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Archive for December, 2009

Definition:

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a type of male sexual dysfunction when a man is not able to achieve or maintain a firm erection required for satisfactory sexual intercourse.

ED can be classified into three types (depending on how hard it is to obtain or sustain an erection): mild, moderate, and severe. This condition is also known as male impotence.
Symptoms:

Erectile dysfunction is characterized by the frequent failure to get or maintain an erection.

It is normal for a man not to be able to get an erection in some occasions (for example, when being anxious or sad), but if it happens on a regular basis that may indicate having some degree of erectile dysfunction.
Causes:

A full erection requires a healthy nervous system (to properly transmit signals from the brain to the right parts of the body when sexual arousal occurs), and good blood circulation (since blood is what fills the body of the penis and make it erect and hard). And so, there are many different causes of ED, including:

* Physical causes: arterial disorders and blood diseases, brain and nerve disorders, hormonal disorders, heart disease, diabetes, surgery (prostate, bladder, colon, etc), accident and injury.
* Psychological causes: worry, stress, depression and grief. Men who lack confidence in their sexual ability may suffer from ED due to anxiety.
* Lifestyle: Smoking, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, lack of exercise and obesity all can result in impotence. Smoking is one of the lead causes of impotence since it damages blood vessels.

Treatment:

There are numerous conventional and alternative treatments for erectile dysfunction. Some of these treatments are clinically proven, while the effectiveness of other methods remains disputable. Treatment options include the following:

* Prescription medications: Using FDA-approved, oral anti-impotence drugs is the most effective and easiest way to deal with erectile dysfunction. Currently, there are three FDA-authorized drugs used to treat ED: Viagra (sildenafil citrate), Cialis (tadalafil), and Levitra (vardenafil HCl). These medications are only available with a prescription from a doctor, and may not be safe for everyone.
* Penis pumps (aka vacuum pumps): These devices are used to get a temporary erection. They work by creating vacuum around the penis, which forces more blood to flow into the penis and then you trap it using a rubber ring around the base of the penis. There are many disadvantages of this technique, including: it can be painful, it may cause injury, excessive “pumping” may burst your blood vessels and cause permanent damage, not convenient or practical for regular use, and they erection does not feel “natural”.
* Surgery: Surgical treatment may be required in case of severe ED, or when other options fail. The procedure involves implanting the penis with an inflatable device called “penile prosthesis”. The device contains a valve that can be used for inflating or deflating the device with a special fluid, and thus it creates or ends an erection on demand. Not so many people prefer surgery because it is risky and expensive.
* Herbal medicine: Natural and herbal supplements have been used for thousands of years to treat many different conditions and diseases. There are “tons” of “herbal” supplements that claim to be a “natural Viagra”, but the fact is, none of these supplements is clinically proven or medically approved to be effective in treating erectile dysfunction. Additionally, most herbal Viagra pills sold over the Internet are nothing more than scam/rip-off.

Facts:

* Erectile dysfunction is one of the most common sexual dysfunctions in men (Source: WHO).
* About 40% of men in their 40s experience some degree of erectile dysfunction (Source: WHO).
* Erectile dysfunction can affect men of all ages; young and old. While the numbers and percentages of ED patients are higher in older men, many young men all around the world still suffer from this condition.
* There is nothing to be embarrassed about if you have, or you think you have, ED. Just relax and pick the right time to discuss the issue with your physician and partner, and (hopefully) things will start to get simpler from there. The worst thing you can do about it is just sit down and do nothing.

With so many spam and scams out there targeting lucrative niches, like the ED drug (mostly Viagra) niche, customers should be more cautious and deliberate when searching for an online supplier of such products.

When searching for, and ordering, authentic Viagra on the Internet there are some things you should check to ensure that you get the real deal product made by Pfizer. The following concise tips should assist you in getting genuine Viagra pills over the Internet.
Prescription

It is always better to undergo clinical examination and get your written prescription from a local licensed doctor or health care provider before buying Viagra. However, licensed online pharmacies are also authorized to provide online medical consultation and remote prescriptions as a more convenient alternative to physical examination.

A good online pharmacy that sells Viagra will always ask the customer to either fax/email them a written prescription from a licensed doctor, or ask the customer to fill out an online medical questionnaire form and give him remote medical advice from their certified doctors.

