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What Your Doctor Isn’t Telling You About ED

Fact Checked

Is your doctor telling you everything you need to know about ED? Probably not. Here’s some vital information before you decide what to do about your ED.

Last Updated: 10/09/2025

Written by

Kimberly Wilkes

When your doctor diagnoses you with erectile dysfunction, he might not talk about the root cause of the disorder. Usually, he focuses on treating the symptom: your inability to get or keep an erection. That means your doctor will usually prescribe pills or injections.

Getting rid of the symptom is great. But it’s more effective and long-lasting to dig down to the root cause of the problem.

In this blog post, we’ll shed light on some of the factors your doctor may neglect to mention when you’re discussing your ED.

Pills Stop Working or Don’t Work to Begin With

When your doctor prescribes ED medications, they probably don’t tell you that research shows that they can stop working in two years or less. In some men, the pills never work at all.

Research shows that 30% of men who take ED pills find the medications don’t work.(1) Other men notice that ED pills suddenly stop working.(2) This can be because the men become desensitized to the medication. This causes the drug to become ineffective over time, even when larger doses are used.(2)

There Are Other Options Besides Pills or Injections

Another fact your doctor may not tell you? There’s a more long-lasting solution called acoustic soundwave therapy or low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy—Li-ESWT for short. In a previous blog post, we covered a lot of the science showing this type of therapy is effective.

Li-ESWT is available in doctors’ offices, but it’s more affordable and convenient if you opt for the at-home version.

Li-ESWT works by sending powerful sound waves through penile tissue. This supports healthy blood flow by breaking apart the plaque that blocks blood vessels feeding the penis. Good blood flow is critical for a strong erection.

The Real Cause of Your ED

Speaking of blood flow, poor circulation to the penis is the most common cause of ED, a fact which doctors don’t always discuss in detail.(3)

ED caused by poor blood flow is known as vascular ED. Vessels that carry blood to penile tissues allow you to get and stay hard, while penile valves keep blood from draining out. If either of those two processes aren’t working properly, it can cause ED.

ED drugs only temporarily increase blood flow, which is why you have to keep taking them every time you have sex.

ED Is a Red Flag That You Have Cardiovascular Problems

Many urologists are now referring men with ED to cardiologists or primary care physicians to investigate whether a patient’s ED is caused by cardiovascular problems. However, they’re still relying a lot on pills for treatment.

One urologist quoted in Urology Times said, "I used to do more of a [cardiovascular] workup when we did more surgeries that were consistently helpful in treating ED. But with the advent of the various pills for erectile dysfunction, I simply use those.”(4)

All of the urologists who were quoted in the article told Urology Times that they don’t wait for the man to see his cardiologist. They immediately start treatment with ED pills.(4)

What You Don’t Know Could Hurt You

It’s important to have all the facts about erectile dysfunction. Unfortunately, guys are often only told about ED pills without being informed about other options that have longer-lasting effects. Acoustic soundwave therapy is an alternative solution for guys who want to avoid pills.