The worst possible thing you can do when it comes to experiencing erectile dysfunction (ED) is not talking about it. Whether this means having a conversation with a partner—if it is affecting your relationship; your doctor—to seek treatment if need be; or even to yourself in order to come to terms with it, dialogue about this very real problem faced by millions of men globally is essential.
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So, if you are experiences ED, perhaps you are wondering what can lead this problem to arise. Firstly, you must know that this can affect any man at any stage of their life and that it is actually much more common than you may think.
What can cause ED?
Erections are caused by increased blood flow to the penis (often—but not always—when you are aroused) so most causes for ED prevent this mechanism from happening. The cause for impotence can vary from the psychological to the physiological.
In young men, for instance, most cases of ED are directly linked to what is known as performance anxiety which is essentially an accumulation of stress and negative thoughts surrounding sex, which renders the person incapable of achieving or maintaining an erection.
Tobacco, drugs, prescription medication (such as SSRI's to treat depression) and alcohol have also scientifically been proven to make it difficult to have an erection as the impairment those substances have on the body impede adequate blood flow to the penis.
Other physiological causes responsible for ED can be rooted down to:
- cardiovascular diseases
- diabetes
- hypertension
- obesity
- low testosterone levels
- kidney disease
What are some of the treatments available?
Statistics show that one in four men seeking their first treatment for ED were under the age of 40 and that mild to moderate afflictions of impotence affects 10% more men each decade of life. So, out of around 30 million American men suffering from ED about 60% of them were men over the age of 60. As you can see, the numbers are relatively high. Fortunately, treatments are abundant and the root cause can often be easily identifiable.
Your doctor can prescribe medication to address your issues with ED, such as Sildenafil (commercially known as Viagra) or tadalafil (Cialis). For lower levels of testosterone, one might choose the option to submit themselves to testosterone therapy (TRT).
But in younger men, perhaps the more effective solution is to choose natural alternatives to treat ED. Talk therapy has been shown to be highly effective against psychologically-induced ED. If not, regular exercise (as it has been shown that working out promotes the production of testosterone) and a healthy diet (focusing primarily on whole grains, fruits and vegetables) can also do the trick.
Other options include using certain devices marketed towards 'stronger erections', such as vacuum penis pumps and elastic bands (colloquially known as c**k rings).
