If the depression is treated with right medicines, their erectile function will also improve significantly. But the class of medications known as SSRI antidepressants are used to treat depression in men. But unfortunately these drugs also cause erectile dysfunction in 65% of men taking SSRI for depression.

Depression and ED are highly inter related. If a man is mentally depressed, he will have erectile dysfunction and similarly a man who has erectile dysfunction because of some other medical condition may have depression. So if a depressed man taking drugs for that will eventually have ED.

The recent research shows that in men undergoing treatment for depression, the new class of drugs called PDE5 has improved their erectile function. So in turn it paves a way to decrease their depression too. So with PDE5 class drugs both erectile function and symptoms of depression improved. Viagra, levitra, cialis belongs to the PDE5 class of drugs.

Another study reveals that underlying cardiovascular disease may also lead to erectile dysfunction. Since the cardiac output is low in such patients, the penile blood flow will be a bit lower than normal even though they are sexually aroused. The usage of PDE5 class drugs had significantly lower blood pressure and heart rate, improvement in measures of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production.

This study confirms the successful treatment of ED wit PDE5 class drugs in CHF could not only improve sexual relationships but overall quality and success of CHF treatment.

PDE5 class drugs blocks the activity of the enzyme phospodiesterase type 5 which is active in multiple tissues and cells. So the effects of PDE5 class drugs are increased production of nitric oxide, which is directly responsible for smooth muscle relaxation. This improves the functioning of heart and blood vessels.

Reasons for erectile dysfunction are psychologic and organic in nature.

Harmonal problems or psychologically induced impotence, stable heart disease, controlled diabetes, controlled hypertension, chronic dialysis and kidney transplantation, Parkinson's disease, mild to moderate conjestive heart failure, taking antidepressants like SSRI inhibitors like prozac are organic in nature.

Psychological factors for erectile dysfunction are many but most often it is related to depression, performance anxiety, marital relation or stress etc.
Organic factors include vascular, harmonal, drug induced. Some medical conditions like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, obesity, neurological disorders also lead to erectile dysfunction. Drinking too much alcohol and smoking are also contributing factors in organic ED.

Exercising the pelvic floor muscles, i.e kegel exercise improved blood supply to pelvic area and strengthens pelvic muscles. After doing kegel exercise for 3 months many men reported increase in erectile function. Life style changes from sedentary nature also contribute to satisfactory sex life as well as to combat mental depression.

Some herbal products like Ashwagandha, tribulus terestris are found to increase libido, muscle strength, stamina and also reduce stress thus increase sex drive.