Avoid online pharmacy sites that dispense Viagra to everyone without a prescription or medical (data) check of the customer.

Drug’s Shape

Genuine Viagra comes only as diamond-shaped, little blue pills. Each pill is imprinted with “Pfizer” on one side and “VGR x” on the other side, where x is a numeric value that refers to the strength of the dose (25, 50 or 100).

Pfizer-made Viagra is packed either in a box (containing 4 tablets), or a bottle (can contain different quantities).

The best way to ensure that the pills you ordered online are genuine is to ask your doctor or local pharmacist to authenticate the pills for you. Once you make sure you got the real thing you can then compare the shape, size and color of any pills you get in the future with those you’ve already authenticated.

Price and Quantity

Drugstores that sell real Viagra usually offer it in small quantities, e.g. 4 pills, 10 pills, 30 pills, or so. Sites that offer you this drug in crazy large quantities, like 300, 500 or 800 pills, are probably trying to rip you off or sell you cheap replica drugs that can be dangerous or ineffective.

The price of Pfizer’s Viagra ranges between $8 and $33 USD per pill. If a pharmacy is offering Viagra for something like $1 per pill, then you should immediately know that they are not selling the real branded drug, but maybe some cheap imitations instead.

The Internet is not short of the so-called “herbal Viagra” or “natural Viagra alternatives”, but do these medications work?

It isn’t easy to get a definitive answer on whether such over-the-counter (OTC) supplements work or not because, unlike prescription drugs, these products do not undergo the standard testing and approval process conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Many people claim that they have used herbal versions of Viagra and that they worked, but many others are seeking to sue the X company that sold them fake herbal Viagra. In fact, studies show that most “natural” erection enhancers and sexual boosters sold online are scams that do not work.

While some herbal products may contain substances that improve blood flow to the genitals (the key function of Viagra), the effects are usually weaker and less reliable than those of approved prescription drugs, like Sildenafil Citrate (Viagra).

The fact that most (if not all) herbal pills sold over the Internet are manufactured in offshore, non-regulated factories makes it risky and unrecommended to buy or use any of these products. Some of the Internet-sold supplements have been found to contain counterfeit, dangerous, and even deadly ingredients, despite that fact that the product had a thrilling brand name, and professionally designed advertisements and website.

If you have erectile dysfunction, or any other form of sexual dysfunction, see a physician to discuss proven medications that can help you effectively, safely and risk-free.

Viagra (sildenafil citrate) is an oral treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED). The following steps explain the mechanism in which Viagra and an erection work.

* The dose is taken (swallowed) orally.
* Viagra (sildenafil citrate) is then quickly absorbed and introduced to the circulatory system (bloodstream). Viagra usually takes 30-60 minutes to get fully active and then stays effective for up to 4 hours.
* When Viagra (sildenafil citrate) reaches the penis it blocks/inhibits an enzyme in the penis called PDE5 (phosphodiesterase) – PDE5 is responsible for ending an erection and bringing the penis back to a flaccid state.
* If sexual stimulation (physical or mental) occurs during the time of action of Viagra, the brain starts sending signals to the penis to begin the production of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP).
* cGMP relaxes muscles in blood vessels and arteries and allows them to expand and carry more blood to the penis as long as the stimulation signals from the brain keep coming.
* The diminution of PDE5 (an enzyme that decomposes cGMP) in the penis allows blood vessels to remain relaxed during sexual arousal.
* The increased blood flow to the penis causes it to become and remain fully erect during arousal.
* When sexual arousal ends, the brain stops sending its signals and the production of cGMP stops.
* Blood vessels start to contract and get back to the normal state, blood flow to the penis decreases, and subsequently the penis starts losing the erection and gets back to a flaccid state.

Kamagra is a generic version of Viagra. Generic Viagra is a drug that contains the same active ingredient of Viagra, which is sildenafil citrate, but is marketed under different brand names, like Kamagra.

Since Pfizer is the only pharmaceutical company that has worldwide patents on sildenafil citrate (expiring in 2011–2013), all generic versions of Viagra (sildenafil citrate), like Kamagra, are considered illegal. None of the generic Viagra versions are approved by the FDA or endorsed by licensed doctors.

