It’s estimated that 322 million men across the world will be afflicted by erectile dysfunction by the year 2025. There are all sorts of reasons why a person would want to treat erectile dysfunction.

For some, it can be embarrassing to experience while for others it can lead to relationship issues and even mental health problems.

Also, erectile dysfunction may indicate that there are deeper cardiovascular problems going on within the body.

Fortunately, by taking medications like Cialis or Viagra, one can overcome erectile dysfunction.

But what exactly is the difference between Cialis vs Viagra? And which medication is the correct one for you?

Keep reading and we’ll walk you through all of the information that you need to know so that you can pick the right medication.

Viagra

Viagra is a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor and its primary function is to treat erectile dysfunction. This medication is taken as an oral tablet and the user must be sexually aroused for it to work.

A phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, or PDE5 inhibitor for short, is able to prolong and sustain a person’s erection by decreasing pulmonary vascular pressure.

In fact, Viagra was the first PDE5 inhibitor to be approved by the FDA.

The effects of Viagra can last up to 5 hours and it usually takes about 20 minutes for the medication to start working.

The main active ingredient in Viagra is Sildenafil. The drug manufacturer Pfizer was first testing sildenafil as a way to treat hypertension and angina. However, researchers noticed during their clinical trials that sildenafil was actually better at maintaining erections than it was at fixing heart conditions.

Believing that erectile dysfunction was an untapped market that could potentially bring in huge revenues, Pfizer created Viagra.

The drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1998.

How Viagra Works

The primary purpose of Viagra is to help bring on a man’s erection and then sustain it. This all must happen while the man is sexually aroused.

The reason for this is that the muscles in a man’s penis relax once he’s aroused sexually. When this happens, more blood is able to flow to the penis.

What Viagra does is actually heighten the levels of the muscles that are responsible for the relaxing tissues. When Viagra increases the relaxation of the tissues, more blood is able to flow to the penis, and thus, an erection is maintained.

The Side Effects of Viagra

PDE5 inhibitors, including Viagra, tend to have mild and short-lived side effects. Some of the most common side effects of Viagra are dizziness, heartburn, flushing, headache, nausea, and vision problems.

Priapism is when a man sustains an erection for longer than four hours. This can also be a painful experience. Even though Priapism is rare, it’s still possible after one ingests Viagra.

If you experience Priapism, then you should medical treatment immediately. You should also seek immediate medical attention if you notice any sudden hearing or vision loss.

Cialis

Cialis is similar to Viagra in that it’s also used to treat erectile dysfunction and is a PDE5 inhibitor. While the brand name for Viagra is sildenafil, the drug name for the brand Cialis is tadalafil.

The biggest difference between Viagra and Cialis is that Cialis can last as long as 36 hours while Viagra will only last for 4 hours. This doesn’t mean that you would have an erection for 36 hours but simply that the drug is effective for that long.

Another important difference is that Cialis is not affected by food while Viagra should be taken on an empty stomach.

Cialis hit the market in the year 2003, making it the third PDE5 inhibitor to be approved by the FDA.

While the effectiveness of Viagra and Cialis are pretty much equal, Cialis takes around 30 minutes to take effect.

It’s also important to note that with Cialis, you’re at a risk for drug interactions. This is mainly due to the fact that Cialis lasts so long.

And if you suffer from kidney or liver disease, you also might have to lower your dosage of Cialis.

Side Effects of Cialis

As a PDE5 inhibitor, the side effects of Cialis are usually not severe and also tend to be short-lived.

The most common side effects of Cialis are back or muscle pain, upset stomach, flushing, headache, and a stuffy nose.

If you happen to exhibit swelling of the throat, face, lips or tongue, trouble breathing, or hives, then you might be experiencing an allergic reaction to the medication. Because of this, you are going to want to contact your healthcare provider immediately.

You should also seek emergency medical assistance if you experience dizziness, chest pain, or nausea during sex after you have taken Cialis.

Dosages

You can take Cialis on an as-needed basis or you can take it every day. The daily doses are usually smaller than the as-needed ones.

Normally, you would start taking Cialis at a dose of 10mg. You could then decrease the dose to 5mg or increase it up to 20mg.

Since it lasts for 36 hours, you shouldn’t take more than one Cialis tablet per day. And when taking a daily dose, experts recommend starting at a dosage of 2.5mg.

Viagra isn’t taken on a daily basis but instead on an as-needed one. It should be taken at a dose of 50mg around an hour before sexual activity.

The dosage can also be decreased to 25mg or increased to 100mg.

You also should only take one Viagra per day, even though the effects only last for 4 hours or so.

Why You Should Know the Difference When it Comes to Cialis Vs Viagra

It’s clear that, despite the similarity between the two medications, Cialis and Viagra exhibit some important differences.

This is why it’s so crucial that you review all of the information about Cialis vs Viagra when deciding which medication you should take.

Are you interested in ordering a prescription medication such as Cialis or Viagra? Contact us today to learn what we can do for you!