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Male sexual arousal is a complex process that involves the work of the brain, hormones, emotions, nerves, muscles and blood vessels. Erectile dysfunction, aka impotence, can be caused by problems related to these things. Stress and various other mental health issues can also cause or worsen erectile dysfunction.
Reporting from the Health Line, it is estimated that about 50 percent of men aged 40-70 years experience symptoms of erectile dysfunction throughout their life. The risk of impotence increases with age.
In addition, medical records also report that highly educated men have a lower chance of impotence - perhaps because, on average, they adhere to a healthy lifestyle.
Impotence often has a negative effect on a man's sex life, and can exacerbate pre-existing stress, depression, and feelings of inferiority.
What caused it?
1. Physical factors
In general, impotence is caused by something physical in nature. Causes can include:
- Heart disease - conditions that affect the heart and its ability to pump blood can cause impotence. Without sufficient blood flow to the penis, a person cannot achieve an erection.
- Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Kidney illness
- Vein leak - to build an erection, blood must keep flowing and retain in the penis for some time. If the blood flows back to the heart too fast, the erection will be sluggish. Injury or illness can cause this
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Metabolic syndrome - a condition involving increased blood pressure, high insulin levels, body fat around the waist, and high cholesterol
- Peyronie's disease - growth of the lining of scar tissue in the penis
- Penile injury, or surgical procedures to the penis, pelvis, or surrounding area
- Severe head injury - impotence is reported in 15-25% of cases of severe head trauma
2. Neurogenic factors
Examples of neurogenic conditions that cause impotence include:
- Parkinson's disease
- Spinal cord injury or disorder
- Stroke - a serious medical condition in which the blood supply to the brain is interrupted
- Alzheimer's
- Brain or spinal tumor
- Temporal lobe epilepsy
- Prostate gland surgery - experienced nerve damage can cause impotence
3. Hormonal factors
Examples of hormonal conditions that cause impotence include:
- Hypogonadism - a medical condition that causes testosterone levels to drop below normal levels
- Hyperthyroidism - when the thyroid gland produces too much hormone
- Hypothyroidism - when the thyroid gland produces too little hormone
- Cushing's syndrome - a medical condition that affects the production of the hormone cortisol
- Anything that affects the level of sexual desire (libido) can also cause erectile dysfunction because a lack of libido makes it harder for the brain to trigger an erection.
4. Psychological factors
The brain plays a key role in triggering a series of physical responses that lead to an erection, starting with sexual arousal. A number of things can interfere with sexual desire and cause and / or aggravate impotence, such as:
- Depression
- Anxiety - if a man was unable to achieve an erection in the past, he may feel worried about not being able to achieve an erection in the future. In addition, he may feel unable to get an erection with a certain sex partner. People with an erection associated with anxiety may have a full erection while masturbating or sleeping, but may fail to maintain an erection during sexual intercourse with a partner.
- Relationship problems due to stress, poor communication, or other problems
5. Lifestyle factors
Examples of everyday habit factors that cause impotence include:
- Smoke
- Alcohol consumption and substance abuse
- Sleep disturbance
- Treatment for prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate
- Use of prescription drugs. There are more than 200 prescription drugs that can cause erectile dysfunction, for example diuretics, antihypertensives, fibrates, antipsychotics, antidepressants (Xanax or Valium), codeine, corticosteroids, H2-antagonists (stomach ulcers), anticonvulsants (epilepsy drugs), antihistamines (drugs allergies), anti-androgens (drugs that suppress male sex hormones), cytotoxics (chemotherapy drugs), SSRIs, synthetic hormones, beta blockers, and alpha blockers.
- Long-distance cyclists can also experience temporary impotence. This is because repeated and constant pressure on the buttocks and genital area can affect nerve function.
Please note, you are not allowed to stop medication without the doctor's permission, even if it is found that impotence is a possible side effect.
Sometimes, a combination of the above problems can cause impotence. For example, mild physical conditions that slow down your sexual response might cause anxiety about maintaining an erection. This anxiety can cause or worsen erectile dysfunction.
