A recent research has suggested that a venom produced by Brazilian wandering spider could be the much needed cure for erectile dysfunction (ED).

The venom that is known to cause long and painful erections in any man bitten by the spider could be turned into a cure for ED patients.

The research conducted by Marta de Nascimento Cordeiro, based at the Ezequiel Dias Foundation in Belo Horizonte, Brazil said that the entire poison was tested on mice, and then a fraction from the poison responsible for the penile erections was identified.

A New Answer to Heart Problem Patients

Currently, ED can be treated using medication such as Viagra. However, doctors caution ED patients with heart problems against using Viagra because one of its components, Sildenafil, aggravates conditions such as congestive heart failure, coronary ischemia and low blood pressure.

ED, also referred to as impotence, is a condition widespread among most men aged between 40 and 70 years. The condition that makes it difficult for the patient to get or hold an erection is said to affect men as they approach this age group at least once in their lifetime.

There are many known causes of ED, both physical and psychological. Physical causes include heart disease, diabetes and obesity while psychological issues include depression, stress and anxiety.

The best way to treat ED is to treat the underlying cause of the condition. This, has posed a few challenges as it can be difficult to tell the root cause. While medication to increase blood flow to the penis is available, these medications are known to cause side effects such as blurred vision and bloody urine.

Quest For Side Effects Free Treatment

Researchers have been trying to find a cure without any side effects and that can be used by any ED patient even if they have other health problems.

Cordeiro says that with the new discovery, we might just be a step closer to producing new ED treatments without any side effects.

The researchers first discovered the power of the venom in 2000 when studying the effects of being bitten by a wandering spider. The study was conducted in Brazil. Among the symptoms reported by victims of the venomous spider were priapism and very long, painful erections.

Other symptoms caused by the bite of the spider include hypothermia, convulsions, blurred vision and  abdominal cramps, hypothermia, blurred vision and convulsions.

This lead to a further examination of the venom to find out why it was causing the erections. It was then that they isolated the PnTx2 protein compound. The scientists are now working to use this protein to develop a cure for ED.

This is a tropical spider whose name came from its trend to wander into urban cities. The spider can be as big as two inches in length and has legs that grow up to six inches each. The spider is most common in fruit plantations and is reported to have killed at least 14 people.

Though the thought of taking spider venom may be scary, if this works then it will be a breath of fresh air for men who find it hard to deal with ED using existing treatments and therapy.