People have known about erectile dysfunction well since the dawn of civilization. Along with many other health conditions male impotence has followed humanity through its entire evolution and plagued countless men in all times. There were numerous attempts to overcome this problem but with little success. All those potions, lotions, exotic foods and bizarre practices never provided substantial results leaving the problem intact until the late 1990's when finally there was an effective treatment found. With the progress and advancement of modern medicine people have learned many new things about the condition that was always believed to be the fate of older men.

Today we know about erectile dysfunction and its causes much more than people did 15 years ago. One of the most common misconceptions people had about erectile dysfunction, as stated above, was that it's an age-related condition. Yes, it's true that men over 60 are more prone to developing ED than those of younger age. But having patients with ED who are in their 30's and even 20's certainly contradicts this concept. And the recent findings in the field of ED have confirmed that there are certain mechanisms involved other than aging.

Erectile dysfunction is hardly a disease on its own. It's a symptom of more serious health conditions that the patient may be unaware of. Just like pain may be a sign of bone fracture, ED can be a sign of serious health problems you'll have to take care of.

There are two types of health conditions that can provoke erectile dysfunction: psychological and physiological. Depending on the type of problem at cause the doctor will choose appropriate type of treatment. Psychological problems account for about 10% of all ED cases and include such conditions as depression, stress, mental illness, anxiety disorders, relationship problems and lack of rest. Physiological conditions that lead to erectile dysfunction make up the majority of all diagnosed cases and include the following health problems: hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate problems, heart diseases, obesity and lack of physical activity. So before getting down to serious treatment of erectile problems your doctor will certainly run you through a series of exams and tests in order identify the actual cause because only this way it's possible to select adequate and effective treatment.

In order to get an idea of why it is important to identify the cause before treating ED, let's take a simple example. You have certainly heard about drugs like Viagra and seen all the ads telling that these medications are effective in most cases of ED. However, when it comes to actual effectiveness drugs like Viagra can really help get strong erections only in cases of physiologically induced impotence when there are problems with blood circulation. If in your case the problem isn't hypertension or high cholesterol but increased stress - you won't find Viagra really effective since your case requires stress management techniques for effective treatment. That's why knowing what is the root of the problem is half way to solving it.