Do you know these 11 amazing facts about Viagra?

1. Viagra Is One Of The Most Counterfeited Drugs In The World

Erectile dysfunction pills are one of the most counterfeited drugs in the world. 16.3 million dollars worth of fake erectile dysfunction drugs were seized by U.S. customs in 2021.

This means that a high percentage of products marketed online as Viagra, aren't actually Viagra. Fake Viagra is of serious concern because it is impossible to know exactly what it contains and what side effects it could cause.

The trouble is, fake Viagra can look EXACTLY like legitimate Viagra, with a few minor differences.

• Color consistency: Real Viagra is uniform in color. Fake Viagra may have variations of color within the same tablet, or between different tablets in the same packet. The color on one side of a fake tablet may look different from the color on the other side.
• Look at the "f" in Pfizer: The "f" is unique and hard to replicate, especially if you are making a stamp to mark individual pills. The stem on the real "f" doesn't start thinning out until it is almost at the top.
• Tablet shape: A real Viagra tablet has a distinct diamond shape with smooth edges. Fake Viagra tablets are usually quite jagged with an indent before the edge.
• Number of tablets per pack: Real Viagra is available in single packs or packs of 4. If your packet contains more than 4 tablets, it is likely counterfeit.

Always buy your Viagra through the correct channels and from a reputable source. Viagra has been available as a generic in the United States since 2017 and generics are usually considerably cheaper than the original branded version of a drug.

2. Viagra Makes Flowers Stand Up Straight

Flowers are big business and the right flowers at the right time are a sure way to melt anybody's heart. However, once cut, most flowers have a very limited shelf life, so making flowers last longer is potentially lucrative.

This research has even extended to Viagra. Israeli and Australian researchers found that 1mg of Viagra dissolved in a vase of water can double the shelf-life of cut flowers by retarding the breakdown of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP).

There is a downside though. Viagra costs a lot, much more than nitric oxide - a gas that has much the same results for next to nothing. Perhaps in the future generic versions of Viagra may make this a more viable option for the flower industry.

3. Viagra For Jet Lag – Really?

Apparently so... if you are a hamster. A 2007 study by a few Argentinian researchers discovered that Viagra helped reset a hamster's circadian rhythm faster. The circadian rhythm is also known as the sleep-wake cycle, and in this experiment, it was manipulated by adjusting how much light the hamsters were exposed to.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to know how well this research translates to humans..or if it actually translates at all. Hamsters are very different from humans and because they weren't exactly flown halfway around the world, it is also difficult to know if adjusting light exposure has the same effect on circadian rhythms as flying. But it was a very quirky piece of research!

4. Viagra For Increasing Athletic Performance

There have been a few studies conducted investigating the use of Viagra to enhance athletic performance; the majority of these studies were in cyclists.

For most athletes, Viagra does nothing. One 2006 study did show an improvement in four out of ten of the cyclists who took part, but only at high altitudes (3,874 meters above sea level). In these sildenafil-responders, time-trial performance improved by 39%, compared to only 1% in the other six non-responders. One cyclist (there were originally eleven in the group) withdrew from the trial early because of an intolerable headache.

Experts who have reviewed these trials have concluded that there are distinct individual differences in the way people respond to sildenafil, with regards to enhancing their cardiovascular function during exercise. Put simply, some people respond but others won't. And these differences are only apparent at high altitudes, not at sea level.

So if you are thinking of taking Viagra to give you a more competitive edge, think again. Viagra is more likely to make you feel fatigued and unfocused with a flushed face, headache, and blue-colored vision than give you a podium spot.

5. Viagra Is Helping To Save Endangered Species

Would you take Rhino horn, tiger bones, seal penises, or reindeer antler velvet to aid your sex life? Historically, countless numbers of animals have had their genitals, organs, tusks, or meat touted as a cure for erectile dysfunction, despite virtually no proof that any of these work.

Since Viagra and other ED treatments have come on the market, the demand for these parts from exotic and endangered animals appears to have dropped, even among people loyal to Chinese Traditional medicine.

And that's great news, not only for conservationists but for everybody. Because at the last count, there were more than 134,400 species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, with more than 37,400 threatened with extinction.

Related Questions

• Cialis vs Viagra - What's the difference between them?
• Can you take Viagra with high blood pressure?
• Can women take Viagra?

