What Causes Erectile Dysfunction in Men?

A decrease in erectile function may manifest itself in different ways. This definition includes an erection, which is insufficient for sexual intercourse, and the inability to maintain a stable erection to complete it, as well as the complete absence of erection and a decrease in libido. From time to time almost every man faces the problem of weak erection.

Fatigue, anxiety, illness, quarrels with a partner do not contribute to the hard erection. There is nothing strange in the fact that a fair dose of alcohol interferes with good erection. But you can talk about weakening of erection as a systemic problem, if one of the 4 attempts to have a sexual intercourse fails. Do you have the first symptoms of weak erection? Check what factors may have a negative impact on your man's power in order to prevent problems in sexual life.

What Are the Symptoms of Erectile Dysfunction?

ED is a violation of sexual function associated with the absence or decrease of potency at the time of intimacy. The diagnosis of “impotence” can be made if failures have occurred in 25% of sexual intercourse. Symptoms of impaired sexual activity are:

• • The lack of adequate excitation of the penis while maintaining spontaneous physiological erections;
• • the lack of spontaneous erections;
• • weak erection - reduced frequency of erections and insufficient elasticity of the penis during intercourse;
• • premature ejaculation.

If you have noticed at least one of the above-mentioned symptoms, you are recommended to check the causes that have led to the weakening of erection. Being well-informed, you will be able to prevent the development of impotency.

7 Myths about Male Impotency

The causes of erectile dysfunction are many: from psychological to organic. And since the topic is extremely delicate, there are many different myths around it. How to figure out what to believe in? Let's discuss the most popular myths among men regarding potency.

• Myth 1. It is a norm to have sexual problems after 45.

In fact, the threshold of sensitivity decreases with age but impotence does not occur. You may need more stimulation but in no case you should tolerate sexual impotence. Moreover, today there is a huge variety of qualitative methods of dealing with this problem.

• Myth 2. Young men have erectile dysfunction not as often as mature men.

Unfortunately, erectile dysfunction can occur in any man, regardless of age. Often encountered psychological impotence occurs in men aged 30 years and older due to the fact that it is associated with problems in relationships, career and stressful situations.

• Myth 3. A healthy man is the one who can achieve erection whenever he wants.

Only in adolescence this is possible, and in the future more and more stimulation is required in order not to have problems with potency.

• Myth 4. The development of ED isn't connected with wearing tight underwear.

It is not true because tight underwear can pinch and press down the blood vessels supplying the genitals, thereby provoking the development of erectile dysfunction.

• Myth 5. If you have problems with erection, you will have to take drugs during the whole life.

First of all, you should know that there are different ways to treat erectile dysfunction. Secondly, often when treating the main cause of this condition, the problems with potency disappear independently and simultaneously with the elimination of the underlying disease.

• Myth 6. Alcohol helps to boost sexual desire.

In a very moderate dose, alcohol can help to feel relaxed and become a stimulant. But it is worth considering the fact that alcohol affects brain function, where a nerve impulse is formed to achieve an erection. And if the brain activity is reduced, respectively, your sexual desire, is going to be reduced as well.

• Myth 7. ED cannot harm men's health.

Many people mistakenly believe that impotence is a serious psychological problem for a man but it doesn't have any health hazard. Just want to note that impotence can already be a manifestation of serious and dangerous pathology, such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, prostate adenoma, and even oncology.

What Factors Endanger Male Potency and Cause ED in 99% Cases?

All the reasons because of which the erection weakens can be very conditionally divided into 2 groups: psychological and physiological. Let's have a closer look at these two groups of risk factors:

1. Psychological reasons:

• • Stress (of any origin: due to work, conflict, uncertainty or fear of the future).
• • Chronic fatigue caused by hard work.
• • The so-called syndrome of expectation of failure, when, faced with a weak erection, one day, a man begins to fear the recurrence of failure and thus aggravates the problem.
• • Neurosis, depression, subdepressive states. These causes border on physiological ones, since depression is not always caused precisely by psychological causes, and various disruptions in the functioning of the CNS or endocrine system can also lead to it.

