When you have erectile dysfunction or ED, it is tough to achieve or maintain a penile erection that is sufficient to perform sexual intercourse. It is a common health problem faced by men. An erection requires a balance of complete body functions; all should be fine-tuned. These include psychological, neurological, vascular, hormonal, and general factors. Any disturbance of one or more can compromise the quality of penile erection.
A man develops a sexual dysfunction like ED:
- When he can’t get a harder erection sometimes, though not every time.
- When he can achieve an erection, yet it does not last long enough for sexual activity.
- Or when he is not able to attain a penile erection at all.
ED can also be called impotence. However, the term is less often used by health experts.
When an erection occurs?
When the flow of blood increases in the penile region, an erection occurs by making the man’s reproductive organ (penis) larger and firmer. Nerves, hormones, and blood vessels all work together to cause a penile erection. When you are sexually excited, your brain senses that sexual urge, and it starts an erection by sending signals to the penis. These nerve signals relax the penis muscles and allow the flow of blood into the spongy tissues in the penis. Blood collects in the spongy tissue, like water fills a sponge. This makes the penis larger and firmer enough to perform sexual intercourse.
Therefore, you need a healthy blood supply, a healthy nervous system, and sexual desire to achieve an erection. Various psychological and medical conditions can disturb your body’s function and affect your sex life, making you prone to ED. Moreover, some medical conditions may also cause ED. If you are above 40 years of age and have developed ED, then there are 80% chances that you have an underlying medical condition. This guide will help you understand some common causes of ED.
What causes ED?
A variety of physical, psychological, medical, emotional issues or lifestyle factors can cause erection problems in men. Physical causes include damage to the nerves, narrowing of the blood vessels, damage to the smooth muscles, and fibrous tissues in the penis.
- Physical Causes of ED
- Narrowing the blood vessels
Health conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure can cause narrowing of blood vessels. The first sign of these conditions can be ED. Therefore, it is important to test for erectile dysfunction, especially in men over 40 years old. Furthermore, men suffering from angina or atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) experience a problem with erection.
- Nerve issues
Nerves play a significant role in achieving an erection. Several conditions can affect the nerve supply. These conditions include multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s syndrome. These nerve signals relax the penis muscles and allow the blood to flow into the spongy tissues in the penis. Blood collects in the spongy tissue, like water fills a sponge. This makes the penis larger and firmer enough to perform sexual intercourse.
- Medicinal causes
Diseases and certain health complications that cause damage and can contribute to an erection problem include:
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Heart and blood vessel diseases
- Chronic renal insufficiency
- Diabetes
- Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the nerves
- Parkinson’s disease is a progressive movement disorder that affects muscle control and balance.
- Peyronie’s disease is an uncommon condition that results from penile trauma. It is defined as the inflammation in the tunica, and ultimately leads to scarring and the development of penile curvature
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
- Low testosterone levels
- Injury to the spinal cord, bladder, prostate, pelvis, or penis
- Bladder cancer surgery
- Psychological issues
There are many psychological reasons for ED, including anxiety, guilt, stress, and depression. Moreover, being overworked or unemployed may also reduce your libido.
- Lifestyle factors
Several lifestyle factors, including smoking, drinking heavily, obesity, or use of illegal drugs, can contribute to ED. You can order Sildenafil citrate tablets 100mg to get rid of erectile dysfunction.
Even when ED has a physical cause, emotional or psychological factors may make the condition worse. For instance, a physical problem that slows a man’s sexual stimulation can create anxiety, and this can worsen the erection problem.
In addition, medications for heart conditions, psychotic illness, blood pressure, prostate issues, and depression can cause ED. Talk to your healthcare provider before stopping or changing them.
A small number of ED cases are due to the reduced level of testosterone (a male hormone).
Who is more likely to get ED?
Men with an underlying health condition that can give rise to an erection problem are more prone to getting this disease. Men of all races and regions can be affected by this sexual disorder. According to research studies, it has been estimated that around 30 million men in the USA are affected by the erection problem. While it is believed that the likelihood of ED increases with age, the ageing process does not contribute to ED.
Complications associated with ED
A person with ED can often experience the following:
- An unsatisfying sex life
- Loss of intimacy and communication between the couple, which results in a strained relationship
- Emotional issues such as low confidence, anxiety, and depression
- Unable to enjoy parenthood
Treatment options for ED
A physician or a urologist can help you treat your erection problem by:
- Treating the underlying cause of the problem:
- Lifestyle changes
- Counselling
- Changing medications that are used to treat other health problems
- Prescribing erectile dysfunction drugs:
- Oral pharmaceutical drugs
- Injectable medications
- Giving a vacuum device in rare cases
- Performing a surgery in severe cases
Treat the underlying cause of ED
An expert (urologist) can sometimes treat erection problems by making a general recommendation that is linked to your daily routine, and that helps to treat the underlying cause of your problem.
- Lifestyle changes- By making necessary changes in your lifestyle, you can get rid of your erection issue. Healthy lifestyle changes can address ED. A man can solve his problem by quitting smoking, limiting or stopping alcohol consumption, stopping the use of illegal drugs, and increasing physical activity.
- Counselling: If emotional and psychological issues are the culprit, a man can join a counselling program to find relief. A counsellor will help you teach some techniques to deal with stress and anxiety associated with sex. Your partner can also take part in the program by helping incorporate techniques that include gradually developing intimacy and stimulation. These methods can help you relieve stress or anxiety while treating the physical cause of the ED.
- Changing medications that are given to treat other health issues- If it is identified that medication is your ED cause, your physician may ask you to use a different strength of the same medicine or can prescribe an alternative to the medication.
- Prescribing ED drugs- A physician may ask you to start pharmaceutical, medical treatment by giving medications to help you achieve an erection. Medications for heart conditions, psychotic illness, blood pressure, prostate issues, and depression can cause ED. Talk to your healthcare provider before stopping or changing them. A man can take these medications orally, through injections, or insert them into the tip of the penis. Oral medications are the most common treatment prescribed by physicians to treat mild to moderate to severe conditions. A physician may prescribe oral medications such as Sildenafil citrate tablets 100mg, tadalafil, avanafil, and vardenafil. All these erectile dysfunction drugs work by relaxing the smooth muscle and increasing the blood supply to the penile region.
Your physician may also give testosterone to you in case your ED is due to low testosterone levels in the blood.