What you should know about Viagra

It feels almost strange talking about Viagra and not thinking that most people know pretty much everything that there is to know about this erectile dysfunction drug. However, when you actually talk to people, most of them know very little about it actually and they are satisfied knowing that it is a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction. Because of this very limited general knowledge, I believed that it would be nice to say something more about it and to give people a clearer picture about what this medication actually is.

Viagra started its life as a hypertension drug. Namely, the development team from Pfizer was working on another medication that would be used to lower the blood pressure. When clinical trials begun, there was a piece of good news and a piece of bad news. The bad news was that the new drug that they developed did very little to lower the blood pressure. However, the good news was that this new medication is able to give erections to men who were before unable to do so due to erectile dysfunction. Of course, this lead the team to continue the development process in this direction and a few years later, the first ED drug was applied for approval, under the name Sildenafil. When it got the approval, it was introduced onto the market as Viagra. This was in 1998.

Of course, being the first proven and safe method of at least temporarily treating erectile dysfunction, Viagra was an instant hit. For the first time ever, men who suffered from ED had a medication they could rely on and not just another inefficient natural pill. The science behind the drug was explained and its efficacy was proven.

This has lead to a revolution in how erectile dysfunction is treated, but it also started another type of a revolution. Namely, with Viagra, erectile dysfunction lost much of its taboo characteristics as men with this condition finally go not only the explanation of why their condition happens, but also the means to do something about it.

Today, Viagra is not the only ED drug on the market, but it is still the most popular and famous, by far. When you mention the name Viagra to someone, they know what it is, they have heard of it. However, there are still a few misconceptions about this medication.

For instance, there are men who do not have ED and who take Viagra because they believe that it will improve their libido or their sexual performance. This is simply not true. If one feels such effects, they are purely due to the placebo effect. Viagra does nothing but inhibit an enzyme that can prevent erections from being achieved. In short, Viagra is a treatment for a condition and not something that you use to boost your sexual performance.

Still, this is enough to make it one of the most popular medications of all times and one of the most recognizable brands of all times.