How to Diagnose Erectile Dysfunction?

There is no single test that states precisely whether you have erectile dysfunction or not. Medical history and your experiences during sexual activities help to evaluate the degree and nature of the illness. Examining your medical history a professional can find out what diseases have influenced your ability to perform erection. Consulting a specialist also helps to disclose problems with sexual desire, erection, orgasm and ejaculation if present.

If you undergoing medical treatment in connection with other disease you will be offered to pass additional tests including chemical tests to eliminate the possibility of drug’s influence. Drugs account for 25 per cent of all impotence cases. The reduction of intake of drugs may solve the problem without any following examinations.

Physical examination of the body identifies the systemic problems. The penis is tested for sensitivity. If the penis is not sensitive to touching you may have problems with nervous system. Secondary sex characteristics may also point out the cause of erectile dysfunction. Abnormal hair pattern or breast enlargement may be a result of hormonal disorders and endocrine system illnesses. Observing the pulses in the wrist or ankles provides the information about how well your circulatory system works. If any decreases are noticed circulatory problems become a potential cause of impotence. Special attention is paid to the physical condition of the penis. Erectile dysfunction may be caused by Peyronie’s disease and the symptoms of the disease include bending or curving of the penis during erection and other malfunctions.

A number of laboratory tests are conducted in order to diagnose erectile dysfunction:
Blood counts
Urinalysis
Lipid profile
Measurements of creatinine and liver enzymes

Patients who experience lack of sexual desire may need to undergo test that measures the amount of free testosterone in the blood to eradicate problems with the endocrine system from the list.
The examination and observing of nocturnal erections helps to identify whether the underlying cause of impotence is a physiological or psychological one. During the night healthy men have unintentional erections. If nocturnal erections do not occur during the sleep there’s a great probability that erectile dysfunction is caused by physiological factors rather than psychological.