Treatment depends on the cause. Testosterone supplements may be used for cases due to hormonal deficiency. However, the cause is more usually lack of adequate penile blood supply as a result of damage to inner walls of blood vessels. This damage is more frequent in older men, and often associated with disease, in particular diabetes.
Treatments (with the exception of testosterone supplementation, where effective) work on a temporary basis: they enable an erection to be attained and maintained long enough for intercourse, but do not permanently improve the underlying condition.
Drugs
ED (Erectile dysfunction) can in many cases be treated by drugs taken orally, injected, or as penile suppositories. These drugs increase the efficacy of NO, which dilates the blood vessels of corpora cavernosa. When oral drugs or suppositories fail, injections (e.g. of apomorphine) into the erectile tissue of the penile shaft may work.
When pharmacological methods fail, a purpose-designed external vacuum pump can be used to attain erection, with a separate compression ring fitted to the penis to maintain it. These pumps should be distinguished from other "penis pumps" (supplied without compression rings) which, rather than being used for temporary treatment of impotence, are claimed to increase penis length if used frequently, or vibrate as an aid to masturbation.
More drastically, inflatable or rigid penile implants may be fitted surgically. Implants are irreversible and costly.
All these mechanical methods are based on simple principles of hydraulics and mechanics and are quite reliable, but have their disadvantages.
In a few cases there is a vascular problem which can be treated surgically.
UNCONTROVERSIAL TREATMENTS
PDE5 Inhibitors
The prescription PDE5 inhibitors sildenafil (Viagra®), vardenafil (Levitra®) and tadalafil (Cialis®) are prescription drugs which are taken orally. They work by blocking the action of PDE5, which causes cGMP to degrade. cGMP causes the smooth muscle of the arteries in the penis to relax, allowing the corpus cavernosum to fill with blood.
Vacuum pump
An external vacuum pump will produce an engorged penis with success approaching 90%; a penis ring will maintain this state, although it should be removed after not more than 30 minutes. The erection is not as rigid or hard as a natural erection; drugs or injections, when they work, may be preferable. Various studies show the degree of satisfaction of users and their partners to be vary variable, even when drugs and injections do not work; in one study, about 20% of men who tried a (high-priced) pump decided to proceed to purchase one. Other studies show higher percentages of satisfied users.
In some cases frequent use of a vacuum pump can eventually improve the degree of erection attainable without use of the pump. Claims of cheap "penis pumps" to permanently increase maximum penis size should be viewed with caution, however.
(Secific devices are mentioned for information only; mention should not be taken as endorsement).
1. Inflatable implant
2. Rigid implant
3. Surgical treatment of certain cases
4. Controversial and unapproved treatments
Bremelanotide
The experimental drug Bremelanotide (formerly PT-141) does not act on the vascular system like the former compounds but increases sexual desire and drive in male as well as female. It is applied as a nasal spray. Bremelanotide works by activating melanocortin receptors in the brain. It is currently in Phase IIb trials.
Ginseng
A double-blind study appears to show evidence that ginseng is better
than placebo:
Enzyte
Enzyte is a product that has been advertised by saturation coverage on television channels such as CourtTV. However, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about Enzyte for deceptive advertising. It is manufactured by Berkeley Nutritionals, which is alleged to be the subject of an investigation by the Attorney General of Ohio and the defendant in class-action lawsuits.
Enzyte is a supplement that claims to increase the male libido or frequency of erections of the penis. Commercials for Enzyte are shown regularly on television. These commercials feature a man named Bob who never stops smiling, apparently because he had taken Enzyte and improved the size of his sex organs. The commercials are riddled with symbolic phallic imagery, e.g. golf clubs, remarkably tall glasses of iced tea, and a hose spraying barely a trickle of water (carried by someone who doesn't use Enzyte).
The effectiveness of Enzyte is in dispute. Some medical professionals in fact advise against taking Enzyte, saying that it can lead to damage. The Center for Science in the Public Interest have urged the Federal Trade Commission to disallow further television advertising for Enzyte due to a lack of proper studies supporting claims. Enzyte maker Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, Inc., is currently under a class action lawsuit for false advertising.
Enzyte is said to contain: Tribulus terrestris; Yohimbe Extract; Niacin; Epimedium; Avena sativa; Zinc Oxide; Maca; Muira Pauma; Ginkgo biloba; L-Arginine; Saw Palmetto. Other ingredients: gelatin, rice bran, oat fiber, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide.
Herbal and other alternative treatments
These are generally ineffective when tested blind, but may be useful for their
psychological (placebo) effect: if a good result is expected, any highly-praised,
and often expensive, treatment can be effective. Reputable drugs can also benefit
from the same effect.
Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impotence