Kamagra is one of the most popular generic forms of Viagra promoted and sold over the Internet. It usually comes in two forms: 100mg tablets and flavored jelly, which are both taken orally.

Unlike genuine Viagra that is only manufactured by Pfizer, Kamagra is manufactured by many different drug companies that usually operate illegally.

Since Kamagra contains the same active ingredient of Viagra, it presumably has the same effects and side effects of Viagra. But that is not always true because such illegally-manufactured generic drugs have not been evaluated or approved by official health authorities (like the FDA). Internet-sold Kamagra may contain dangerous ingredients or a harmful/fatal overdose. You are not likely to find Kamagra on certified online pharmacies. Instead, it can be commonly found on known scam/rip-off pharmacy sites.

In conclusion, Kamagra may work as well as Viagra does, but the risks involved in using such an illegal, unapproved medication are not worth it.

So, spend more money on the FDA approved, genuine Viagra, and avoid being the next death case in the news due to fake Viagra purchased online.

The following are some general, educational guidelines for taking Viagra. You can get a professional medical advice from your physician or health care provider.

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Viagra is taken orally (swallowed by mouth).
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Don’t take Viagra more than once a day.
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Don’t take Viagra within 24 hours of taking another ED drug.
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Don’t take Viagra if you take any other medication that contains nitrates.
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Take Viagra about 30-60 minutes before sexual activity to allow the medication to take effect. You can stick with what gives you the best results.
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Swallow the tablet with a glass of water.
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Having a meal before taking Viagra or not only affects the time the pill takes to start working. Usually taking a high fat meal before taking Viagra would delay the drug’s effects.
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Don’t take a higher dosage than that specified in your prescription. Usually doctors advice their patients to increase the dosage if the lower ones are not working as effective as they should be.
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If an erection lasts for more than 4 hours, seek medical help from your doctor or health care provider.
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Follow your doctor’s directions on your prescription label, as he/she knows more about your specific health condition.

Description/Overview

Viagra is an orally administered treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) that belongs to the PDE5 inhibitor family. Simply put, Viagra relaxes blood vessel muscles and allows more blood to flow to the penis during sexual excitement and thus improving the erectile function and eliminating the symptoms of impotence, or ED.

The active chemical in Viagra is sildenafil citrate, which is developed and patented by Pfizer Inc (Viagra maker).

Effects

Viagra mostly starts acting in about 20-60 minutes after taking the dose. The main effect of this drug is causing increased blood flow to the penis and helping maintain a full and strong erection for a longer period of time. Viagra remains effective for about 4-5 hours, and during this period of time it only works (i.e. you only get an erection) if you get sexually aroused.

Side Effects

Viagra has different common and rare side effects.

Common side effects include:

* Headache
* Flushing
* Indigestion
* Stuffiness
* Dizziness

Very rare side effects:

* Sudden decrease or loss of vision.
* Sudden decrease or loss of hearing.

You may experience other side effects not mentioned here. Talk to your doctor for more details. If you get any rare, severe, or unexpected side effects, or if an erection lasts for more than 4 hours, you should seek immediate medical help from your physician or health care provider.

Precautions

Do not take Viagra is you are using a drug that contains nitrate (usually taken for chest pain or heart problems). If Viagra is combined with a nitrate drug you can experience risky decrease in blood pressure, which may lead to heart attack or stroke.

Before taking Viagra you should discuss your condition with your doctor and tell him/her about any other medication you are taking or other health conditions you have/had. Your doctor should know if you have any of the following:

* A recent history of a heart attack or stroke.
* Heart disease or any heart related problems.
* Blood pressure problems (high/low).
* Liver or kidney disease.
* Blood related diseases or disorders, e.g. sickle cell anemia, leukemia, hemophilia, etc.

Make sure you provide your doctor with all your medical data, so he/she can decide if Viagra would be save for you or not.

Usage

Viagra is only approved for oral administration as pills (Viagra cream could soon be available). The pill can be swallowed with a glass of water. Having a low-fat meal before taking Viagra won’t hurt, but a high-fat meal could delay the drug’s action. You can also take the dose on an empty stomach.

Most users take the pill about one hour before sexual intercourse, but you can take it earlier or later if that works better for you.

Stick with the dosage that is recommended for you by your doctor and do not try to increase it without consulting him/her first. Also, do not take more than one dose within 24 hours.

