There are a several underlying causes that can make diagnosing and treating erectile dysfunction somewhat difficult. Some are temporary, such as the occasional excess use of alcohol, in which case the impotence is not labeled as ED. However, in other cases, it is the result of some long-term diseases, such as diabetes or Parkinson's. disease.

Depending on which way you look at it, erectile dysfunction in itself does not need diagnosing at all since it is usually a symptom of an underlying condition. As such, it is the underlying cause that is diagnosed and not ED. In other circumstances, it often is unnecessary to diagnose the fundamental cause of the impotence, since most treatments will be the same in any case. However, there are an array of tests and methods that exist to handle both situations.