2. Physiological causes:

• • Diseases of the cardiovascular system.
• • Disorders of the spinal cord and brain.
• • Diabetes.
• • Disorders of hormonal balance (first of all, diseases of the thyroid gland).
• •The side effects of certain drugs, mainly drugs for reducing pressure, neuroleptics, anticonvulsants, antidepressants and hormones, as well as steroids.
• • Conducting an unhealthy lifestyle - addiction to alcohol, smoking and especially drugs, excess weight due to improper diet, sedentary lifestyle, which leads to poor circulation.
• • Prostate diseases.

Main Types of Impotence and Their Distinctive Features

Check the main impotence types and their characteristics below:

• Psychogenic impotence can be both permanent and temporary, this kind of impotence can occur in men who are exposed to frequent mental and physical fatigue, having certain psychological difficulties or problems finding a partner. Temporary psychogenic impotence passes after the normalization of lifestyle.

• Psychogenic impotence, in the pathogenesis of which, there is a decrease in the sensitivity of cavernous tissue to neurotransmitters due to the overwhelming effect of the cerebral cortex or due to indirect influence through spinal centers, can occur against the background of sexual phobias and deviations, associative psychotraumas and religious prejudices.

• Arteriogenic impotence: it is an age-related pathology, since atherosclerotic changes in the coronary and penile vessels are identical. At an early age, arteriogenic impotence can occur due to congenital vascular anomalies, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus or due to injury. Insufficient flow of arterial blood is not able to fully nourish cavernous tissue and vascular endothelium, local metabolism is disturbed, which can lead to irreversible dysfunctional cavernous tissue disorders.

• Venogenic impotence: The pathogenesis of venous impotence has not been studied enough, but its development is promoted by disorders in the venous bloodstream, in which the lumen of the veins increases. This happens with ectopic drainage of the cavernous bodies through the venous vessels of the penis, with traumatic ruptures of the tunica albugine, as a result of which its insufficiency develops.

• Hormonal impotence most often develops on the background of diabetes mellitus, since diabetes changes the penile vessels and cavernous tissue quite serious. But at the same time, the cause of hormonal impotence is not so much in lowering the level of testosterone, as in disrupting its digestibility, because people with hypogonadism did not have erectile problems when stimulating. But with hypogonadism and male menopause, hormone replacement therapy is carried out as the main treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Are You in the Risk Group?

Impotence can develop at any age. Work, lifestyle, and bad habits have a great influence on the weakening of sexual functions. The risk group includes:

• • Truck drivers and people who spend a lot of time driving a car;
• • Representatives of professions related to temperature difference;
• • Overweight people;
• • Men, whose profession is associated with long sitting (office workers);
• • Patients with diabetes;
• • Alcoholics, drug addicts.

How to Diagnose Impotency?

Diagnosis of impotence is carried out in several stages:

• During external examination, the assessment of the physique is carried out, it is determined by how pronounced the secondary sexual characteristics are. During the inspection, the state of the testicles, the presence of penile deformity is determined.

• The collection of anamnesis and the determination of complaints with the completion of a special questionnaire allow the specialist to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

• Psychosocial examination determines the psychological status of the patient, helps to clarify the attitude of the sexual partner to the violation of erectile function.

• Diagnosis of prostate pathology is performed rectally as well as with the help of ultrasound.

• On the basis of the medical history - obtaining information on regular medication during the treatment of the disease, which may cause a violation of potency.

• Collection of the information about the presence of chronic diseases and bad habits.

• Laboratory research includes radioisotope scanning and measurement of blood pressure in the vessels of the penis. Supervision overnight erectile activity allows to reveal signs of dysfunction.

Now you know what may cause erectile dysfunction. Do your best to use the preventive measures not to face problems in sexual life.