What is the main cause of ED?

Males with erectile problems hesitate to talk to their urologist as seeing it as an embarrassing issue. However, urologists deal these sexual problems in their private clinics and numerous treatment options are available to treat erectile dysfunction. This article is extremely helpful for those people who are experiencing this problem or close to it.

Facts about Erectile Dysfunction

If a male is finding difficulty in achieving and maintaining an erection, this problem is called erectile dysfunction (ED). The erectile problem develops when there is not enough blood supply to the penile muscles or when muscles do not function properly to trap and release blood in the penis (male reproductive organ). This condition has a direct impact on the person and his partner’s life. The causes of ED are usually medical but can be psychological also. There are some prescription medications, recreational drugs, smoking; alcohol can all give rise to erection problems in men.

Also Read: How to cure ED permanently

The main cause of an erection problem can either medical or psychological.

• Medical- This includes health conditions or anatomical changes that prevent the male reproductive organ from becoming hard or staying firm.
• Psychological- It might include issues within a relationship or stress at workplace.

Sometimes both causes may overlap, for example, if an individual has obesity, changes in the blood flow can affect his ability to achieve and keep an erection, he may also feel less confident, which can also affect ED.

Causes of erectile dysfunction

Erection issues, develop problems with any of the following systems:

• Nerve supply
• Blood supply
• Hormones

Physical causes of erection problem

Men who have trouble getting and maintaining an erect penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse at some point in their lives; being stressed, tired, or consuming excess, alcohol can result in a short term problem. A temporary problem is not as equal as erectile dysfunction. If your erection problem persists for a long time and interferes with your normal sex life, you should seek immediate medical help. It is always worth consulting a urologist about persistent erection problems as it could be caused by a serious disease. The physical reason is a common reason for developing ED. Some of a few are as follows:

• Diabetes
• Neurological disease
• Cardiovascular disorders
• High blood pressure and high cholesterol
• Lack of exercise or being inactive
• Injury or surgery to pelvic area
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Long-term smoking history
• Some prescription medications

Other issues that may cause ED include:

• Depression
• Financial problems
• Stress or anxiety
• Having problem within a relationship
• Worry about failing to achieve erection to satisfy the partner

Atherosclerosis is a common cause for problems associated with blood flow. The condition leads to narrowing of arteries in the male reproductive organ prevent blood flow for a penile erection.

Many prescription medications are also responsible for causing erection problems in men including the following:

• Medications to control high blood pressure
• Some diuretics
• Medications that directly act on central nervous system (CNS) of the body, including amphetamines, and sleeping pills
• Anxiolytics for anxiety treatments
• Digoxin to treat heart conditions
• Cancer drugs such as chemotherapeutic agents
• Anticholinergics
• Hormone drugs
• Opioid painkillers
• Antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
• Drugs used for prostate treatment
• Cimetidine, a peptic ulcer medication
• Physical causes, impact around 90% of ED cases and psychological issues are much less common.

Psychological causes of ED

The following list summarizes some of the psychological causes that occur in rare cases:

• Fear of intimacy
• Severe anxiety
• Guilt
• Depression

Most cases of ED are physical; very less commonly psychological factors contribute to erection issues.

Also Read: Six Natural Ways to Treat Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction treatment

A urologist may prescribe medications to treat erectile dysfunction to help a man get an erection. These erectile dysfunction drugs include oral medications or injections that are injected into the penis. Patients suffering from ED may get any of the following erectile dysfunction medications:

• Sildenafil
• Tadalafil
• Vardenafil
• Avanafil

All these drugs for erectile dysfunction cure act by relaxing smooth muscles and increasing blood supply into the reproductive organ.