Most erection problems can be treated. Talk with your health care provider about these steps:
Look for medical causes. ED can be an early warning sign of a more serious condition, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes. Treating that condition can improve your overall health and your erections.
Review your medicines. ED can be a side effect of many medicines, including those to treat high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, heartburn, allergies, pain, seizures, and cancer. If medicine is the cause of your ED, your health care provider may be able to change the dose you take or switch you to another medicine.
Make lifestyle changes. Unhealthy habits can affect ED. Exercise regularly, lose extra weight, stop smoking, drink less, and do not abuse drugs.
Consider a medicine to boost erections. Certain medicines increase blood flow to the penis if taken an hour before sexual activity. They are sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), and tadalafil (Cialis). Talk with your health care provider about the benefits and risks of these medicines. You should not take them if you take a nitrate medicine, such as nitroglycerin pills for heart problems. The combination can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure.
Get help for emotional distress. Usually ED has a physical cause that can be treated. But depression, performance anxiety, and relationship problems can cause ED or make it worse. Counseling, alone or with your partner, may be helpful. Your health care provider can refer you to a specialist.