Written by Editorial Team | Updated : October 7, 2014 5:44 PM IST
As you age most of the organs in your body like your brain and heart stop functioning at their optimal best. ED is much more common in older men as the penis too isn't exempt from the natural process of ageing.
Michael Irwig, assistant professor of medicine at George Washington University, discovered that 94 percent men taking hair loss drug finasteride developed low sexual desire, 92 percent suffered from erectile dysfunction and 69 percent experienced difficulty with orgasm.
Men who are suffering from depression, anxiety-related conditions and other mental health problems tend to suffer from the disease. Drugs used to treat these conditions like anti-depressants can also cause problems.
Around 50% men with diabetes suffer from ED. In fact ED is one of the most common symptoms of diabetes. The elevated blood glucose level and nerve damage leads to inadequate blood flow and nerve damage to the penis.
ED can be a side effect of many common medicines such as blood pressure drugs, antihistamines, antidepressants, tranquilizers, appetite suppressants.
Another big reason is your extra girth (not in the right places) and not just because of low self-esteem. Most fat men tend to have high cholesterol which causes clogged arteries and prevents efficient blood flow. They also tend to have heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, higher stress levels and other obesity related issues which don’t bode well for your penis.
Diseases like high blood pressure, nerve disease or nerve damage, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, and heart disease-account for the majority of ED cases. Spinal cord and brain injuries, nerve disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and stroke. Sometimes surgery, especially radical prostate and bladder surgery for cancer causes ED.
Sometimes the problem can lie in your mind. Scores of porn viewings and urban myths give guys the idea that sex is supposed to be a certain way and when it doesn’t happen exactly like they saw onscreen it can affect them. It can lead to performance anxiety and snowball into a major self-esteem issue. The most important thing to remember is that sex is supposed to be simple and fun. Just be comfortable with what you’re doing, you don’t need to strut like a porn star.
The cliché sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll is actually very wrong. Substance abuse makes it hard for your heart to pump blood and it also robs your off your libido. Drinking and drugs can cause temporary and permanent ED. While temporary ED goes away when we aren’t under influence, research has shown that as many as 60-70% heavy alcohol consumers suffer from permanent erectile dysfunction. Smoking too is a big culprit; it’s the biggest cause of ED among men under 40. In the long term, all these activities constrict your blood vessels and prevent adequate blood flow to the penis.
While sex is a great stress-buster, the opposite is also true – stress can lower your libido and cause ED. Actually, stress is often synonymous with physical conditions like obesity, heart disease, hypertension, etc. Some simple lifestyle changes, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, taking some time off and seeking professional help in extreme cases can help you get over stress-related ED.
Technically speaking, an erection is caused due to the hydraulic effect of blood entering and being retained in spongy bodies within the penis. In most males, this happens when they’re sexually aroused thanks to signals transmitted from the brain to nerves in the penis. Both the brain (to send a signal) and the heart (to pump blood to the penis) must work properly to get and maintain an erection. ED occurs whenever any of the proceedings are disrupted. Here are some of the top causes of erectile dysfunction.
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