Viagra sales boomed on Valentine's Day

LloydsPharmacy reports that sales of Viagra on Valentine's Day soared to record levels. On February 14, the increase in purchases was 68% compared to a normal Friday. At the same time, the week before Valentine's Day, sales increased by 23% compared to a typical week.

Viagra sales break records

According to a 2019 study, about half of men under the age of 50 living in the United Kingdom experience erectile dysfunction, and this number has doubled over the past 25 years. Manifestations of impotence continue to be associated with men of advanced age, despite the fact that inexorable statistics show a rapid "rejuvenation" of the disease. According to Lloyds Pharmacy, about one in eight men say that they constantly have difficulty with sexual intimacy, and Viagra helps to solve this problem.

So far, most users of this pharmaceutical product are aged 50 or over, but younger men are increasingly taking potency pills. Many celebrities such as Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy magazine, and Hollywood actors Ben Affleck and Ashton Kutcher have admitted to using Viagra.

For many years, erectile dysfunction was considered a taboo subject, and many men were embarrassed to seek medical help. Now that treatment has become more accessible, it is encouraging that more men are turning to specialists for advice and treatment. Viagra sales are also growing.

What is Viagra

Recall that the well-known "blue pill" due to its active ingredient sildenafil improves blood circulation in the penis, keeping it erect for more than an hour.

Viagra was developed in 1998, after scientists accidentally discovered that sildenafil benefits those suffering from erectile dysfunction. According to Pfizer, more than a million people in the UK take magic pills every year.

Viagra has been sold without a prescription in this country for two years now. The drug effectively helps to solve sexual problems associated with erection. Priced at less than £4 a pill, it has become a hit with romantically inclined English men.

Prices for Viagra typically range from £4 to £5 per pack, depending on the number and dosage of the pills. Until 2013, only the American pharmaceutical giant had permission to manufacture the drug. But since his patent expired, competitors have created generic generic versions containing the same active ingredient sildenafil, but priced at around £1.45 for the same number of capsules.

Causes of erectile dysfunction

Anxiety about one's sexual abilities is a common cause of impotence in men. Therefore, many are forced to look for a reliable solution even before the night with a partner, finding it in buying Viagra pills.

Other causes of erectile dysfunction in young people:

• high blood pressure
• smoking
• anabolic steroid use for muscle growth

It has been proven that diabetes is the cause in a third of cases. Read more about the factors that cause impotence here.

Peculiarities of taking Viagra

According to doctors, the treatment works in 50-80% of cases. But doctors warn about the possible side effects of taking sildenafil, which include:

• nausea
• back pain
• indigestion

Some men also report blurry or bluish vision. So, in February 2020, Turkish doctors reported that a number of patients had short-term vision problems after taking drugs containing sildenafil.

Seventeen men visited the hospital with abnormally dilated pupils, increased sensitivity to light, prolonged blurred vision, and symptoms of color blindness after taking 100 mg of sildenafil.

If a man has never taken Viagra before, his body is not used to absorbing the drug. Taking sildenafil in such high doses gives the body an increased load, doctors say.

Therefore, men with severe heart problems, liver or kidney failure, or those taking medications that may interact with Viagra still require a prescription from a doctor.