Your doctor will review your medical history to look for possible causes of ED. ED may often be caused by a health condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Men who have had surgery or radiation for prostate or rectal cancer can also be at risk for ED. ED can also be a possible side effect of some medicines.

Because lifestyle can play a role in ED, your doctor may ask whether you smoke, how much alcohol you drink, and if you use recreational drugs.

Go To: Questions

To help with the diagnosis, your doctor may ask you questions about your sexual history and about the nature of your problem. Remind yourself that the more the doctor knows, the easier it will be to figure out what's causing your ED and the best way to treat it.

All of these questions are related to ED and possible causes of ED. However, if a certain question bothers you, you can ask the doctor to explain why the information is necessary.

• What is the main problem you're having? Getting an erection, keeping an erection, or the firmness of your erections?
• When did you start to notice a change? Was the change gradual or sudden?
• How often does the problem happen?
• Have you been able to get and keep erections in the past?
• Do you have erections when you sleep?
• Do you have erections early in the morning?
• How much desire do you have for sex now? In the past?
• Have you been under a lot of stress, or are you feeling nervous or anxious about something?
• Are you feeling less energetic? Having trouble sleeping? Feeling sad?

Go To: Physical Exam

If you are visiting your doctor for a yearly checkup, you most likely will have a physical exam. The results of the exam can also provide clues to possible causes of ED.

• Checking for possible problems with blood flow/blood pressure, pulses in wrists and ankles
• Checking for possible hormone imbalance — size of testicles, size of thyroid gland
• Checking the size of your prostate

Go To: Lab Tests

The doctor may order some other lab tests to help pinpoint the cause of your ED. These tests may include:

• Low levels of testosterone (male hormone)
• High levels of blood sugar, which can be a sign of diabetes
• High cholesterol and lipid levels, which can put a man at risk for blood vessel problems
• Problems with low or high thyroid hormone levels

Urine test
A urine test checks for sugar in the urine as a sign of diabetes.

In some instances, a family doctor may refer a man to a specialist, such as a urologist, for additional ED testing. However, in these cases, treatment can usually be started before additional tests are done.