Sildenafil is a type of oral prescription medication used to treat a number of different medical conditions. As a generic medication, manufacturers sell sildenafil citrate under other brand names.
Identification
In the United States, sildenafil citrate is available as the prescription medication Viagra or Revatio, both of which are produced by Pfizer.
Use
Doctors typically prescribe Viagra for treating erectile dysfunction. Revatio is indicated for the treatment of arterial hypertension, a condition where the pressure of blood that flows between your heart and lungs becomes too high.
Patient Types
Viagra is typically prescribed for men, while both men and women commonly take Revatio. Because sildenafil citrate is known to cause fetal harm in laboratory animals, doctors avoid prescribing Revatio for pregnant women.
Risks
A serious risk associated with the use of sildenafil citrate-containing medications is non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy or NAION, which has the potential to cause permanent blindness, cautions the U.S. National Library of Medicine. The most common symptom of NAION is suddenly blurry vision in one or both eyes.
Considerations
If you have a history of curvature of your penis, angina, arrhythmia, bleeding problems, congestive heart failure, heart attack, high or low blood pressure, leukemia, mutiple myeloma, priapism, sickle-cell anemia, stomach ulcers, stroke, diabetes or lung, liver or kidney disease, it may not be safe for you to take a medication that contails sildenafil citrate, warns the Mayo Clinic.
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