There comes a time in every man's life when the penis refuses to budge, regardless of the urgency of the situation. Given the amount of stress in our lives, the unhealthy lifestyle choices that most of us make and the ever present stream of bad news pouring from the TV, it's no wonder that sometimes we find it difficult to perform. Coming home from work late and tired is not the best prelude to sex ever.

I mean, who has time for foreplay and tenderness when the body aches with fatigue and the mind is filled with data, reports and all sorts of work-related ideas? This is how men end up reaching for the box of pills on the nightstand. If nature can't seem to help anymore and the need to sex is still as strong as ever, then maybe medicine would do something about this situation.

And medicine does indeed step up to the plate with a wide range of drugs aimed at fighting erectile dysfunction. Some work and some don't, which is quite a problem. You have to know which drugs are any good and which should be avoided. The best way to find an erectile dysfunction pill that works is to buy those that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

And the ones that have managed to land the coveted FDA backing are the three best known around: Viagra, Levitra and Cialis. These are popular drugs whose results had been proven and which are used by a large number of people. These pills can help you achieve erection by blocking an enzyme known to inhibit the production of a substance involved in the erection process.

The most potent of the three pills is Cialis, also known as the Week-end Pill because its effect lasts for 36 hours. However, you should also know that these pills have certain side effects, such as muscle aches, back pain, headaches, indigestion and eye problems. On the other hand, the erectile dysfunction market is full of unproven drugs which should be used with caution.

Most of them are based on the principle that increasing the flow of blood to the pelvic area can help increase the strength and frequency of erections. However, there is no guarantee that the ingredients contained in these pills are actually capable of producing this effect. Many pills contain dubious ingredients that do nothing or even substances that are not meant to be in them in the first place.

So exercise caution when buying them. There should be no shame in using pills that help improve sexual performance. Our lives are complicated enough and things that help us enjoy ourselves come in very handy. We all know that men are not comfortable admitting that it's harder and harder for them to perform in bed, but this is life and we have to live with this.

Just be careful what you buy and how much you use it. If adverse reactions become too severe or fail to go away on their own, go and see a doctor. Denial is of no use and shame is even less useful than that. The best thing to do is to enjoy life and feel good about yourself.