Everyone must be aware that erectile dysfunction is a situation where a guy is unable to attain and sustain an erection hard enough for sexual intercourse. This can be compared with impotence. However, the term ‘impotence’ is seldom used to refer to ED.
Erectile Dysfunction is more common than you think. About 50% of the men will face ED at some stage of their life and this is more prevalent in men between the ages of 40 to 70. It is completely fine if you have trouble with your erection once in a while. However, if you experience this frequently, you might have ED.
ED can be caused by nervousness or other psychological issues. Sometimes, it might be a sign that you have some other underlying ailment. Medications, alcohol, tobacco consumption may also contribute to ED.
Further, ED can mar your confidence in bed and also give rise to some relationship issues. Fortunately, Erectile dysfunction can be treated completely and it’s quite easy. A ton of medications and other treatments are available to help you with ED.
Erection: How it Works
To understand erectile dysfunction better, we should understand how erectile functions under normal conditions. On the outside, your penis grows and becomes hard. This is an outcome of events that occur on the inside of your body.
The penis features two erectile chambers that are on the left and right. They run from your pelvis to the head of your penis. Veins and arteries circulate the blood in and out.
Upon arousal, your penis erects after receiving chemical signals from your brain. A chemical, cGMP, helps the corpora cavernosa to relax and enables the blood to enter. In the meantime, the veins are shut due to the pressure. As a result, the outward flow of the blood decreases. This blood accumulation hardens and expands the penis causing an erection.
Ultimately, the penis returns to its flaccid state after the cGMP is countered by PDE-5.
Erectile Dysfunction: Symptoms
How to know if you have ED? Well, in case you have a doubt, there are certain signs that you should look out for.
If you find it hard to develop and maintain an erection during sex, then there is a chance you might have ED. This is the most common symptom that sufferers experience. Consequently, this leads to lowered interest in sex.
- Difficulty in getting an erection
ED can make it hard for you to achieve an erection, regardless of the fact that you are aroused or not. Sometimes, you might hardly get erected. While at other times, your erection might not be hard enough for sex.
- Difficult to maintain the erection
Even if you manage to get hard, you might face some issues while maintaining it. This can potentially affect your experience during intercourse.
- Lowered interest in sex
ED can affect your confidence negatively and cause you to lose interest in a sexual activity altogether. In long run, some men tend to avoid sexual relationships.
Apart from this, premature ejaculation, delayed orgasm, or experiencing no orgasm at all can take a toll on your self-confidence. This insecurity may also contribute to ED.
When should you see an expert?
You might be worried about impotence. And hence, you should get in touch with your doctor or health consultant right after you experience problems with your erection a few times.
Notably, if you have been facing erection difficulties consistently for a few months, you should pay a visit to your doctor.
However, remember that it is okay to experience erection problems occasionally. Alcohol and medications also have a role to play here. Hence, if you have trouble with erections once in a few months or weeks, it might not be ED.
In any case, your doctor can tell if your ED is due to psychological problems or any other underlying health problems.
Causes of Erectile Dysfunction
Several factors can give rise to erectile dysfunction. Sometimes, nervousness causes ED. And other times, it might be due to underlying physical ailments like cardiovascular diseases.
1. Physical Causes
· Heart problems
Consistent ED is a common sign of an underlying cardiovascular disease. This condition can cause dysfunctioning of atherosclerosis, the inner lining of your arteries. Consequently, this makes it hard to develop and maintain an erection.
· Blood pressure
Erectile dysfunction can be caused by high blood pressure. A lot of medicines are prescribed to counter high blood pressure. This is another common factor that can affect your sex life negatively.
· Higher Cholesterol Levels
Blood vessels suffer damage due to high cholesterol levels. You can face difficulty while getting and sustaining an erection. Again, numerous medicines are prescribed to tackle cholesterol. Many of these medicines are associated with enhanced sexual function in men with ED.
· Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes
Men that suffer from diabetes also experience ED. Diabetes also reduces interest in sexual activities. It also hampers hormone production.
· Metabolic Syndrome
ED has been associated with metabolic syndrome and other conditions like diabetes and heart issues.
· Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s is another plausible cause of ED. The medications prescribed for Parkinson’s can worsen your erectile dysfunction.
· Multiple Sclerosis
Around 91% of men who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis also experienced ED.
· Excess Alcohol
Continual use of alcohol can have damaging effects. Even when you do not suffer from any other illness, regular consumption of alcohol can result in weakened sexual performance and nerve damage.
· Prostate Cancer (Enlarged Prostate)
Prostate cancer and medications for the same can have a negative impact on your erectile function. Tadafil is usually prescribed to treat both enlarged prostate and prostate cancer.
