Our body is a very complex system that has can be influenced by countless factors. There are so many things that can go wrong in our body and so many health conditions that doctors are used to dealing with. Quite often some conditions lead to others and there’s a whole chain of cause and effect lining up in different systems. That’s exactly the case of erectile dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction, commonly referred to as male impotence, is a condition that affects nearly all men at some point of their lives. For some it may be a temporary issue as for others ED becomes a constant problem they have to deal with. Let’s first define erectile dysfunction because many people tend to be confused about this issue. Erectile dysfunction is characterized by the inability to get an erection suitable for penetrative sex in at least 1 in 4 attempts during a period of at least two months. Occasional problems with erection do not count as they are natural and happen in all men. So what can lead to erectile dysfunction?
There are a lot of different conditions that can actually lead to erectile dysfunction. The majority of them are purely physiological and include such issues as hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, obesity, certain types of cancer, alcohol abuse, smoking, lack of physical activity, medication use and many others. These conditions may have different effects in different body systems, however the main effect consists in the decrease of blood flow to the penis when it’s necessary either due to clogging of blood vessels, damage of therefore or damage of nervous endings in the region. When there’s not enough blood flowing into the penis it’s hard to obtain and keep a strong erection for having sex. And that’s exactly what drugs like Viagra are aimed at. They increase the blood flow to the penis when required diminishing the effects of health conditions that impede normal blood circulation in the area.
However, besides physiological conditions that can lead to the development of erectile dysfunction there are always psychological issues that can also have the same effect. These account for about 10% of the entire number of ED cases and the approach applied in this situation is different from that of the majority of diagnoses. The most common psychological conditions that contribute to the development of ED include depression, anxiety disorders, excessive stress, relationship problems and mental illness. And in cases of psychologically-induced erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra don’t have any serious effect because it’s the arousal that gets affected not the physiological ability to get an erection. And as we all know Viagra doesn’t boost the libido, it only improves the quality of erections. Still, the solution in such a case may be even simpler. In order to restore proper erectile function it’s necessary to address a psychologist and eliminate the actual problem behind the condition.
Knowing what health risks can lead to impotence is important if you don’t want to deal with ED. By preventing the main factors that contribute to the development of ED you will be able to enjoy proper erectile function for a very long time. So make sure to keep an eye out for all those risks.