Since it became available back in 1998, Viagra has become one of the main solutions for men suffering from erectile dysfunction.
According to reports, prescriptions for the drug increased by 25 per cent back in 2015 and have continued to rise steadily since.
In just one year, 1.7 million Viagra prescriptions were handed out to men experiencing problems in the bedroom.
But, as the rate of erectile dysfunction continues to rise, are men aware of the health consequences and potential dangers of Viagra?
According to the founder of London Doctors Clinic, Dr. Seth Rankin in a chat with Daily Star, ordinarily, Viagra is very safe so long as you are not taking any medication containing nitrates.
However, anyone with heart disease must, of a necessity, consult his doctor before using Viagra.
In fact, experts say even if Viagra is available over the counter, it must be taken under the supervision of a physician!
So, what happens to your body if you take too much Viagra?
• Assuming you’re healthy enough to take a recommended dose, overdosing on Viagra is totally bad. Everything that may go wrong is much more likely to go wrong if you take too much.
• If you take too much Viagra, you may get priapism, which is a persistent and painful erection that often lasts for hours on end.
• Priapism is a medical emergency, meaning you should rush to the hospital if it happens, because if it isn’t treated within 24 hours, you may damage your penis for life.
• A prolonged erection can permanently damage the penile tissues, making it difficult to get erection in the future.
• Since Viagra can lower your blood pressure, it can lead to heart problems, like an irregular heartbeat and worse yet, a heart attack. So, really, less is more in this case.
• Most men get a bit of facial flushing and nasal congestion and many get a headache as well. These are usually mild and well tolerated, compared with the problem for which you are taking Viagra in the first place.
• It can also make you a bit lightheaded, as it can drop your blood pressure a bit.
• Sometimes, the erection you get can be too much for too long. It can occasionally cause an erection that doesn’t go away and any erection that lasts longer than four hours can cause serious problems, by blocking off the penis’ own blood supply – which can result in penis death and drop off.
• So, see a doctor urgently if your erection won’t go down. This is more likely to happen in overdose; so, don’t take more than the recommended dose.
