Causes of Erectile Dysfunction

The physical conditions that are linked to ED are usually those that damage the blood vessels and the nerves. Because both blood vessels and nerves are necessary for delivering blood to the penis and achieving an erection, diseases affecting them often result in impaired erectile function. Here are some of the more common causes:

Atherosclerosis

This condition, also known as hardening of the arteries, is characterized by deposits of plaque on the inside walls of the arteries, resulting in a narrowing of the passage and limiting the free flow of blood. In this way, the flow of blood to the penis can be seriously impaired. Atherosclerosis can result from high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, smoking, and diabetes.

Diabetes

About half of all men with diabetes suffer from erectile problems. This disease has an effect on both the nervous and vascular systems and can damage the nerves and the blood vessels that are necessary for a man to get and maintain an erection. Some diabetic patients are completely impotent.

Studies have shown that diabetic men, on the average, develop erectile dysfunction about 10 to 15 years earlier than the men who do not suffer from this disease. And remember that one out of ten men with diabetes has impotence as the first symptom of this disease.

Surgery

Various forms of surgery can result in erectile problems or complete impotence for many men. The most common of these is prostate surgery. The nerve path from the brain to the penis travels around the prostate gland, and if essential nerves are damaged or severed when the prostate is removed due to cancer (prostatectomy), erectile dysfunction can result.

Many of the men who have surgery for prostate cancer each year end up with ED, despite the more recent "nerve sparing" type of operation. When cancer is present, the surgeon's first goal is to remove all of the prostate, and sometimes it is impossible not to damage the surrounding nerves.

Other forms of surgery can also result in nerve damage and ED, including operations for bladder cancer and rectal cancer.

Accidents and Injuries

Many types of injuries and accidents, especially those that cause damage to the nerves and arteries in the genital area, can cause ED. Falls, as well as automobile, motorcycle, and bicycle accidents can have these results.

Another cause of ED and other physical problems is the result of excessive bicycle riding, particularly mountain bikes on rough terrain. It has been found that the constant pressure of the bike seat on the pudendal artery can press it against the pubic bone, causing trauma and resulting in a temporary loss of sensitivity in the penis and erectile problems.

If caught early, this problem is usually reversible when the man stops this form of exercise or when he replaces the one piece seat with a special two part seat from a bicycle shop. This type of seat has one section for the left buttock and one for the right buttock, effectively taking pressure off the pubic bone.

For men who ride regular bikes for a few hours a week and don't do mountain biking, there is usually no problem. In any event, it is recommended that riders lift out of their seats when riding on rough ground.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Since the Spinal cord is the pathway for nerve messages from the brain to the penis, injuries in this part of the body can result in erectile dysfunction. The message from the brain is interrupted on its journey to the penile nerves and blood vessels, and so the erectile process cannot take place.

Neurological Diseases

Obviously, any disease that damages a part of the brain that is involved with erections, or the nerves that are connected with erections, has the potential to also damage penile nerves and disrupt the erection process. Conditions that can have this result include herniated disc, spinal cord tumors, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease.

Kidney Disease

About half of the men who suffer from uremia (an inability of the kidneys to eliminate waste products) and about three quarters of the men who are on kidney dialysis treatment also have erectile dysfunction.

Hormonal and Thyroid Problems

Only about 5 to 10 percent of the men with erectile dysfunction are afflicted as a result of hormonal or thyroid problems, so these are unlikely causes of the condition. However, when they are diagnosed causes, treatment by a specialist (an endocrinologist) may be recommended.

Low testosterone levels are related to ED less than 5 percent of the time; more often, insufficient testosterone is linked to a lack of sexual desire (or low libido).

Priapism

The medical condition that causes a man's penis to remain hard is called priapism. This condition usually does not result from sexual interest or arousal and can be extremely uncomfortable and painful to the man. It may be a result of disease or injury to the spinal cord or to the penis.

As we have seen, priapism can also result from some of the therapies for ED, including penile injections, which is the most common cause of this condition. This condition requires immediate medical treatment if it lasts for four hours. If the man does not get treatment in time, the result can be permanent impotence. In some cases, surgery can be effective in reversing the damage.

Peyronie's Disease

This condition is characterized by a hardening of the erectile tissues resulting in a penis that bends or curves at an upward or downward angle when the man gets an erection. The exact cause is still unknown, but some experts say that in certain cases it can result from injury to the penis during sexual activity. If the penis is bent at a sharp angle, especially if it bends downward, normal sexual intercourse may not be possible. Men with Peyronie's disease may also lose their erection because of pain, or may have problems getting erections because their veins are not holding blood properly. If this condition persists for more than a year, surgery is required in order to correct it.

Penile Structural Changes

With increasing age, there are also increased deposits of collagen and fibrous tissue In the penis, making it less expandable and slightly smaller in both length and width. These changes in the structure of the penis can also adversely affect a man's erectile abilities.

Smoking

Many experts say that smoking is the single worst thing that you can do to your penis. Not only does it cause heart disease and damage the blood supply, it also can result in fibrosis of the penile erectile tissue. That means that the normal muscular tissue is actually replaced with scar tissue or collagen. Smoking actually shortens your penis! If this isn't a reason for a man to stop smoking, then what is?

Smoking also causes vasoconstriction of the cavernosal arteries, resulting in less blood getting to the penis, which can, of course, directly cause erectile problems. This condition may be reversible with the cessation of smoking.

Alcohol

Excessive use of alcohol can also create erectile problems. This is something that most men already know, since they have probably, at one point or another in their lives, had too much to drink and been unable to get an erection.

Usually, this happens when we are young. However, if a man continues to indulge in drinking too much over a period of many years, erectile problems can become chronic. Alcohol deadens the senses, damages the liver, and increases estrogen levels in a man's body, creating a hormonal imbalance that can lead to ED. Heavy drinking also interferes with enjoying the pleasures of good sex.

Remember that erectile dysfunction does not always have one simple cause. Sometimes, there can be several conditions, all contributing to the problem. For exam PIC, a man with coronary artery disease may also smoke cigarettes and have high cholesterol levels.

Impotence can be the first symptom of many serious illnesses, such as diabetes, coronary artery disease, multiple sclerosis, and even a brain tumor (prolactinoma). The failure to seek out a specialist and have a proper diagnosis could have very serious health consequences down the road.