Erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with doctors and other healthcare providers via text, audio, or video. After you log in to your Maple account, you can request an online consultation.

Consultations work similarly to in-person appointments — the doctor can complete an assessment by asking questions about your symptoms, going through your health history, and determining what treatment is right for you. If they think your condition is more serious, they may tell you to go to a clinic for an in-person examination.

As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to virtual primary care online and more. You can connect with our network of providers via text, audio, or video call within minutes.

Our membership costs $79.99/month and covers virtual care for patients and their families, including the primary account holder's spouse and any dependents.

For patients in eligible provinces, our membership includes:

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• Access to specialists in eligible provinces: Easy access to specialists on Maple within days, not months. No referral is needed.
• Specialist referrals in eligible provinces: Ability to be referred to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed.
• Credit discounts: An $80 credit per month to be applied to a Maple specialist visit.

Please note that our membership cannot be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. In some cases, membership fees can be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) — check with your HSA provider for more details.

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Regulators across Canada support and recognize the value of services like ours, and the way in which they can benefit patients, physicians, and Canada’s broader healthcare system by improving access to care and increasing efficiencies in the delivery of care.

Yes, absolutely. ED is the most common men’s medical condition treated by online doctors on Maple.

Once a Maple doctor has had a consultation with you, they can help you to understand possible causes of your ED.

They also may prescribe treatments such as medicine that can help you achieve a temporary erection during sexual intercourse.

ED is known as the inability to maintain an erection sufficient for satisfying sexual activity.

An erection is more complex than you may think – it involves your brain, hormones, emotions, nerves, muscles, and blood vessels. If any of these factors isn’t working together with the rest, an erection cannot occur.

Symptoms may include:

• Difficulty getting an erection
• Difficulty maintaining an erection
• Reduced sexual desire

Common causes of erectile dysfunction include:

• High blood pressure
• Alcoholism
• Hormonal
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High cholesterol
• Obesity
• Spinal cord and brain injuries
• Parkinson’s disease
• Psychological factors e.g. stress, anxiety
• Sleep disorder
• Smoking
• History of radiation therapy
• Medication use – antihypertensives, antidepressants, antipsychotics, antiandrogens, recreational drugs, and alcohol

Treatment often depends on the root cause of ED. But rest assured, rhere are several treatment options for ED, including:

Counseling – this a recommended course of treatment for those suffering with erectile dysfunction caused by psychological reasons such as anxiety or stress.

Medication – the most commonly prescribed first line treatment for ED in Canada are pills that belong to the class of drugs known as phosphodiesterase-5 enzyme (PDE5) inhibitors. These medications have been around awhile and are generally well tolerated with minimal side effects. These work by promoting smooth muscle relaxation and increased blood flow to increase number and duration of erections. With correct dosing, erections will not occur without sufficient sexual arousal.

Vacuum Devices – vacuum devices can be used to improve the firmness of the penis by boosting blood flow to the area.

Surgery – vascular reconstruction surgery can be performed in cases where blood flow to the penis is restricted.

Exercises – pelvic floor, and other ED exercises can help men with ED regain normal function.
Treatment varies depending on doctor recommendations and what you personally feel is the best option for you.

By taking care of your health. The most common physiological reason for ED is reduced blood flow, brought on by constricted blood vessels. These are some of the most common culprits for tightened blood vessels:

• High cholesterol levels. Try to maintain a low-cholesterol diet by reducing fatty foods and red meat.
• Exercise to maintain a healthy body weight and encourage blood flow.
• Check your blood pressure regularly to make sure it is not interfering with your ability to maintain an erection.
• Keep your blood sugar levels in check if you are affected by diabetes.
• Avoid smoking cigarettes. Smoking narrows blood vessels and reduces blood flow.
• Drink in moderation.
• Many illicit drugs can affect the nervous system and damage blood vessels.
• Manage your stress levels or seek help to develop better coping skills
• Discuss with your pharmacist the side effects of prescription drugs you’re currently taking.

Yes this is partly true – dehydration is one of the ways alcohol can cause erectile dysfunction.

Alcohol acts as a sedative to the central nervous system. Increased alcohol consumption impairs sexual arousal from slowed signals between the brain and the penis, reduced penile nerve sensitivity, lowers libido, reduces blood circulation (kind of critical to get an erection), and maybe even reduced testosterone synthesis. Drinking alcohol in excess can cause high blood pressure – and damage blood vessels, again leading to impeded blood flow to the penis along with everywhere else in the body. Long term alcoholism leads to permanent damage.

In many cases, yes, ED can be reversed. Even when ED can’t be cured, the right treatment can reduce or eliminate symptoms. You can even get ED treatment online.

You should see a doctor for your ED condition if:

• Your inability to get or maintain erections is new and uninvestigated
• Your difficulty with erections causes significant distress or relationship disruption
• You experience other sexual problems like a premature or delayed ejaculation
• You have diabetes, heart disease, or other health conditions
• You have other symptoms associated with your ED

No, ED doesn’t cause premature ejaculation but you might be at risk of developing the condition if you have trouble getting or maintaining an erection.

In short, yes, it can happen at any age. And while ED is less common in young men, it is much more prevalent in middle-aged men or older, due to atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque in the arteries.