There are several potential causes of erectile dysfunction, including vascular disease, non-arteritic anterior ischemia, diabetes, drugs, alcohol, smoking, hormonal imbalances and more.
An erection is caused by an increase in the blood flow to your penis. Both direct contact with your penis and sexual thoughts stimulate the blood flow. A relaxing of the muscles in the penis happens when a man is sexually excited. This relaxing increases the blood flow in the arteries, filling two chambers of the penis. When the chambers are full the penis is hard. The erection ends when the muscles contract and the blood flows out of the chambers. If you need help maintaining an erection you can with a tablet product like Tadafil.
There are many causes of ED both emotional and physical, here we take a closer look at the physical ones.
1. Cardiovascular Disease
Erectile dysfunction is connected via its dependence on the blood of the cardiovascular system, a problem here could indicate that there might be a problem with the heart. Therefore it is good to get screened for heart disease, especially if you don’t have any emotional issues like depression, performance anxiety or low self-esteem that could be the cause ED.
2. Hormonal Imbalance
Low levels of testosterone, a male growth hormone, can lead to a decline in sexual desire. Both obesity and ageing lead to lower levels of testosterone over time.
3. Inflammation
There was a study done in 2011 that looked at the link between inflammation and the cause of ED, it found out that it was more the drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen that stopped the inflammation that caused the ED problems.
4. Atherosclerosis
Erectile dysfunction could indicate problems with the heart, but experts now believe that it is more a dysfunction of the inner lining of the blood vessels (endothelium) and smooth muscle. Endothelial dysfunction causes the blood supply to the heart to drop and with that also the blood flow to the penis. This aids the development of atherosclerosis, a build-up of fats that cloughs up the arteries. Atherosclerosis leads to high blood pressure and prescription medications that combat against this is known to have side effects that cause ED.
5. Non Arteritic Anterior Ischemia
Non-Arteric Anterior Ischemia is a loss of blood flow to the nerves that connect the eye to the brain. This is another blood flow related condition which also could affect ED.
6. Diabetes
A study carried out by Boston University Medical Center reports that about half of men diagnosed with high blood sugar levels (type 2 diabetes) will develop ED within five to ten years of their diagnosis. The odds of becoming impotent are even greater if those men also have heart disease.
7. Common Drugs
Some types of antidepressants can cause erectile dysfunction, such as:
- monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as isocarboxazid and phenelzine
- tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, imipramine, and doxepin
- selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs), such as duloxetine and venlafaxine
- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as citalopram, fluoxetine, and sertraline
Drugs used to treat high blood pressure and high cholesterol can prevent smooth muscle in your penis from relaxing.
8. Alcohol
After a night out on the booze, a lot of men can agree that alcohol has a major influence in getting and keeping a hard one al the way to orgasm and ejaculation when doing sexual intercourse. The ED problems here seem to be more temporary inability to perform unless you are a chronic alcoholic. In that case, you will need to make some drastic lifestyle changes.
9. Smoking
Smoking and other tobacco use are connected to erectile dysfunction. Tobacco use decreases blood flow in your whole body including the blood vessels of a man’s penis.
If you suffer from erectile dysfunction it is always good to consult a doctor and work towards a healthier lifestyle.