Follow your doctor’s directions on your prescription for save and proper use.

Missed Dose

Viagra is a temporary solution and not a permanent cure for erectile dysfunction. Your doctor should ask you to take Viagra as needed rather than scheduling your doses. So, in this case, you should not be “missing” any dose.

However, if you are prescribed Viagra for other purpose than treating erectile dysfunction, then you should follow your doctor’s directions regarding missed doses.

Those men suffering from erectile dysfunction (impotence) find the ultimate solace in Viagra (Sildenafil Citrate). Viagra is called the miracle drug for ED. It has been the God’s gift to those who have lost the power of normal sex and cannot experience a perfect erection for love making. But there have been lots of warnings with the use of Viagra. The thorough study of your medical history, diagnosis to find out the cause of impotence, and determination of the underlying causes of ED will help doctors to prescribe you the right and safe dose of Viagra.

While prescribing Viagra to you the doctor would tell you each and every small detail that you should keep in mind while you take Viagra. Since body metabolism of every one differs, the reaction to the medicine also varies from one person to another. Your system’s reaction to Sildenafil Citrate, in addition to possible interactions with other drugs you might be taking, determines the type and severity of the side effects you get from Viagra.

It is not necessary that if you take Viagra you will suffer from the side effects. There have been many instances where people experienced no side effects at all. The general side effects of Viagra found in the clinical trial are not to be worried about. These general and most common side effects include: headache, flushing, indigestion, congestion, and mild nervousness, as reported by greater percentage of patients. These side effects are nothing serious and one can bear them. The side effects slowly fade away. These side effects are not potential to cause any harm to your body.

Viagra may not be safe for everyone, so don’t take it unless you have talked to a doctor first, either physically or remotely through certified online pharmacies. Your prescription contains usage and safety instructions, so make sure you read and follow it carefully. In case you experience any unusual, long lasting, or very severe side effects you should immediately see your doctor or pharmacist.

If you are interested in learning about more specific and less common side effects of Viagra please visit the following page: http://www.drugs.com/sfx/viagra-side-effects.html.

Who on this planet uses email everyday and does not get at least a few unsolicited offers for Viagra delivered right to their inbox?

If you are using a free email account from Google, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc, you will notice that most of the Viagra (and similar) spam gets automatically caught by their filters and is sent right to the spam/junk folder. But no matter how smart those filters are, there will always be a few messages that can frequently get around them to keep reminding you how bad you need to buy and use Viagra.

Some of these spammers have even hacked and used Pfizer’s own computers to send out Viagra spam while Pfizer was unaware of the issue.

Viagra is by far the #1 subject and target of most spam in the world. Anyone wants to argue on this? But, of course, there is also Cialis, Levitra and other male sexual enhancement pills that get their fair share of spam.

So, what can you do to prevent Viagra spam?
Well, nothing! There is nothing that can be done to stop it 100%, but you can always do your best to reduce it to the minimum.

The following are some tips to help reduce/combat Viagra, and generally any other type of, spam:

* Make sure your email service provider has an excellent and regularly updated email filtering system, so that most unwanted Viagra messages will go directly and automatically to where they belong (spam/junk folder) without having to waste your time doing that manually.
* Most free email providers have a feature where you can report spam messages that manage to fool the filter and make it to your inbox instead of the spam box, so don’t hesitate to take a moment and report any spam messages that make their way to your inbox to help detect such emails in the future.
* Try not to post your email address publicly on the Internet, e.g. in forums, blogs, social networking sites, and other types of websites where spambots can easily fetch it and add it to their to-spam list.

Some pharmacies sell different doses of Viagra pills at the same rate. You can benefit from this and save lots of money on your Viagra purchases.

Most men use Viagra 50 mg because it gives them the best results, but some of them buy Viagra 100 mg instead and then cut the pills into two identical halves, each treated as a 50 mg dose.

You can try cutting high-dosage Viagra pills and see if it works for you. If you get satisfactory results, then you can start saving a lot of money on Viagra.

To cut a Viagra pill effectively without crushing the pill you can use a custom made Viagra pill cutter/splitter. These devices are not expensive (usually less than $10) and you may even get it for free when you purchase Viagra from some drugstores.