Viagra is a prescription medication that has helped more than 25 million men improve their sexual lives by aiding them with erectile dysfunction.
However, the “little blue pill” helps with the entire sexual experience, not just getting started.
Viagra, a brand of a drug called sildenafil marketed by Pfizer, is able to help with erectile dysfunction by relaxing muscles and increasing blood flow to the penis, which can be blocked in some men by other medical conditions. Viagra does not provide an “instant erection,” and can take about 30 minutes to take effect. It lasts for up to four hours, but works when you are sexually aroused. The length of time provides for spontaneity, but after the experience is over, the erection will go away.
In a study, 85 percent of men who had erectile dysfunction and began taking Viagra reported being able to achieve a level 3 or 4 erection. A level 3 erection is hard enough for penetration but not completely hard, while a level 4 is completely hard.
Viagra should be taken as prescribed by a physician and should not be taken more than once in a 24-hour period.
There can be some minor side effects associated with Viagra, including warmth or redness in the face, stuffy nose, headache, memory problems, upset stomach and back pain. More serious side effects include sudden vision loss, ringing in the ears or sudden hearing loss, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, swelling in the hands, ankles or feet, feeling light headed or an erection that lasts more than four hours. If any of these symptoms occur, contact your physician immediately, but they occur in less than 2 percent of cases.
Originally, the drug was researched to treat hypertension. Initial clinical trials showed little effect on angina, but could induce erections. Pfizer decided to market Viagra as a medication for erectile dysfunction, and received a patent in 1996. After approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it became the first oral treatment available for erectile dysfunction. It also helps with pulmonary hypertension.