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Viagra (sildenafil citrate) is a prescription medicine taken by mouth for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. ED is a condition where the penis does not harden and expand when a man is sexually excited, or when he cannot keep an erection. Viagra may help a man with ED get and keep an erection when he is sexually excited. Viagra must be used only under a doctor's care.
Sildenafil has been shown to be useful for the prevention and treatment of High-altitude pulmonary edema associated with altitude sickness such as that suffered by mountain climbers. While this effect has only recently been discovered, sildenafil is already becoming an accepted treatment for this condition, in particular in situations where the standard treatment of rapid descent has been delayed for some reason.
As well as erectile dysfunction, sildenafil citrate is also effective in the rare disease pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). It relaxes the arterial wall, leading to decreased pulmonary arterial resistance and pressure. This, in turn, reduces the workload of the right ventricle of the heart and improves symptoms of right-sided heart failure. Because PDE-5 is primarily distributed within the arterial wall smooth muscle of the lungs and penis, sildenafil acts selectively in both these areas without inducing vasodilation in other areas of the body. Sildenafil joins bosentan and prostacyclin-based therapies for this condition.
Professional sports players have been documented using drugs such as Viagra, with the thinking that the opening of their blood vessels will enrich their muscles. In turn, they believe that it will enhance their performance.
People on antidepressants may experience sexual dysfunction, either as a result of their illness or as a result of their treatment. A study showed that sildenafil improved sexual function in men in this situation. Following up to earlier reports, the same researchers found that sildenafil was able to improve sexual function in female patients on antidepressants as well.
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