Erectile Dysfunction Causes
Erectile dysfunction can be caused by different reasons, both psychological and physical, or combined. The most common erectile dysfunction causes include all kinds of problems with blood flow, as well as damage of nerves. Vascular diseases, imbalance of hormones, abuse of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, traumas or surgeries, diseases like diabetes, psychological problems are the most common things that cause ED among men of any age or social status.
Vascular Diseases
Vascular diseases among men most often result in impotence or problems with erection among men, especially for those over 60 years old. For this age group, up to 60% men suffer from erectile dysfunction caused by vascular diseases, like arteriosclerosis. This disease reduces blood flow in the body by making arteries narrower and harder. Smoking can be one of the causes of arteriosclerosis, as it affects lungs, and therefore blood and arteries, and can lead to vascular diseases.
Vascular Diseases Links:
1. Erectile Dysfunction May be Sign of Cardiovascular Disease. (article)
Diabetes
Diabetes is another common cause of erectile dysfunction. Constant high levels of blood sugar influence small blood vessels throughout the body, and affects nerves. This can cause problems with impulses and blood flow, which lowers the effectiveness of erection. It is a well-known factor that over 60% of men, who suffer from diabetes, also suffer from erectile dysfunction or complete impotence.
Abuse of substances, like alcohol, cigarettes and especially drugs commonly can become ED causes. These substances affect nervous and vascular systems greatly, which results in erectile problems. Prescribed medications, like antidepressants, heart and blood pressure medicine, sedative medications and tranquilizers contribute greatly to the possibility of erectile dysfunction.
Diabetes Links:
1. Diabetes Can Cause Erectile Dysfunction in Men. (video)
2. Erectile Dysfunction and Diabetes. (video)
3. American Diabetes Association. (official site)
4. Indian Diabetes Association. (official site)
Hormone Disorders
Hormone disorders are not a very common cause of ED as they are considered to cause only about 5% of impotence causes. Erection and sexual desire can be lost due to deficiency of testosterone. Hormone disorders can sometimes be caused by liver and kidney diseases.
Hormone Links:
1. Testosterone Therapy: Can it Help Older Men Feel Young Again? (article)
2. Testosterone Assessment. (online test)
Injuries and Problematic Surgeries
Injuries and problematic surgeries also can be erectile dysfunction causes. Injuries of brain and spinal cord, such as stroke, can cause problems with erection, as they affect the transfer of impulses from brain to penis. Parkinson and Alzheimer’s diseases are also widespread causes of erectile dysfunction. If you suffered a pelvic trauma or have injured your spinal cord, it is very likely that it will influence your erection, as it can damage nerves and veins. Surgery of prostate and other surgeries in that area of body can cause problems with veins and nerves, which will as well result in erectile dysfunctions. Radiation therapy, which is used to cure bladder cancer, can also damage nerves that are used to cause erection. Injured or damaged veins can result in venous leaks, which are another cause of ED. If veins have leaks, it’s impossible to prevent leaving of blood from the penis; therefore, erection can only be maintained for some short period of time.
Penile Trauma Links:
1. Penile Trauma FAQ
2. Peyronie’s Disease
Psychological Causes
Psychological conditions are a reason for many minor erectile problems, but if not treated properly and on time, they can cause more serious erectile dysfunctions. Depression, stress, feeling of guilt and worries can cause loss of libido and problems with erection. And if inability to achieve erection happens to a men, he becomes even more worries and anxious about it. So it’s obvious that it’s very hard to solve psychological causes of erectile dysfunction without contacting a doctor.
Psychological Causes Links:
1. ED Self Hypnosis CD/Download. (online shop)
2. Depression Treatment. (article)
3. National Psychology Associations. (countries list)
No matter by what an ED is caused; it can be usually treated either with medications or with a surgery. Contact your doctor to find out your ED causes and find the best way to solve this problem for you!
PS: I’ll be really glad to see your comment 
3 Comments
Feb 10, 2010 12:02 pm |
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is often caused by endothelial dysfunction (END) and may indicate that the patient take place other vascular diseases. Risk factors for coronary heart disease, such as violations of lipid metabolism, smoking, diabetes and hypertension are also risk factors for ED. Oral drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction such as sildenafil, inhibit fosfodiesterazu 5 (PDE-5) and the disintegration of cyclic guanosine monophosphate. PDE-5 inhibitors are effective and safe in the treatment of erectile dysfunction, but their use is contraindicated while taking nitrates. These drugs are weak vasodilators, and is currently studying the possibility of their use in patients with pulmonary hypertension, heart failure and end.
Endothelial dysfunction
Early stages of atherosclerosis include the END, a condition in which the inner layer of blood vessels lose their function. This includes loss of normal endothelium-dependent vasodilation. When acetylcholine – endothelium-dependent vasodilator introduced into normal blood vessels, the endothelium provides nitric oxide (NO), diffuses into smooth muscle cells of blood vessels, which leads to their relaxation. Blood vessels dilate, and blood flow increases. Similar phenomena occur with occlusion of the brachial artery for several minutes (usually with the use of cuffs for measuring blood pressure), followed by spraying of the cuff. In carrying out the Doppler ultrasound marked vasodilation with an increase in the diameter of the brachial artery and blood flow velocity. This normal response is a consequence of inadequate blood flow leading to ischemia. However END reaction vessels to acetylcholine or temporary compression of the brachial artery with subsequent restoration of blood flow is abnormal. Normal coronary arteries expanded in response to the introduction of acetylcholine, which can be found at angiography. The affected artery atherosclerosis is not expanded in response to administration of acetylcholine or marked paradoxical constriction. In patients with vascular disease caused by atherosclerosis itself or its risk factors, a decline severity vasodilation of the brachial artery after it temporarily compression with subsequent reperfusion.
