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Q: ED and typpe 2 diabeties ( Answered,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: ED and typpe 2 diabeties
Category: Health > Conditions and Diseases
Asked by: tuskegee-ga
List Price: $25.00
Posted: 07 Jun 2006 10:08 PDT
Expires: 07 Jul 2006 10:08 PDT
Question ID: 736117
I suffer from type 2 diabaties. I also struggle with ED. My current
sugar is not in control at 275. i will begin a new regement that will
lower my blood sugar to about 140. Will my ED completely go away. Will
it improve? Is the prior physical damage of type2 reversable?
Answer  
Subject: Re: ED and typpe 2 diabeties
Answered By: boquinha-ga on 07 Jun 2006 20:52 PDT
 
Hello tuskegee-ga!

I?m sorry to hear of your difficulties. Diabetes can be a difficult
disease to manage, and it has so many complications as well. It?s good
to hear that your new treatment regimen should bring your blood sugar
into better control. The information that I?m presenting in this
answer in no way constitutes a professional opinion. I would encourage
you to discuss all of your questions and concerns with a qualified
health practitioner that you trust. With that said, here is the
information I have found for you.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

IMPROVING ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION (ED)

There is no way to guarantee that ED will improve with better control
of your blood sugar. And there is no way to predict whether or not it
will ?completely go away,? but much of the information I found
mentions that better blood sugar control will improve all of the
symptoms of diabetes, including ED.

WebMD?s article about diabetes mentions monitoring your
Glycohemoglobin A1C. This is a type of ?long-term? blood sugar that
determines how well your diabetes is controlled. It averages out all
of your daily readings to account for the inevitable ?highs and lows?
that you will encounter in your daily monitoring.

?Even a 1% drop in your A1C score has a big impact. One of the largest
studies so far on type 2 diabetes shows that people who lower their
A1C score by 1% have a 35% lower risk for the kinds of complications
that cause ED. One study directly linked high A1C scores to erectile
dysfunction and low A1C scores to better sexual function.?
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/115/111956.htm


The Yahoo Health article on diabetes and ED mentions the main reasons
that diabetics develop ED.

?But when you have diabetes, the main risk factors for developing
erectile dysfunction are:

* Nerve damage (neuropathy)
* Blood vessel (vascular) damage
* Poor blood sugar control
http://health.yahoo.com/topic/diabetes/complication/article/mayoclinic/062F28D4-2D61-4400-A41AAEFC8A0626A6


Another article that I found cites numerous statistics about diabetes
and ED. It also has this to say:

?Having diabetes, however, does not guarantee that you will become
impotent. Keeping your diabetes under control can significantly reduce
the risk of ED.?
http://www.cure-ed.org/Impotence-Causes/Diabetes.html


This information comes from the National Diabetes Information
Clearinghouse (NDIC) of the NIH. It discusses the treatment of
diabetic neuropathy, of which ED can be one manifestation.

?Treatment first involves bringing blood glucose levels within the
normal range. Good blood glucose control may help prevent or delay the
onset of further problems.?
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/neuropathies/index.htm


Here is a list of suggestions from the Mayo Clinic website.
	
?This sort of damage [ED from diabetic neuropathy] isn't inevitable.
And you can take steps to help prevent erectile dysfunction from
occurring or worsening.

* Talk to your doctor. . . .because erectile dysfunction is a common
diabetes-related problem, your doctor won't be surprised when you
mention the topic. . . . Your doctor can also help determine if
erectile dysfunction is the result of diabetes or another condition.

* Control your blood sugar. Good blood sugar control can prevent the
nerve and blood vessel complications that lead to erectile
dysfunction.

* Avoid tobacco. Smoking and other tobacco use cause blood vessels to
narrow, contributing to blockages that can lead to erectile
dysfunction

* Avoid excessive alcohol. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can
cause erectile dysfunction by damaging blood vessels. In general, for
men that means no more than two alcoholic drinks a day, and for women,
no more than one.

* Get mental health treatment. Stress, anxiety and depression can
cause erectile dysfunction. Even the fear of having erectile problems
can make them worse. Talk to your doctor to see if these issues are
playing a role in your erectile dysfunction. Treatment with a mental
health professional might help.

* Reduce your cardiovascular disease risk. Men with diabetes who also
have cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease or high blood
pressure, face an even greater likelihood of developing erectile
dysfunction because of the added damage to blood vessels. Reducing
your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, or taking the right
steps to control existing conditions, can help prevent erectile
dysfunction.

Knowing more about how diabetes-related complications can lead to
erectile dysfunction may help you take measures to avoid the condition
or prevent it from worsening.?
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/erectile-dysfunction/DA00045


Information on the Pfizer (makers of Viagra) patient information site
links the chance to reverse ED to the degree of blood sugar control
that is achieved, and to the duration a man has had diabetes.

?Sometimes, when diabetes is poorly controlled, ED can occur
temporarily until the right medication is prescribed and the proper
changes in diet are made. In other cases, where a man has had diabetes
for many years, ED may not be reversible but it is treatable.?
http://www.pfizer.ca/english/your%20health/erectile%20dysfunction/default.asp?s=1


Here is another article about diabetes and ED.
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/sup/index.htm

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

IS DIABETIC NERVE DAMAGE REVERSIBLE?

From what I?ve read, it appears that tighter blood sugar control will
slow the nerve damage being done by the diabetes, but it will not
reverse the damage already done.
Here are links to two articles discussing research being done in
animals. There seems to be a way to reverse nerve damage due to
diabetes, but nothing has been proven to be effective in humans yet.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/11/991105074025.htm
http://www.med.umich.edu/health-e_news/july2005/chronhealth.html


According to the Diabetes Health Magazine, few cases of ED are truly reversible.
 
?Ten to 20 percent of erectile dysfunction cases are reversible. These
cases can be caused by psychological problems, smoking, use of alcohol
or a testosterone deficiency. The remaining 80 to 90 percent of cases
are not reversible but still treatable.?
http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read,3,4225.html


This WebMD article talks about the many reasons why diabetics may
develop ED. It talks about poor blood sugar control, nerve damage, and
elevated cholesterol. It mentions that the damage is not reversible,
but that by controlling blood sugar and cholesterol levels, diabetics
should see improvement in their ED.
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/115/111955.htm

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I hope that you find this information useful. Be sure to discuss any
questions that you have with your own physician, or another qualified
health practitioner that you trust. If you have need of any further
clarification, please let me know how I can help. Good luck to you.

Sincerely,
Boquinha-ga


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