6. Viagra – CIA’s Weapon Against Taliban

Very few people give away something for nothing, and trying to get information out of people in wartime is no exception. The trouble is, traditional bribes like money or weapons are either too obvious or have the potential to be used against you. During the war in Afghanistan, the CIA discovered Viagra was the perfect incentive to motivate the local informants, as well as introduce them to some of the wondrous advances of the 21st century.

It worked. Tribal chiefs often had much younger wives or more than one wife to satisfy, so one packet of four pills was guaranteed to lead to invaluable details of Taliban supply routes and movements.

7. Improving Circulation In Those With Raynaud's

Raynaud's is a condition in which blood vessels - particularly those in the fingers and toes - narrow suddenly in response to cold or emotional stress. This can affect finger and toe sensation and color and cause excruciating pain. Raynaud's is more common in women and in cold climates.

Viagra and other similar drugs have been used to help people with severe Raynaud's by increasing the blood flow to the body's extremities.

8. Viagra Is Not A Sex Stimulant

Viagra does not increase a man's desire to have sex, so it's crucial to talk to your doctor if you think your sex drive has dropped. Any number of things can contribute to low libido, including low testosterone, depression, stress, relationship problems, prescription medicines, too little or too much exercise, alcohol, and drugs.

Viagra only works in the presence of sexual stimulation, it does not increase sexual urge. Your doctor may suggest therapy if the issue is psychological or a change in medication if that is contributing to your low libido. Improving your diet and losing weight may also help. In some men, testosterone replacement therapy may be considered.

9. Viagra For Women?

There have been several studies that have investigated Viagra use in women. No conclusive results have been obtained so far with regards to improving sexual satisfaction or experience and Viagra is not recommended for use in women.

Be aware that many online pharmacies promote “Female Viagra”. This is usually a herbal supplement with no evidence to support any claims that this remedy works in women. Always be wary of buying any medication on line as there is an abundance of illegitimate online sites selling unlicensed or dangerous medication.

Currently, there are two drugs available to treat low sexual desire in women; Addyi (flibanserin) approved in 2015, and Vyleesi (bremelanotide injection) approved in 2019.

10. Viagra - Can It Help You Cope Better At High Altitude?

Apparently, the Argentinian football team thinks it can. Early in 2017, the team announced it would be playing its world cup qualifying match against Bolivia boosted by a cocktail of three drugs: paracetamol, caffeine, and Viagra. The qualifying match is in La Paz, which is 3640m above sea level. When the team played a game there in 2013, one player was sick on the field and two required oxygen masks.

The purchase of 364 Viagra pills in 2016 by the office of South Korean President, Park Geun-Hye, also caused disbelief. They were purchased in preparation for altitude sickness ahead of her visit to African nations; however, none of them were ever used.

Research has shown that sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, lowers lung pressure and has been shown to enable exercise in low oxygen conditions or at high altitudes. But experts say it hasn't been conclusively proven to help in the treatment of altitude sickness. The World Anti-Doping Agency rates Viagra use as legal.

11. Viagra – Good And Not So Good At Helping Babies

Giving tiny doses of sildenafil (Viagra) to unborn or premature babies might seem like a very strange idea, but if you take into account that sildenafil was originally developed as a drug to treat hypertension, then it makes a bit more sense.

Premature babies are typically born with immature lungs and may require a mechanical ventilator to breathe. A significant property of sildenafil (Viagra) is that it widens blood vessels inside the lungs, lowering pressure and allowing the lungs to function more efficiently. Since one of the first trials in 2006, sildenafil has been used in small doses to allow doctors to reduce ventilator settings and eventually wean babies off a ventilator when the time is right.

Doctors also wondered if sildenafil might be effective at treating growth restriction in pregnant women by increasing blood supply to the placenta, a condition that affects almost 25 million babies worldwide every year. After successful experiments on rats, trials were given the go-ahead and involved centers based in the UK, the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand. Unfortunately, the Dutch trial was terminated early in July 2018 due to safety concerns. Their analysis showed that 26.6% of babies in the sildenafil group suffered persistent pulmonary hypertension, a serious lung condition, with 26.8% dying before discharge. Only 14.3% of the babies suffering from this condition in the placebo group died. Other centers reported no evidence of a beneficial effect but didn't report any evidence of harm either.