The drug companies have made Erectile Dysfunction (ED) a common household topic. Many jokes have been make about it. The truth of the matter however is that ED can be a precursor to a deadly problem years down the road.
While ED is not uncommon in older men and is thought to be just part of aging, the truth is that there are many reasons that it occurs. One of them can be a killer.
According to medical studies, men who have ED can possible expect to suffer a heart attack or a stroke a couple years after onset. The problem? Plaque build up in the arteries can not only restrict blood flow to the penis preventing an erection but also blood flow to the heart or brain possibley causing death.
I suppose that the warning the drug companies give to check with your doctor to see if you are healthy enough to have sex is their legal disclaimer should someone die while having intercourse. But the practice of selling you on their product or suggesting you may benefit from it without you even being able to purchase on your own is, in my opinion, an unethical promotional tool.
There are many causes of ED such as age, weight, psychological problems, as well as physical problems of hardening of the arteries among others that need to be checked before taking Viagra or other similar drugs. I have checked out websites where Viagra can be purchased without a prescription. This would be a very unwise choice.
My best advice if you are one of the millions of older men that has this problem is to get a complete checkup before starting to use these drugs. Once you know that you're safe to use them then you and your partner just need to buy two bathtubs for when the time is right.