Erectile Dysfunction: Which Doctors Are Best for Consultation?

Erectile Dysfunction: Which Doctors Are Best for Consultation?
Steve Hinson, PhD - Life Sciences Published : Feb 04, 2024 Last Updated : Feb 07, 2024

Erectile dysfunction is a medical condition that causes trouble for men to get or maintain hard erection required for satisfying sexual activity.

Though several physical or psychological reasons can also trigger erectile dysfunction disorder.

To get right diagnosis of your symptoms when suffering from erectile dysfunction, speak to an experienced ED doctor.

Endocrinologists, Urologists, cardiologists, and mental health experts are a few professionals who treat ED patients.

Urologists are doctors who treat disorders like urinary tract and male reproductive system such as erectile dysfunction.

If male patients suffer from some underlying health condition, then damage might turn out permanent.

This makes it necessary for patients to consult right doctor and get a diagnosis and treatment of ED disorder.

What is erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction is a sexual health problem that happens when a man starts experiencing problems getting or maintaining an erection.

Men facing ED disorder face difficulty in sustaining hard erections while getting intimate with their partner or spouse.

Erectile dysfunction problems can cause certain emotional and relationship troubles that should be consulted by a doctor.

Sometimes, erectile dysfunction can also be a result of underlying health issues such as diabetes or hypertension.

This makes it necessary for you to consult an erectile dysfunction before it makes you suffer from stress, relationship strain, or anxiety.

Erectile dysfunction: Know its symptoms

Most evident symptom of erectile dysfunction in men is an inability to achieve or sustain a hard erection during sexual intercourse.

Nevertheless, some men also experience other signs of ED which are stated below:

  • Loss of erection after penetration
  • Trouble in attaining an erection
  • Stress, anxiety, or low self-esteem
  • Low sexual drive
  • Disappointing sexual life

It is vital to consult a urologist or endocrinologist to get effective and right treatment for your ED condition.

Which doctor you must consult for erectile dysfunction?

When it comes to erectile dysfunction, it can be treated and managed easily under an ED doctor’s supervision.

This sexual health ailment usually demands proper medical treatments and diagnosis for your ED symptoms.

If you wish to deal with your erectile dysfunction condition then below-stated are some doctors you can consult:

Urologists

Urologists have great expertise in treating urinary and reproductive health disorders.

They can easily diagnose all kinds of abnormalities or illnesses linked to your reproductive system.

In case, you don’t have underlying health or mental conditions but experience ED signs then your doctor will refer you to a urologist.

Problems with prostate gland can further lead to erectile dysfunction in men.

Your urologist might conduct certain tests of your prostate for conditions that cause ED, including:

By taking your blood pressure and examining male sexual organ & testicles, a urologist will also perform certain physical exams.

A rectal exam in which doctor uses a finger to feel patient’s prostate gland. This can be vital for checking health of prostate.

Such type of tests does not cause more than minimal discomfort to patients.

Your urologist will also ask about any kind of diuretics, alcohol consumption, or caffeine if you take them.

It might also be possible that your medicines which act as diuretics can be a reason behind ED.

Endocrinologists

Endocrinologists are considered hormone specialists who determine your hormone levels through blood tests.

Through blood tests, an endocrinologist will check if you have low testosterone levels as this can cause erectile dysfunction.

Some hormonal conditions which can cause erectile dysfunction, include:

Andropause

It is a condition in which your body is not able to produce sufficient growth hormones or androgen.

This can further lead to various health issues like body hair loss, weight gain, and low bone density.

High levels of prolactin

Prolactin is a hormone that is responsible for controlling production of sperm in men.

When this hormone is produced too much, it causes symptoms like low sexual drive and infertility.

Irregular thyroid hormones

When there is too much hyperthyroidism or too little hypothyroidism is produced, you suffer from irregular thyroid hormones.

In case, any symptoms of these conditions appear along with ED signs then your doctor will refer you to an endocrinologist.

  • First, your endocrinologist will conduct certain additional tests, including:
  • A fertility test to assure your body is still producing healthy sperm
  • A prolactin level test to check whether your body is producing too much prolactin or not.
  • Sexual hormone binding globulin (SHBG) test to check how your testosterone is binding to blood proteins.
  • Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate test to assure your body is not producing too much testosterone or androgen.
  • Mental health professionals

You need to understand that not all erectile dysfunction signs are physiologically caused.

An erectile dysfunction doctor such as a psychologist can help you to deal with ED if caused by psychological factors.

A mental health professional will first check following symptoms that can contribute to ED:

  • Eating disorder
  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • A personality problem that affects your relationship with partner adversely
  • Schizophrenia

To determine your exact psychological problem, a doctor will give you a questionnaire to fill out.

Make sure you fill it properly so that your doctor is able to determine right cause of your ED disorder.

A mental health professional can also suggest some lifestyle changes so that you can deal with psychological issues easily.

What medicines are prescribed for erectile dysfunction condition?

To treat ED conditions in men effectively, doctors generally recommend prescription medicines like:

  • Levitra (Vardenafil)
  • Viagra (Sildenafil)
  • Cialis (Tadalafil)
  • Stendra

These medicines increase blood flow to male sexual organ and promote hard erections for sexual intercourse.

Therefore, consult specialized experts like urologists or endocrinologists because they treat male infertility ailments effectively.