Viagra Side Effects

Viagra Side Effects: Should You Be Concerned?

So, you're considering trying Viagra as a treatment for erectile dysfunction or to enhance your sex life. But you've heard a thing or two about Viagra side effects and you're wondering if you should take it.

Caution when taking a new medication is wise, and a doctor should always be consulted. But many fears surrounding Viagra are unfounded.

The fact is that Viagra has been proven to work safely and effectively in 80% of men and is being used by over 23 million men worldwide. Viagra is the most studied and most popular prescription drug for erectile dysfunction.

For most men, there are either no side effects or the effects of Viagra are so minor they don't outweigh the benefits. Viagra can even be taken by men with serious health issues such as:
heart problems
high cholesterol
high blood pressure
diabetes
prostate problems
spinal injuries

Who Should Not Take Viagra
Men who should not take Viagra are those who have been warned by their doctor not to engage in sexual activity. Viagra side effects become a serious issue when Viagra is taken with nitrates, such as nitroglycerin for angina. The effects of Viagra combined with a nitrate can cause your blood pressure to plummet, leaving you dizzy, faint or even at risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Do not use Viagra if you take any form of nitroglycerin, isosorbide mononitrate or isosorbide dinitrate. Even recreational drugs like poppers should not be taken with Viagra. (Poppers are nitrite vapors usually inhaled for a quick high or for sexual enhancement.)

Common Viagra Side Effects
Most men only experience minor side effects of Viagra: headache, facial flushing, and upset stomach.
Even less common are the following Viagra side effects: bluish vision, blurred vision, or sensitivity to light, which may briefly occur and then subside.

There are several rare but serious side effects of Viagra: hypotension, myocardial infarction, heart arrhythmias, stroke, eye pressure, and priapism. They are the Viagra side effects that require urgent medical attention.

What is Priapism?
You may have heard about priapism, a rare Viagra side effect mentioned in TV commercials and other advertising. Priapism is an erection lasting more than four hours. It can be caused by either a physical disorder or by certain medications. Priapism is a possibility with all oral ED drugs but interestingly Viagra itself has rarely been implicated. Why and how priapism occurs is not fully understood.

What is understood is that any man experiencing priapism needs to seek emergency medical attention. Leaving it untreated can lead to impotence or more serious complications.

In summary, Viagra is generally well tolerated by the majority of men who take it. But before trying it, you should always get a doctor's opinion based upon your medical condition and a full assessment of the medications you are taking in order to prevent any negative Viagra side effects.

A doctor (whether your own family doctor or one of our consulting physicians at eDrugstore.md) is also your best source of advice on what dosage of Viagra is right for your individual situation. The brochure you receive with your prescription will tell you how to take the little blue pill so you get the most beneficial sexual effects of Viagra.

by: Antonio LeMaire

Getting A Better Night Of Sleep Without Turning To Pills

Many of us today have busy and often stressful lives and this can lead to several sleep problems including insomnia. For a lot of us this means turning to sleeping pills as a quick and simple answer but, regrettably, this short term answer more often than not results in long term problems as addiction to sleeping pills sets in, they lose their effectiveness and side effects start to rear their ugly head.

The answer to sleep problems therefore is to find an alternative treatment and to seek out an insomnia cure that does not involve using sleeping pills. Accordingly, here are four simple things to help you to get a good night's sleep.

1. Take regular exercise. Exercise is an excellent way to reduce the stresses and strains of life and there are exercise routines available nowadays. For instance, you not have to confine your exercise to the gym which a lot of people find to be boring to say the least. The best exercise is aerobic exercise and so any sort of outdoor games, swimming, walking, tennis, badminton and 101 other activities are just fine. Do not forget though that you ought not to exercise too near to bedtime and so late afternoon or early evening is a very good time to choose.

2. Learn a relaxation technique. To sleep properly you need to relax your body and your mind and this means taking a little bit of quiet time to concentrate on clearing your mind and consciously relaxing your body. Here there are all sorts of relaxation techniques that you can follow and the secret is to simply find one that you enjoy and that works for you and then to set aside twenty minutes each evening to practice relaxation before going to bed.

3. Recognize the importance of laughter. It is frequently said that 'laughter is the best medicine' and this is undoubtedly true. We are not talking here necessarily about the need to laugh out loud in true 'belly laugh' style and for a lot of people engaging in an activity that raises a smile is enough. A good way to do this is to watch a comical television program, rather than an action packed movie, during the course of the evening or to read a comical magazine or book before going to bed.

4. Eat the correct foods. The body is basically a chemical processing plant and the food that you eat has a considerably effect upon the degree of chemical activity within the body. Consequently it is vital that you avoid foods that are likely to have a stimulant effect in the hours before you go to bed. For instance, you should steer clear of things like alcohol and caffeine and rich foods like those that are high in sugar. You should also avoid consuming a heavy meal too near to bedtime and, although you ought not to go to bed hungry, a light snack that is just enough to take away those hunger pangs, rather than a large pizza is the key to a good night's sleep.

These are of course only 4 out of many things that you can do to make sure that you get a good night's sleep and the secret to curing insomnia is to find natural lifestyle solutions and not follow the traditional and damaging sleeping pill route that so many people have followed for years.
by Donald Saunders