Erectile Dysfunction Health Center
Table of Contents
A number of factors are involved in an erectile dysfunction diagnosis.
Patient History
A person's medical and sexual histories help define the degree and nature of ED. The medical history can disclose diseases that lead to ED, and a simple recounting of sexual activity might identify problems with sexual desire, erection, ejaculation, or orgasm. Use of certain prescription or illegal drugs can suggest a chemical cause because drug effects are a frequent cause of ED.
Physical Examination
A physical examination can give clues to systemic problems. For example, if the penis is not sensitive to physical touch, a problem in the nervous system may be the cause. Abnormal secondary sex characteristics, such as unusual hair pattern or breast enlargement, can point to hormonal problems, which would mean the endocrine system is involved. The doctor might discover a circulatory problem by observing decreased pulses in the wrist or ankles. And unusual characteristics of the penis itself could suggest the source of the problem-for example, a penis that bends or curves when erect could be the result of Peyronie’s disease.
Laboratory Tests
Several laboratory tests can help diagnose ED. Tests for systemic diseases include blood counts, urinalysis, lipid profile, and measurements of creatinine and liver enzymes. Measuring the amount of available testosterone in the blood can yield information about problems with the endocrine system and may explain why a patient has decreased sexual desire.
Other Tests
Monitoring erections that occur during sleep-nocturnal erections-can help rule out certain psychological causes of ED. Healthy men have involuntary erections during sleep. If nocturnal erections do not occur, then ED is likely to have a physical rather than a psychological cause. Tests for nocturnal erections are not completely reliable, however. Scientists have not standardized such tests and have not determined when they should be conducted for best results.
Psychosocial Examination
A psychosocial examination, using an interview and a questionnaire, can reveal psychological factors. A man's sexual partner may also be interviewed to determine expectations and perceptions during sexual intercourse.