Other than this, kidney diseases and sleep disorders are also closely related to erectile dysfunction.
2. Psychological Causes
Here, you can take a look at the psychological causes of Erectile Dysfunction.
· Stress
Stress has become the root cause of many ailments. And it can potentially mar your sexual performance. Whenever men face stressful events, many of them have trouble with their erectile function.
· Depression or Anxiety
Several psychological studies have linked depression and anxiety to erectile dysfunction and other sexual issues.
· Rocky Relationships
Often, issues in your relationships like lack of trust or lowered attraction towards your partner. This can worsen your ED issues and affect your sex life.
· Pornography
Some studies show that watching excessive pornography can affect your sex life, performance, and cause ED.
Erectile Dysfunction: What are the Risk Factors?
- Obesity
ED is more common among men who are overweight and obese. If your BMI crosses the healthy limit, you are more likely to get ED.
- Age
As men age, they are likely to develop Erectile Dysfunction. The typical erectile dysfunction age is above 30.
- Medications
Medications can alter your blood circulation, libido, and other similar factors that can lead to difficulty in achieving and maintaining an erection. Medications for hypertension, depression can contribute to ED.
- Tobacco
Longer use of cigarettes and similar tobacco products can lead to several health problems like restricted blood flow. This in turn can make it hard for you to reach and sustain an erection.
- Drugs
Consuming illegal drugs can have a negative impact on your sex life.
- Surgery or Injuries
Prostate surgery or radiation therapy for prostate cancer can lead to erectile Dysfunction. Injuries to the lower body can also contribute.
- Hypogonadism
Lower levels of testosterone are one of the causes of ED. However, this does not affect your physical ability to develop an erection.
Erectile Dysfunction Treatment
Like we mentioned earlier, ED is easily treatable. After determining the causes of your ED, your doctor will prescribe medicines, therapy, or lifestyle changes.
- Medications
The medicines function by regarding the action of enzymes that cause your penis to go back to a flaccid state after sex.
Some erectile dysfunction medicines are -
· Sildenafil
Popularly known as Viagra, this is the most common medication that is used to treat Erectile Dysfunction. With this, you can enhance your erections within 30 minutes to 60 minutes of consumption. The effects of sildenafil last from 3 to 5 hours. Before using it, consult your doctor.
· Tadalafil
Also known as Cialis, the effects of it last longer than sildenafil. The medication acts rapidly, usually within 60 minutes after use. The erections that are produced last for 36 hours or longer. This is why tadalafil is usually used on weekends. You can discuss this with your physician.
· Vardenafil
Vardenafil resembles sildenafil but often has lasting effects. The effects are visible within 30 to 60 minutes of consumption. It can result in enhanced erections for 5 plus hours.
· Stendra
This is a new medical and also goes by the name of Avanafil. It works quite quickly, within just 30 minutes. Further, it has lesser side effects. You can discuss giving Stendra a shot with your doctor.
- Psychological Treatment for ED
Like we discussed, ED can be caused by several mental health issues. They can potentially affect your libido or dampen your sexual desire. Several methods can help you cope with these issues.
· Counseling
Counseling can help you figure out the reasons for your anxiety, depression, or other psychological problems. This can go a long way in tackling them.
· Sex therapy
This therapy can help you bolster your confidence and bust stress. Consequently, this will enhance your sexual performance and help you with erections. Then there is sexual performance anxiety therapy can help you cope with nervousness during sex.
· Other Treatments
Some other ED treatments include -
Surgery
Specific surgeries can enhance the blood flow to your penis. This leads to improved erections.
Alprostadil
This more of an injection that widens your blood vessels. The medication makes it easy for you to get and sustain an erection.
In addition to these treatments, there are other options like Vaccum erection devices (VCDs) and penile implants.
Erectile Dysfunction Prevention
Certain lifestyle changes and adopting some healthy habits can go a long way to prevent ED. In case you already have ED, a few quick changes will mitigate the symptoms. You may need to rely less on medications.
- Exercise
Regular workouts or even jogs and walks can enhance the blood circulation in your body.
- Healthy Diet
A balanced and healthy diet will keep your blood pressure in control and even help maintain a healthy weight.
- Avoid tobacco
Cut down on cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products.
- Reduce Alcohol Consumption
Cutting down on alcohol can help you improve your health and even lessen the chances of ED.
- Stress management
Learn to manage stress effectively. You can try meditation, yoga, or other stress-busting activities.
- Change Medications
This is not possible in every case. But you can try to change your medicines for treatments that do not affect your blood circulation or erections.
This was a detailed guide on ED. For more details, you can read our blogs on this issue.
