Today I will be talking about a very common problem that men are facing silently. It is called erectile dysfunction.
I was talking to a man and he was so shy to address the issue as it were. I had to dig deeper, only to find out that he couldn't satisfy his wife sexually.
A few days ago, I did a podcast about sex and men with @young-boss-karin and that podcast was what inspired this post.
We will be discussing the topic erectile dysfunction, what it is, the causes and the symptoms in this post.
In a subsequent post, I will be talking about treatment options as regards erectile dysfunction.
For now, read to kno the causes and how you can prevent it.
By Scientific animation, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia
What is Erectile dysfunction?
The inability to obtain or sustain an erection strong enough for sexual activity is known as erectile dysfunction. It is commonly referred to as **impotence **or ED.
According to most studies, almost all erectile dysfunction situations are curable.
The biggest obstacle/ challenge to helping men with erectile dysfunction regain full sexual function is still their reluctance to seek therapy. Most men are shy to come out and admit their condition.
Erectile dysfunction was once thought to be brought on by psychological issues. It is now understood that physical issues, typically involving the blood flow to the penis, are the primary cause of erectile dysfunction in the majority of men. Both the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction have made significant advances and research has been ongoing to further make treatment very achievable.
How common is erectile dysfunction?
Approximately 30 million American men have ED, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
As of today, there 334.8 million people in America and 10% of them have erectile dysfunction.
As people get older, ED is more common. According to the University of Wisconsin, men are affected by mild or moderate ED 10% more frequently than women for every ten years of life. For instance, 60% of men in their 60s can have ED in some form.
Nevertheless, ED can also affect younger people.
According to a 2013 study, 25% of males seeking their first ED treatment were under the age of 40. Comparing these guys to older males, researchers found a greater association between smoking, drug use, and ED.
Smoking always has a connection with most diseases that are linked to blood vessels
How does erection happen?
Your brain is where an erection begins. Your nervous system sends chemical signals to the blood vessels in your penis in response to what you saw, felt, heard, smelled, or thought. In order to allow for increased blood flow, the arteries relax and widen, while the veins constrict(reduces in size leading to engorgement). Once blood enters the penis, the corpora cavernosa( erectile tissue within the penis) pressure seals it inside. The erection is held by the expansion of your penis.
Your penis softens when the blood flow ceases and the veins open.
What are the causes of erectile dysfunction
Depression
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A frequently neglected erogenous zone is the brain. Your head is where the sexual elation begins, then it moves down.
Erectile dysfunction and diminished desire are also symptoms of depression. Ironically, many medications for depression can also lower your sex drive, make it more difficult to erect yourself, and postpone your climax.
Drinking alcohol
To set the tone, you can think about taking a few drinks, but going overboard might make it more difficult for you to complete the act. Heavy drinking can affect erections, but the effects are typically transient. One or two drinks per day of moderate drinking may provide health advantages, such as lowering the risk of heart disease. And those dangers resemble dangers associated with erectile dysfunction. Men can also experience sexual issues as a result of street substances including amphetamines, cocaine, and weed.
Medications
The items in your medicine cabinet may have an impact on how you behave in the bedroom. Various blood pressure meds, pain relievers, and antidepressants are just a few of the widely used medications that might lead to ED. However, before stopping any medications, consult your doctor.
Stress
When you're stressed out from work and home, it's difficult to get in the mood. Your penis is only one of the many bodily parts that stress may affect. Deal with stress by adjusting your lifestyle to foster calm and well-being, such as by exercising frequently, getting adequate sleep, and obtaining professional assistance as needed.
Mood
When one is angry, there is increased blood flow to the face and you do not want this when having sex. You need all the flow to be focused on your penis. Whether or not you're angry at your lover, it's difficult to feel amorous while you're upset. Lack of or wrong expression of rage might affect a partner's performance in the bedroom.
Anxiety
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It may be more difficult for you to perform in bed if you worry that you won't be able to. Relax and let it flow.
It is possible for anxiety from other areas of your life to transfer into the bedroom. Your relationship and sex life may suffer as a result of all that anxiety, which can cause you to fear and avoid intimacy.
Abdominal/Truncal obesity
Abdominal Obesity
Beyond only hurting your self-esteem, being overweight might affect your sexual performance.
Male hormone testosterone, which is vital for generating an erection and promoting sexual desire, is present in lesser amounts in obese men. Studies show that testosterone get converted to oestrogen in obese people.
Additionally connected to obesity are high blood pressure and artery stiffness, both of which can limit blood flow to the penis.
It's natural to presume that your partner won't share your opinion of the view if you don't like what you see when you look in the mirror. You can worry about how you look as well as how you'll do in bed if you have a poor sense of yourself. You could feel too anxious to even attempt sex because of that performance anxiety.
Small Libido
Although low libido is not the same as erectile dysfunction, many of the same things that prevent erections from occurring might also make you less interested in having sex. Your sex drive may be diminished by low self-esteem, stress, worry, and/or certain drugs. Your interest in sex may decline if all of those concerns are related to having affairs.
State of health
The nerves, muscles, or blood flow required for an erection might be impacted by a wide range of medical disorders. Multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, diabetes, high blood pressure, artery hardening, and other conditions can all cause ED. The nerves and blood arteries that govern an erection might also be impacted by surgery to treat prostate or bladder issues.
Hormones: Low levels of the male hormone testosterone are the cause of a limited number of cases of erectile dysfunction.
Symptoms of erectile dysfunction
The most typical signs of erectile dysfunction are having trouble achieving or keeping an erection during sexual activity.
In addition to ED, other sexual problems include:
Premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, or the inability to experience orgasm despite sufficient stimulus
If you experience any of these symptoms, especially if they have persisted for three months or longer, consult your physician. They can assist in determining whether your symptoms are brought on by a condition that needs to be treated.
We have come to the end of this post. In the next part, I will be talking about treatment option for ED and prevention.
References
Thank you for reading.