• Low Testosterone

    It’s important to realize the difference between low testosterone, or medically we call that hypogonadism, and erectile dysfunction. It’s often mixed up. Not just by the lay public, but by healthcare practitioners. Erectile dysfunction is when the penis isn’t working, and it’s, again, related primarily to vascular issues; the blood vessels have been damaged inside the penis

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    Dr. Richard Bebb, MD, ABIM, FRCPC, Endocrinologist, discusses Low Testosterone Verses Erectile Dysfunction.
    Dr. Richard Bebb, MD, ABIM, FRCPC, Endocrinologist, discusses Low Testosterone Verses Erectile Dysfunction.
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    Dr. Stacy Elliott, MD, discusses testosterone & erectile dysfunction.
    Dr. Stacy Elliott, MD, discusses testosterone & erectile dysfunction.
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    Dr. Richard Bebb, MD, ABIM, FRCPC, Endocrinologist, discusses Erectile Dysfunction, Diabetes and Related Risk Factors
    Dr. Richard Bebb, MD, ABIM, FRCPC, Endocrinologist, discusses Erectile Dysfunction, Diabetes and Related Risk Factors
  • Low Testosterone Verses Erectile Dysfunction

    It’s important to realize the difference between low testosterone, or medically we call that hypogonadism, and erectile dysfunction. It’s often mixed up. Not just by the lay public, but by healthcare practitioners. Erectile dysfunction is when the penis isn’t working, and it’s, again, related primarily to vascular issues; the blood vessels have been damaged inside the penis.

                         

    Low testosterone, on the other hand, is a more global condition where testosterone, which has most of its effects in terms of erectile function on the brain and interest in sex or libido, will have some effect on erectile dysfunction but it’s that plus more. A man who has low testosterone will often have the symptoms of low energy, low libido or interest in sex, so profound sometimes that it doesn’t even enter their minds.

    They’re going to feel fatigued, their muscles are going to be weaker, they’ll sometimes describe muscle pain, decreased endurance for activities of a physical nature. It can have effects on the mind in terms of almost at times producing a depressive type of thought processes. It’s been shown in studies that these men are often very irritable and grumpy.

    Testosterone also has effects on the bones; it makes your bones stronger. It affects the bone marrow where you get blood produced, and so you’re hemoglobin level will be low if you’re low in testosterone. There’s effects on the kidney, the liver, your skin, and the sexual function as well includes effects on the prostate and the genital organs. So, a testosterone deficiency syndrome is very different from simply erectile dysfunction. That’s important in terms of treatment as well.

    Many people think, well, I just need some testosterone or more testosterone and it’s going to fix my erections. Well, it will help if you’ve got the testosterone deficiency syndrome, but if it’s just purely erectile dysfunction that’s not the problem. Again, erectile dysfunction is usually a vascular problem.Often seeing a local family physician or a physiotherapist in conjunction with a registered dietitian and athletic therapist is a great option to take control of this condition.Smart Food Now and exercise is also optimal for overall health.   So, to differentiate erectile dysfunction from low testosterone you’ll need to sit down with your primary care practitioner, have a history, a physical, do blood tests to measure the blood levels of testosterone, and then come to a conclusion as to what’s going on, which will help guide treatment in your particular case. Presenter: Dr. Richard Bebb, Endocrinologist, Victoria, BC

    Local Practitioners: Endocrinologist

  • Erectile Dysfunction and Diabetes - Endocrinologist

    Diabetes damages the body very slowly over years, and in a simplistic form you can look at damage to large blood vessels, small blood vessels, and the nerves.

    The large blood vessel damage is heart attacks, strokes, damage to your circulation to your legs, peripheral vascular disease we call that. Damage to the small vessels includes damage to the eyes, the kidneys, the nerves, and also to erectile function, damage to the penis, the small blood vessels are very, very exquisitely sensitive to blood sugars. And the third issue is damages to nerves directly, the toxic effect of high blood sugars.  Erectile dysfunction as an issue in diabetes is a major one and if you look at the population at large, by the age of 40 about 5 percent of men, one out of 20, have complete erectile dysfunction, which is defined as being the inability to have sexual relations for a period of three months or more. Presenter: Dr. Richard Bebb, Endocrinologist, Victoria, BC

    Now Health Network Local Practitioners: Endocrinologist

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