What Testing for Erectile Dysfunction Do Medical Professionals Follow?

It’s a harsh but true reality: men approaching their older years are more susceptible to developing erectile dysfunction.

In fact, it’s projected that by 2025, over 322 million men all over the globe will have a form of erectile dysfunction.

While one can suffer from the symptoms associated with this erectile disorder, it’s not unusual for many to hide their condition out of awkwardness and shame.

However, when men defer treatment, they inadvertently allow the condition to develop into later stages or stunt recovery altogether.

Therefore, it’s important to have your condition identified and corrected by an ED medical specialist.

However, in order to get treatment, you’ll need to go through what every other man with symptoms of ED has gone through—getting erectile dysfunction testing done.

Types of Tests for Erectile Dysfunction

Below are some of the tests that you might encounter when getting tested for erectile dysfunction (ED).

Erectile Dysfunction Test 1: Blood Tests

The first line of ED or erectile dysfunction testing is through a blood test.

Erectile dysfunction can be caused by various factors, namely: heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and prostate cancer. A blood test may be used to check for any underlying health problems that could be causing erectile dysfunction.

In particular, blood tests can give a glimpse of hormonal functions that can play a role in your blood flow. The most frequent blood tests are the blood sugar test and the complete blood count test (CBC), but there are many more that may be used to examine the state of your body.

These blood flow exams can identify the following:

• Testosterone levels
• Cholesterol levels
• Sugar or glucose levels
• Digestive and kidney diseases
• Liver function
• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular issues

Once your doctor has a sense of hormone deficiencies or health issues that might be causing the dysfunction, they can then prescribe the necessary treatments or refer you to a urologist to help improve erectile function and sexual desire.

Erectile Dysfunction Test 2: Urine Tests

A urine test, or urinalysis, is a test to detect the presence of various substances in the urine. It measures things like protein levels in the urine, as well as its concentration, appearance, and content.

This test is commonly used to screen for drugs, but can also be used to detect many medical disorders such as diabetes, urinary tract infection, and erectile dysfunction.

Medical practitioners can evaluate urine samples in three ways.

• Dipstick test: A thin, plastic stick with chemicals in a strip is exposed to the urine sample. The chemical strip changes in color once it detects levels of certain substances in the urine.
• Microscopic exam: This process involves looking at a few drops of concentrated urine through a microscope. This method can determine kidney diseases, kidney stones, infections, or cancer in the bladder.
• Visual exam: The doctor observes the urine sample with their own eyes. If urine is presented with a cloudy color, this can indicate an infection. Foamy urine shows that there are high levels of protein in the urine.

These results often require further erectile dysfunction testing to get a clearer evaluation of a patient’s diagnosis. In addition, health care providers will have to consider your past medical history and past health conditions that could be noteworthy for the evaluation.

Erectile Dysfunction Test 3: Penile Ultrasound

A penile ultrasound is a test that utilizes sound waves to create pictures to help diagnose erectile dysfunction.

It’s an effective option for men who suffer from Peyronie’s disease, a condition that’s known to prevent erections due to scarring in the penile tissue. This method also helps with diagnosing priapism and trauma to the penis.

The test works as follows:

1. Before the ultrasound, be sure that you’re off any ED medication or blood pressure medications.
2. On the day of the examination, you’ll need to have a rigid erection for the procedure. A nurse practitioner will administer penile injections in your shaft through a short needle.
3. The clinic’s nurse practitioner and the doctor will leave the room and may provide erotic videos which you may or may not use to achieve the erection.
4. Once you’re ready, the doctor will enter the room to perform the ultrasound. They will slather your penis with a special gel and hover a probe (a small device) to examine your penis’s health.
5. After your physical examination, you’ll have to wait for 30 minutes to let your erection go away. An injection may be administered if it fails to go away during the allotted timespan.
6. The doctor will also tell you whether they have found any significant curvatures or issues in your penis, and prescribe treatment plans accordingly.

The entire process may take anywhere from an hour to two hours.

Erectile Dysfunction Test 4: Nocturnal Penile Tumescence (NPT) Stamp Test

Unlike other ED tests, the nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) test is an erection self-test that can be administered at home. It involves wrapping four to six postage stamps to determine if the man has erections that are strong enough to alter the placement of the stamps during asleep.

Why does this work? People with ED may suffer from an absence of nighttime erections. While this practice has been used for a long time, it’s not always accurate in determining the presence or absence of erectile dysfunction.

However, if you want to have talking points for your next clinic visit, there’s no harm in trying out the NPT stamp test and showing the results to the urologist alongside your medical and sexual history.

Erectile Dysfunction Test 5: RigiScan

RigiScan is a real-time monitoring device that measures and records erections in the penis. Just like the NPT Stamp test, this method is an erection self-test. It utilizes loops that are attached to the base and shaft of the penis before you go to bed.

These loops transmit data in a portable device called the RigiScan that can provide important information regarding penile rigidity and strength. It’s fairly easy to use this gadget after the patient has undergone proper training.

Regardless, this device is issued by a doctor, so be sure to consult with them first for a proper erectile dysfunction diagnosis before buying.

Get Help Today from Tampa’s Leading Erectile Dysfunction Clinic

Erectile dysfunction is a complex medical condition that can be caused by a variety of problems with the body’s organs and systems.

This means that physical and psychological ED causes are possible erectile dysfunction diagnoses—so any attempts to self-diagnose should be avoided as much as possible.

The road to recovery can be effective, safe, and straightforward with professional guidance. If you’re having issues with erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation, call the team at Prestige Men’s Medical Center in Tampa now to schedule an appointment for a consultation with an experienced and specially trained medical staff. We are Tampa’s leading men’s clinic providing treatments for erectile dysfunction, PE therapy, Acoustic Wave therapy, and much more.