Damage to the endothelium may be due to the large number of different adverse effects. They include the following common risk factors for atherosclerosis: lipid metabolism (increase in total cholesterol, increased low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) cholesterol, decreased HDL cholesterol), smoking, diabetes and hypertension. In addition, may be important as mediators of inflammation, infectious agents, and other factors. These impacts can cause damage to the endothelium, resulting in a violation of synthesis / allocation of NO, increased permeability of the endothelium to lipids and increase the thickness of the endothelium, resulting in adhesion of neutrophils and monocytes to the surface. This endothelial dysfunction occurs before the formation of visible signs of atherosclerosis.
Studies suggest that END is treatable. Reducing the level of lipids in the application of statins, treatment with ACE inhibitors and the use of PDE-5 inhibitor, sildenafil can cause a decrease in expression of END, which is described in more detail in the next section.
Erectile dysfunction is a manifestation endothelial dysfunction
It is believed that about 50% of cases of ED in men older than 50 years are due to cardiovascular disease. Most of them can be associated with END. Experimental studies on rabbits have shown that END can lead to erectile dysfunction, even before the development of atherosclerotic stenosis impeding blood flow in arteries supplying the cavernous bodies. Azadzoi et al., rabbits were fed food with high cholesterol or normal food for them. Then they called an erection in rabbits by introducing cavernous drugs such as phentolamine. Rabbits receiving a normal diet, were able to achieve and maintain an erection with increased cavernous pressure. Rabbits, who were on a diet high in cholesterol, have not been able to maintain an erection, which was confirmed by reduction cavernous pressure. ED also occurred in rabbits that have been formed when angiography revealed stenosis of the arteries, but the most important was the identification of ED in rabbits in which presumably developed in the END result of high blood cholesterol, even before the formation of atherosclerotic narrowings.
Many studies have shown that risk factors for coronary heart disease and hypertension are also risk factors for ED. This is important due to the fact that these risk factors lead to the development of END in the entire vascular system. With its development of atherosclerosis affects various vascular beds. Disorders of lipid metabolism, particularly the low level of HDL cholesterol and high levels of total cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and hypertension (known as risk factors for CHD) are proven risk factors for ED. Obesity and low physical activity are also risk factors for ED. Thus, patients suffering from cardiac disorders or who have risk factors for coronary heart disease, have a higher likelihood of erectile dysfunction, and they should ask questions about the status of their erectile function. On the other hand, in some cases, patients come to doctors looking for treatment of ED. It is important to ask these patients questions about cardiovascular risk factors: whether they suffer from hypertension, lipid metabolism, diabetes? Are they smokers? If these risk factors can be identified and cured, doctors can save the lives of many patients.
Although ED is often associated with many cardiovascular risk factors is widely known that most cardiologists do not ask their patients questions about sexual abuse. The same holds in other medical specialties, including urologists. Kloner et al. conducted a pilot study in collaboration with a large private cardiology center in Los Angeles to determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction in men with stable chronic coronary artery disease. The study included 66 patients with proven coronary artery disease, many of which were surgical treatment (balloon dilatation with or without stenting or aorto-coronary bypass surgery). Typically, patients answered the questionnaire, waiting for the reception or at home, sending replies by mail. This application is an abridged version of IIEF, contains 5 questions that determine men’s ability to achieve and maintain an erection. All questions were evaluated from 0 to 5 points, and the results summed. Result, less than or equal to 21, seen as a sign of erectile dysfunction. 75% of men took place ED. In addition, 25% of men with erectile dysfunction have suffered severe ED. Thus, erectile dysfunction often accompanies coronary artery disease. Similar results occurred in patients with hypertension (regardless of receiving antihypertensive drugs).
Several studies suggest that patients with ED, even if they do not suffer from angina and had no history of heart attacks are more likely signs of myocardial ischemia during exercise testing. They also have a high probability of presence of risk factors for ED. In connection with what Pritzker proposed the term “penile stresstest. In other words, the development of ED may be an early sign of the presence there of risk factors for coronary heart disease in men.
[Reply]
Feb 10, 2010 11:26 am |
Hi, I am only 21 years old. I don’t smoke. I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t have diabetes or any other disease. I am just a student who is curious to learn more about the future. I wonder if there is anything guys of my age can do to protect themselves from erectile dysfunction. I don’t want to become an impotent when I am 50-70 years old. Is there anything that can help me to fight this disease? This article says that erectile dysfunction can happen to any man in any age. No one is protected from traumas or surgeries. Thus I want to learn more about the prophylaxis of this disease. Thank you for giving me the answer in advance.
[Reply]
Feb 10, 2010 11:26 am |
I could never think that erectile dysfunction could be caused by stress, nervousness, guild or depression. It’s useful information. I am glad that being 56 years old I am still active in bed. But I have one friend who is 58 years old and has problems with having sex. I am not sure if James has erectile dysfunction. Maybe he has physiological causes that are mentioned here. I will try to talk to him. Maybe he will read this article and consult his doctor. Is it possible to cure erectile dysfunction? How can this disease be treated? What if factors that cause it will disappear? I am sorry for asking so many questions.
[Reply]
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