Viagra is the most famous drug in the history of the pharmaceutical industry, and there is a reason. Firstly, it is the first drug that was universally effective in erectile dysfunction (ED). Secondly, modern lifestyle is only increasing the prevalence of ED. And, thirdly, men are now less shy to discuss their sexual problems and seek treatment.
ED is not just a failure to achieve an erection, but a failure to have an erection hard enough to enjoy sex. Some men may have an erection, but they may fail to maintain it, or erection may not be hard enough.
It is estimated that there are about 18 million men above the age of 20 are living with ED. And, still, researchers think that is only the tip of the iceberg, and real figures may be much higher. Regretfully, ED is also on the rise. Its prevalence is much higher in certain disease conditions. Thus, 50% of those living with diabetes may have ED.
Why is ED on the rise?
There are various reasons for the rise of ED in the US. In young adults, it is on the rise due to a higher prevalence of anxiety, psychological issues, caused by higher expectations, carrier issues, and much more.
In the 40 plus generation, an epidemic of ED is fueled by the rise of so-called metabolic disorders. Diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular issues, obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, depression, anxiety, are all on the rise.
Regretfully, medications used to treat various diseases in young and older men also negatively affect male potency. Thus, medicines used to treat depression or hypertension may lower the quality of erection.
Changing dietary habits are only making things worse. Today, obesity in the USA is at epidemic proportions, and the majority of men are living with it. It means that problems of low testosterone are becoming more common.
What is Viagra?
To begin with, Viagra is 100% made in the USA medication. It was created by one of the biggest US pharmaceutical company called Pfizer.
Viagra is the brand name. Each tablet of Viagra contains a chemical compound called sildenafil. It means that sildenafil and Viagra are names of the same thing.
Viagra was initially created in the late 1980s to treat heart disease. It did not help much with the heart conditions, and the company was almost ready to abandon the project. However, when researchers analyzed the list of other reported effects of the drug, they found that the majority of men reported considerably improved sexual life and quality of erection, and thus Viagra was born.
Once Pfizer, a pharma company based in the USA realized that this thing is good for erectile dysfunction, it changed the objectives of its research. In the end, they found that it helped in most men with impotence.
Before Viagra, there was no oral medication that was so effective for the condition or could help in most of the cases. In the pre-Viagra era, men used pumps, intra-penile injections, and even surgical procedures, and all these methods were painful and yet not much effective. Viagra works in more than 80% of cases, without causing any severe side effects.
How does Viagra work?
Viagra belongs to a group of drugs called PDE5 inhibitors. In the human penis, cGMP is the substance that relaxes the blood vessels on sexual arousal by increasing NO concentration on sexual arousal.
It means that higher the amount of cGMP, better will be the quality of erection. However, the body also has a way to neutralize cGMP, so that erection does not last too long. It destroys cGMP with the help of an enzyme called phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5). It means that PDE5 is the body’s natural way to get rid of an erection.
Viagra works by inhibiting PDE5, thus increasing the concentration of cGMP, resulting in a more prolonged and harder erection. It also helps recover faster after the sexual act.
Viagra starts working after about half an hour and achieves its maximum effect from 1 to 4 hours. Thus, it is recommended that it should be taken about one hour before the planned sexual act. It will work in most men for four hours, though in some it may work for almost 12 hours.
Viagra in the USA
Nowadays, Viagra or sildenafil is sold by different names in the USA. Viagra is the trademark of company Pfizer. It means that other manufacturers cannot use the name Viagra, though they can write that their product contains sildenafil. Thus, Viagra in the US is sold under tens of names like Kamagra, Sildena, Fildena, and so on.
These, so-called copies of Viagra are much cheaper than original Viagra. Because they are made by companies that have not invested in drug research, these other similar drugs to Viagra are called generics.
Generic Viagra goes through the same stringent quality tests as the original Viagra, and the only difference is the cost. As per the international law, a company that first creates the drug has exclusive right over it for 15 years, and after that, others can copy the drug. For Viagra in the USA, the patent expired in 2007. Therefore, no surprise that nowadays, most online pharmacies are selling generic forms of Viagra.
Another thing important to know is that Viagra is now not the only PDE5 inhibitors, other pharmaceutical companies have created medications that are very close to Viagra chemically, but with some differences like Cialis, Levitra, and so on.
To conclude, if someone is living with ED, there is nothing as effective or safe as Viagra, something now proven by more than billion prescriptions of the drug. It is one of the most selling medications in the USA and the world. So, if you have a problem with getting an erection that is hard enough, it is the treatment of choice. The only thing important is to buy it from pharmacies with a good history, as falsification is an emerging problem in the USA.
The Mission – Our mission is to provide comprehensive, quality and culturally sensitive primary and preventive health care services to the medically under-served in Pontiac and surrounding communities,including the uninsured, under-insured and those with ability to pay.
.