Sildenafil: Unmasking the Magic in Viagra.

Sildenafil Citrate is the active ingredient in the world’s most popular Erectile Dysfunction drug – Viagra. Originally developed as a means of treating pulmonary arterial hypertension, Sildenafil was discovered to be capable of producing firm erection in men. After further studying and testing the product, Sildenafil Citrate was approved by the Food and Drug Administration as the first oral treatment for erectile dysfunction in 1998. Though Boots the Chemist piloted a scheme to make the drug available to those who want to  buy Viagra online with no prescription in 2007, Sildenafil is a prescription drug.

What is the impact of sildenafil citrate on the ED treatment market?
Viagra tablets, since hitting the market, have caused quite a sensation. Such is the success story of this drug in filling a gap in the ED market that other rival companies have formulated other drugs to boost the ranks of oral erectile dysfunction treatment. Notable among these rival drugs are Tadalafil – brand name Cialis – and Vardenafil – brand name Levitra. Also, some manufacturers are cashing in on the sildenafil brand using generic names to lure those who want to buy Viagra cheap prices to their sites.

Explaining the erectile effect of Sildenafil Citrate in medical terms.
Sildenafil citrate works by releasing nitric oxide in the corpus cavernosum of the penis. The nitric oxide binds to the receptors of the enzyme guanylate cyclase, after which the levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) are raised with the subsequent relaxation of the muscles and increased blood flow and erection.
Explaining Sildenafil Citrate effects in Laymen terms
To the lay man, sildenafil works in the most natural and casual way in bringing about a stronger and longer penis erection.

For one to understand how Sildenafil works, one must first understand the process involved in penis erection. An easy way to grasp this is to mentally picture a balloon. A limp balloon has no air in it. Inflation of the limp balloon with just a little air makes it become swollen and rigid.

Erection of the penis is similar to the balloon. However, the penis uses pressurised blood instead of the pressurised air to become rigid. Present in the penis are two long tubes shaped like cigars. These cigar-like structures are known as the corpora cavernosa and they are what the penis uses to achieve erection. The arteries do their work by bringing blood into the two tubes, while the blood is taken away from the tubes by the veins.

The limpness or erection of the penis depends on the flow of blood into the corpus cavernosum.
For a flaccid penis, the arteries are somewhat constricted, while the veins are open. In this way no blood can build up in the penis, thus allowing for the penis to remain in its limp state. A sexually aroused man would experience the opening up of the arteries going to his penis to allow for the pressurised blood to flow into the penis. The veins going out of his penis constrict or close off and the pressurised blood becomes trapped in the cigar-like tubes and the penis elongates and stiffens subsequently. In this way, the penis has attained erection.

What physiological changes can cause erectile dysfunction?
For a sexually aroused man whose arteries – which take blood into the cigar-like tubes in the penis – fail to open up properly, the blood flow to the corpus cavernosum is restricted. Similarly, if the man veins carrying blood away from the corpus cavernosum fail to constrict, the blood flow out of the penis is rapid. In these two situations, erection would fail to occur.