Knowing the Causes of Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is a common health problem in men. Men who happen to have the problem need to find out the causes of erectile dysfunction and need to gain as much knowledge about it to be able to deal with it better. There are various causes of erectile dysfunction, both physical and physiological in nature.

1. First is the physical factor. Men who have certain health problems are at risk of having erectile dysfunction or they may already have it.
2. The second is the psychological factor, which can also play a big role in causing ED.

Diabetes is one health problem that is often a major cause of erectile dysfunction. This is because diabetes can damage the artery and nerves that play an important role in forming an erection. When these are damaged, getting an erection is difficult. Other health issues that cause erectile dysfunction (ED) include various neurological diseases that affect nerves and the brain such as stroke and Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. ED in men with such conditions is common, as the nerves are very crucial in forming and retaining an erection. Another physical cause of ED is the treatment of prostate cancer that involves radiation, surgery to remove the cancer, and hormonal treatment that can cause ED. In fact, surgery to remove the bladder and prostate cancer often involves the removal of tissue and nerves from the areas that cancer has affected. The ED resulting from that surgery can be either temporary or permanent. Permanent ED will require further treatment so that patient can achieve erections again.

Men with kidney disease also are at risk of getting ED. There are a few ways that kidney disease can lead to ED.

• First, is that kidney disease can alter the body chemistry, which can result in lowered libido. The treatment often involves drugs that can cause ED.
• Diseases that affect blood vessels, known as vascular diseases, can also put men at risk. High cholesterol levels and hypertension are few of the diseases. Vascular disease basically limits the blood flow to important organs such as the brain, heart and also penis.
• Injuries to the penis and areas nearby that result from things such as accidents can also lead to ED. Injuries to the penis can cause what is called venous leak, which is a condition where the veins in penis are not able to stop blood from flowing out from the penis, resulting in ED, because maintaining erection is impossible. Thus, it is important for men to try their best to prevent such injuries from happening, such as wearing protective clothes that also protect their genitals when they do sports for instance.
• Imbalances of hormones are another cause. Venous leak is commonly the result of liver or kidney diseases.
• In addition, lifestyle also plays a very important part in causing ED. Smoking and drinking alcohol as well using drugs can lead to ED. These three habits can prevent or limit the blood flow to the penis and cause damage to the blood vessels. Smoking, especially in people with arteriosclerosis, may also lead to ED.

Physiological aspects can also cause erectile dysfunction besides the physical causes noted above. All sorts of negative feelings such as stress, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem are contributory causes. Often times, one psychological aspect is related to others. For instance, in their daily lives, men often feel stressed over many things, and this can lead to ED and sexual disharmony, which in turn adds additional anxiety, forming a vicious cycle that causes fear of ED occurring again. Stress and anxiety are then followed by the guilt men have when they are not able to satisfy their partners.