Erectile Dysfunction (ED)What is erectile dysfunction?If you're a man who can't get an erection hard enough to have sex or if you cannot keep an erection for the duration of sex, then you're said to have erectile dysfunction or impotence to use an old fashioned name. Erectile dysfunction can happen to men of any age but is more common in older men. Some estimates suggest one man in twelve has erectile dysfunction at any one time.Is erectile dysfunction just something to do with growing older? Not necessarily. There are many causes of erectile dysfunction, both emotional (mental / psychological) and physical. The latter include:
What causes erectile dysfunction?There are some well known illnesses which cause erectile dysfunction. These includeWhat's the most likely cause of erectile dysfunction?There are many steps in an erection, and unfortunately, if the process goes wrong at any of them, a man may find he has erectile dysfunction. A common cause of erectile dysfunction is damage to any of the tissues of the the penis or pelvic region through atherosclerosis, vascular disease, and neurologic disease (damage to the nerve cells). This explains a large proportion of erectile dysfunction. And a majority of men with diabetes experience erectile dysfunction. Aspects of lifestyle like a high fat diet, smoking, and low levels of exercise, both of which contribute to heart disease and vascular problems, also raise a man's risk of experiencing erectile dysfunction. Surgery (especially prostatectomy and bladder surgery for cancer) are likely to damage nerves and arteries near the penis, and this can cause erectile dysfunction. Needless to say, any injury to the pelvic regions in general or the penis, spinal cord, prostate and bladder in particular, can lead to erectile dysfunction by harming nerves, smooth muscles, arteries, and fibrous tissues of the corpora cavernosa. Many common medicines such as drugs to treat blood pressure, antihistamines, antidepressants, tranquilizers, some appetite suppressants, and even ranitidine and cimetidine (an anti-acid drug) may produce erectile dysfunction as a side effect. But the really important thing to know is that psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and sexual anxiety caused by fear of sexual failure, are at the root of a large proportion of erectile dysfunction. And to make this more complicated, men whose erectile dysfunction is caused by physical problems usually have emotional reactions such as stress, anxiety, guilt, depression. And finally, other causes of erection problems are smoking, which may affect the blood flow in the veins and arteries of the penis, and hormonal problems including low testosterone. Emotional problems as a cause of erectile dysfunctionMany erectile dysfunction causes are problems in the relationship. Sexual problems can grow to the point where they cause a man to suffer from loss of his erection. Sexual therapy is most effective when both sexual partners go to therapy. Some of the emotional causes of erectile dysfunction include:
It's worth looking some more at the various treatment methods available for erectile dysfunction
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