Erectile Dysfunction & Impotence

• Home
• Online Consultation
• Side Effects
• erectile dysfunction

Erectile Dysfunction and Impotence - Understanding the Causes and Solutions

What is erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction is when a man cannot achieve or maintain an erection suffucient for sexual intercourse to take place and reach its conclusion. The medical term for erectile dysfunction used to be impotence, but to call a man "impotent" can have an unintended pyschological meaning, hence the preference for erectile dysfunction. If erectile dysfunction occurs regularly, it can form a pattern and damage the sex life and possible the relationship bewtween a man and his partner.

Most men suffer from erectile dysfunction occasionally in their lives. About a third of men in the UK and US regularly suffer from erectile dysfunction. Although most frequently seen in men over the age of 60, erectile dysfunction also occurs in middle aged or younger men. However, apart from the normal aging process there are often causes of erectile dysfunction that it can be possible to treat. Although men may feel embarassed about talking about erectile dysfunction, it is a subject that you should discuss with your doctor because there is much that can be done.

What are the causes of erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction can happen when something interferes with the processes your body has to go through to achieve and erection. This is a complicated process involving the brain, the central nervous system, and the blood vessels in the penis.

Sporadic episodes of erectile dysfunction may be caused by excessive alcohol consumption or fatigue. Erectile dysfunction that occurs more frequently can have a physical cause, an emotional cause or it can be caused by certain drugs or prescription medications.

Physical causes of erectile dysfunction

Physical causes of erectile dysfunction include diseases that damage the blood vessels which can disrupt the floor of blood to the penis, damage to the nerves that carry the arousal signals from the brain to the blood vessels, or incorrect hormone levels. The physical causes are listed hereafter:

• Alcohol (numbs the brain)
• Smoking (narrows the arteries)
• Atherosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries" (which can be caused by diabetes, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and smoking)
• Brain or spinal-cord injuries
• Removal of the prostate gland
• Inadequate levels of testosterone or other hormonal imbalance
• Liver or kidney failure
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Parkinson's disease
• Stroke
  

Emotional causes of erectile dysfunction

• No longer finding one's partner attractive
• Relationship problems such as a lack of trust
• Shyness, lack of confidence
• Feeling nervous about sex or worried about a previous episode of erectile dysfunction reoccurring
• Being stressed, tired or just "not in the mood"
• Feeling that your partner is unappreciative or unresponsive

Suffering from erectile dysfunction once can make a man worry about a reoccurrence. Ironically, the worry about a reoccurrence can cause a vicious circle, with erectile dysfunction occurring again and again.

Drug causes of erectile dysfunction

Any drug that depressed the central nervous system can cause erectile dysfunction as drugs of this type interfere with the strength of normal nerve signals. This would include some antidepressants, tranquilisers and strong pain killers. Other drugs can affect the flow of blood to the penis (some drugs to treat high blood pressure can do this) or the body's hormone balance. If you think that your erectile dysfunction could be caused by a medicine that you are taking, speak to your doctor about this. There may be an alternative treatment he can give you.

How can erectile dysfunction be treated?

Viagra is an oral therapy that is commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction. Other drugs that are also used include Levitra and Cialis. You should talk to your doctor to see if Viagra might be the right treatment for you.