is relatively low. They include:
- Flushing
- Headache
- Indigestion
- Visual disturbances
- Nose bleeding
- Hypersensitivity reactions
Considering the fact that it functions by dilating the blood vessels which consequently would reduce the blood pressure, concomitant usage with people who have hypotension (low blood pressure) and those who are taking nitrate-based medications of any form is contraindicated. Nitrate is known for its action to enlarge the diameter of the blood vessels thus taking both of these two together would certainly result in danger as uncontrolled drop of pressure precipitates a condition called shock that does not always end well. There is also bad news for the people who think that tuning up the dosage of sildenafil by their own would not bring any harm as priapism awaits. It is a situation whereby the penis is erected painfully for more than 6 hours in which the treatment is quite disturbing and invasive. Even if one does follow the correct dosage, the risk is still there but it is lower, and he is advised to seek medical assistance if the effect does not subside after 4 hours. This drug also does not increase the chance of getting heart attack because sexual activity, with or without Viagra only make an insignificant change of 0.1% to the occurrence.
It does not matter how efficient any drug works, as treating all diseases requires way more than a single medication. For instance, the cause of erectile dysfunction can be categorized into three main factors, which are vascular origin, hormonal and neurological. Usage of Viagra blindly without consulting healthcare professionals is often useless as the root of the problem must be identified first before commencing the treatment so that the chance to be cured can be maximized.
