What Causes Impotence?
Most men experience a failed erection at some time in their lives,
but if you find that you can’t achieve and maintain an erection
in at least 3 out of 4 attempts, you should ask your doctor about
impotence.
Impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction or ED, is a condition
in which a man is unable to achieve or maintain an erection long
enough to have a satisfactory sex life.
In the past, doctors considered impotence to be a mainly psychological problem, caused by performance anxiety or stress. Now, however, doctors know that most cases of impotence have a physical cause, which can be treated.
Physical causes of impotence include damage to the arteries and veins that allow blood to flow into and out of the penis, and damage to the nerves that send signals from the body’s central nervous system to the penis. This damage can have several causes.
Physical Causes of Impotence
Impaired blood flow to the penis
A very common cause of impotence is when blood flow to the penis
is impaired due to atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the
arteries. In atherosclerosis, the arteries are clogged and narrowed,
resulting in reduced blood flow. This narrowing of the arteries
can be caused by conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood
pressure, heart disease or diabetes, as well as by smoking.
Impotence can also be caused by a blood clot that prevents enough blood from flowing into the penis to cause an erection.
Impaired blood flow out of the penis
In some men, blood can flow in to the penis easily, but the problem
is that it leaks out again, so an erection cannot be sustained.
This is called venous leakage. Doctors aren’t certain of the
cause of venous leakage, but they can perform surgery to help repair
it.
Medications
Some medications can cause erection problems as a side effect, including:
diuretics; high blood pressure medications; cholesterol-lowering
drugs; diabetes medications; antidepressants; cancer treatments;
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); and epilepsy medications.
If you experience impotence after starting a new medication, tell your doctor, who may be able to prescribe a different medicine for you. You should also tell your doctor about any over-the-counter medicines or complementary remedies you may be taking.
Diabetes
Both forms of diabetes, Type 1 (insulin-dependent) and Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent),
are common causes of impotence: men who have diabetes are 3 times
more likely to have impotence than other men. Diabetes contributes
to impotence because it can damage blood vessels and cause a type
of nerve damage known as peripheral neuropathy.
In certain circumstances natural impotence cures and treatments are worth investigating. They do not require prescriptions and maybe more effective than commonly known pharmaceutical treatments. Please see : www.impotence-treatment-sex-boost-best-buys.com
Prostate cancer
The advanced stages of prostate cancer can affect the nerves and
arteries that are vital for an erection. Radiation treatment for
prostate cancer can harm the erectile tissues of the penis, and
surgery can cause nerve or artery damage to the penis.
Peyronie’s disease
Peyronie’s disease is an uncommon condition that affects a
man’s sex life because his penis curves abnormally and causes
pain when he has an erection. He might also be unable to have a
hard erection. The curvature of the penis is caused by a scar, called
a plaque, that forms in the penis.
Prostatitis
Prostatitis is a condition in which the prostate gland becomes inflamed,
due to a bacterial infection. This results in painful and more frequent
urination and sometimes a fever, as well as pain on ejaculation
and erectile dysfunction. The infection can be treated with antibiotics.
Diseases of the nervous system
Multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease are degenerative
diseases of the nervous system, which can impair the nerves involved
in erections.
Depression
Many men find that when they’re suffering from depression,
they can’t get or keep an erection. Asking your doctor for
treatments for depression may help alleviate your erection problems
as well.
Hormones
Low levels of the male hormone, testosterone, are more commonly
linked to a lowered sex drive, rather than impotence itself. Only
about 2 per cent of cases of impotence are caused by hormone deficiency.
Low testosterone levels may be the result of a condition called hypogonadism, in which the testicles don’t produce enough testosterone, or, more rarely, because a tumour on the pituitary gland at the base of the brain has caused an abnormally high level of prolactin, a hormone that can lower testosterone levels.
Injury and accidents
Impotence can be caused by spinal cord injury; injury to your sex
organs; or a pelvic fracture, which can cause damage the nerves
to the penis, and damage the blood vessels, resulting in impairment
of blood flow to the penis.
Surgery
Surgery to organs near the nerve pathways of the penis, such as
the bladder, rectum and prostate, can cause nerve or artery damage
to the penis, resulting in the inability to have an erection.
Smoking
Smoking contributes to vascular disease, so it can contribute to
erectile dysfunction by affecting blood flow to the penis.
Excessive alcohol use
Alcoholism can cause permanent nerve damage, resulting in impotence.
This nerve damage is called peripheral neuropathy. Long-term alcohol
use can impair the liver’s ability to function, resulting
in a hormone imbalance in which a man has too much of the female
sex hormone, oestrogen. On a day-to-day level, alcohol dulls the
central nervous system, impairing sexual response.
Illicit drug use
Illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, barbiturates,
and amphetamines act on the central nervous system, impairing the
body’s ability to respond sexually.
Prolonged exercise
Nerve and artery damage can be caused by cycling too hard or prolonged
use of a rowing machine, resulting in the inability to get an erection.
Often, minimising the use of hard bicycle seats and exercise machine
seats will help restore sexual function.
Psychological Causes of Impotence
Most cases of impotence have physical causes, but, in some men, psychological factors are the main contributors to impotence. Impotence that’s triggered by psychological factors is more likely to appear suddenly, and perhaps when you’re with just one particular person, than impotence that has a physical cause. You’re also more likely to have morning erections, and be able to have an erection when you masturbate, than men whose impotence has a physical cause. Here are some psychological factors that can have an impact on your erections.
Stress and anxiety
When you’re stressed and focusing on other issues apart from
sex, you might find that you don’t want to have sex as often
and there might be a drop in your ability to perform when you do
try. You might find that tackling the source of your stress can
have benefits in the bedroom as well.
Fear of failure
Anxiety about your sexual prowess (commonly called performance anxiety)
can, in itself, contribute to failure. By putting pressure on yourself,
you become too anxious to get an adequate erection.
Problems with your relationship
Impotence may be a manifestation of a poor relationship, or a problematic
time in a relationship. Sexual boredom, tension or anger among partners,
and lack of intimacy and communication are all possible triggers
of erectile dysfunction. In these cases, seeing a counsellor may
help.
It’s worth remembering that impotence is a complex medical condition, which may have more than one cause. For example, if impotence is the result of a side effect of medication or an underlying disease, the anxiety caused by lack of performance may perpetuate the erectile dysfunction even after the physical cause has been tackled.
If you’re worried about your sexual response or the quality of your erections, don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor, who has access to treatments that can help.
